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Latest trends | 2014
InfoJanus
Our trend QuantifiedMe, defined in 2013 still lives on. Big data is becoming even more enormous and it still grows. Wide spectrum new technologies, new platforms, new corporate and governmental needs push to keep even more data. As a result even more information is available about people, consumers and customers. One of the greatest challenges in the future is still to elaborate and use data in corporate strategy. It is also a challenge for consumers, since their attitude towards IT and digital platforms is changing in 2014. Their attitude will be bilateral: on one hand they will be happy to implement novelties into their everyday lives, so they can make decisions, lifestyles easier; on the other hand they reject and object to it, people would like to show even less of their lives, of their everydays, of their thinking.
Many technical devices and services mean a kind of entering ticket for an opportunity offering a more effective and more convenient lifestyle, an effective way of keeping contact. This motive contributes to the fact that even more people start to use technical novelties and applications. In the meantime those, who become immersed in, will get to know the opportunities and the threats in even more detail. They have many questions about the influence of Big data on private life, private sphere. Based on these in 2014 consumers will try to seek balance by having a finer tuning on the ways (scales) of keeping distance. in the meantime they still seek the moment and they do not think on a long run.
As we feel even more convenient in the Information Society, we are even more afraid of loosing information, data. On the other hand we give too much information about ourselves without having a chance to withdraw. It is going to be a question whether we can resist the sirens of technology or we rather chase the promising advantages. Anonymity is an exclusive phenomenon and will be an expectation of consumers to ensure their private sphere, they reckon a kind of drawback from companies. (This kind of secrecy might be a unique message or selling point when communicating with consumers.)
skillsperiences
The megatrend of „new dimensions of time and space” and the consequencing feeling of freedom determine this latest trend. Entertaining (being entertained), providing and seeking experiences, living through things as experiences, experiencing situations, will be more valuable in 2014.
Expertise and knowledge at a university level are devaluated, we do not believe to experts: doctors, teachers, professors, people with scientific degree. We rather believe to the experienced knowledge. Experience becomes more important, it is shared without scientific background, but with much larger practical experience. Our trend „blind leads the blind” is still appropriate. Knowledge has lower and experience have much higher value. As a result people do not trust in brands, they rather have trust in those, who have experience.
The unbelievable pace of communication technology development, the tendency of integrating functions into one device and being wireless, make it possible to redefine the relationship between our existence and our surroundings. Opportunities become inter-penetrative. People are not stuck anymore: we can try ourselves in different countries in different cities, we can be successful on the other side of the earth as well. We can gain experience in new situations, we do not have to sit in an office and work in worktime, we do not have to go physically into a university, we can perform all our tasks online. New Nomads appear as lyfestyle: the layer of people seeking new experience, experiences, they are served with innovative services, product development solutions. Their needs are close to being natural, but in a urban, convenient (almost luxurious) way with lifestyle elements.
The young urban intellectuals seek new values for itself, which does not manifest in owning or in a materialized way, but rather in collecting experience, experiences and interesting knowledge. Gastronomy became a more important and organic part of culture, and it means determining experiences for lots of target groups. This phenomena is also reflected by the even larger popularity of festivals, or as reported in 2013 by the redefinition of „Street”.
smar(t)ket
Creative and practical knowledge is one of the most important resources in the XXIst century. It became a fundamental element of classical manufacturing and production in this postmodern era. Smartphones and tablets enable us to reach information in a mobile way. As a result anyone and anytime can reach expert-like knowledge. This limitlessness caused that the nature of knowledge is so dynamic, we have never experienced such a level of it. It continuously changes, it even loses from being static, because the given knowledge can be extended and can be transformed from theory to practice, content can be created without limitations. New methods like collaborative (team, shared) working, makes it possible to create and develop knowledge together, this can maker ideas, companies and products competitive. Shared knowledge level (think about web courses, e-learning systems) is available for each person, this knowledge when transferred to practice mutates into expertise. Experts appear everywhere.
Another aspect which is typical for this trend is that by the upvaluation of expert knowledge, IT and other machines show their outstanding role in everyday life. Today we use machines to get the necessary information: lots of smart phone app make it possible not to visit a doctor if necessary of doubtful; we do not have to go to a trainer, we can set our own goals for the workout. With technology we can monitor our body, our knowledge and our performance. In 2014 the portable technology will bring upswing, while it is also integrates into our everydays. Besides the clever watch, clever glasses and devices are built into our bodies and clothes, these can transfer information about ourselves and our environment.
The smart-market enables us to be mobile and not stuck to time and space. The on-the-go market as a result becomes more important. Services are available anytime, anywhere and they also find consumers and realise their needs as they move. Customers are served immediately.
generosity
The meaning of generous is so complex that it is a whole trend now. It also manifest a new kind of money, it is the representative of status and it is also a lifestyle marker.
Services, which are not based on money as exchange value, but giving favours, being a volunteer and free work, become even more popular. Giving favours, donation and helpingare deeds, which do not cost for cash, but it is good for our souls and offers the feeling of belonging to a community.
Consumers need calmness where there are no performance assessment numbers like forint, euro or dollar. They are much more striving for a ZEN state, in which they would like to spiritually experience the present, while intentionally switching off all disturbing and stressful factors, just concentrating for that very moment.
When harming the environment or themselves, consumers have a bad conscience. The desires of pampering ourselves, striving for the better and being as up-to-date as possible, evoke many factors, which cause bad conscience. As a result brands, lifting this weight away or at least making it easier, can offer a good service to consumers: environmental consciousness, health, balance of our souls, emitting money.
Helping our environment nowadays is only possible with personal interaction, showing real faces, completions and results.
no time
Consumers do not have time!
In 2014 we have to realise the time limits of consumers and we have to react their need, have their attention and share information accordingly. Time is an even thinner bottleneck in our everydays, so consumers have to bring lots of decision with keeping this in mind.
Consumers are impatient and would like to receive everything fast and immediately and what is more important is that they only need the essence, there is no time for useless things. As a result their attention is selective and it is satisfied with headlines. So only the headline communication is effective, the content of which is easily and immediately perceivable. In the meantime if a topic or a news becomes interesting, they are willing to dig really deep, they would like to take part, form and express opinion and pushing themselves (mainly online and on social sites). Altogether most important information must be easily available, but deeper content should be also reachable from us and not other sources.
Consumers expect continuous change, there is no stop, if someone stops than it is suspicious or considered as withdrawn or as something not belonging there.
These all suppose an impulsive and intuitive consumer behaviour, because consumers were seeking information on the surface and as a result the exact decision to impulses is not predictable. There is still a strong need for CURATORS, who save us time and help seeking and selecting information with the filter of an expert. The opinion of curators remains exemplary, even more in the future on each topic we will have a curator to trust, who will continuously provide us the novelties and who see our attitude towards things. Being regular is also a must for them.
work out of the idea
We have to react to the challenges of todays state of economy, we need to fight to stayalive and to keep our imagined lifestlye. The social net is even weaker (with larger wholes), so we have to take care of ourselves and our future. We have to work a lot for self actualization. For this we need good ideas and novel approaches, new geographic, moral and workstyle perspectives. Start-up enterprises with new worldviews and workshop-like local niche market based companies will appear and spread. The focus is on the idea, which might become a job, a source for earning a living, an entrepreneurship or a source of self-actualization. This approach is risky, but it might bring support, respect from the members of the community. Even it can bring financial aid with crowdfunding, and active social participation, because entrepreneurships have a useful message, they are not only a source of earning a living.
Almost every start-up is IT based, which offers a kind of flexibility (cost efficiency) to idea owners, while workshop-like idea owners are connected to handicraft products and natural resources. Because of targeted popularization and the ability of breaking borders, Technology, online communication, social media has an important role in executing the ideas. The trend of „from idea to job” can be popular locally and globally. This approach and braveness is more typical for the younger generation.
Those entrepreneurships can also become successful, which are related to environmental consciousness or social/community issues. They focus on the impact on the community/enviroment and not on gaining profits.
market of noones
The „No one market” describes a trend, which is based on popularity, sharing and buzz, but all these phenomena have short lifetime. They are only present for a really short time, they generate enthusiasm, experiences and interest for a short time. Its content is small, we might say it is a large bubble, which is grown together, but when it is not in the centre of interest, it bursts gradually. They are not interesting anymore, because the next one is coming…
On the other hand, the appearance of „no one market” has an important role from a marketing and consumer behaviour point of view. One of its peaks is the range of Meme Celebrities and the appearance of meme-culture. Gangnam Style, the Grumpy Cat or the planking rage… the line could be continued with brands (Old Spice) and other actual phenomena. The meme culture goes on and it became a marketing means, since brand owners can also start memes and they can use them as communication tools and community building forces. Interactivity and the fact that we might not control memes should be calculated when talking about memes. Consumers, transmitting our message, change the content, they add, they make jokes, etc. The participating/users seamlessly become a sort of replicators.
Memes, life loggers and the nowadays really popular selfies are belong to the range of instruments dedicated to the SELF status. The digital SELF, the Digivinium appears, this is the category of the self-oriented digitally spreading SelfCelebrity, which is born by mixing the internet with pop-culture.
This digital trend is perfect for documenting our own lives, to create a footprint about our everydays, but with the help of new diary, documenting modes and apps.
The „no one market” is popular for being free, it is free to download, to share information about ourselves or about our masterpieces. Sharing photos, videos or daily quotations is popular.
me-2-me
The fulfilment of ME is the starting point of consumption and shopping. Purchases are still determined by the own preferences , tastes and values of consumers. It helps to express the SELF: the value orientation, personality and the attitude towards the surroundings and other things. From mass consumption through the purchasing of unique handicraft, workshop products up to the respect of unique product features (organic products, design products, private label products, etc.), each motive create a footprint about the personality of the consumer.
Not only our shoppings, but our media and culture consumption and all the activities form the image of a consumer. These would not be interesting at all if this picture could not be more colourful with the online presence. This online profile is a continuously forming online picture which is reshaped by each action: like, unlike, share, not to share, comment, ignoring. Hashtag communication is even more popular, consumers can highlight keywords and generate attention in a professional way, not to mention the ability of tracking.
Consumers have a need to see themselves and their tastes in a product, so they are glad to participate in product development, they create and plan their own product, with their creativity they develop them further. Co-development still has a great future. In the same way consumers like to share experience, whether it is about satisfaction, astonishment, happiness or their antonyms. It is for sure that they share, form and tell their opinion, thus they shape the brand’s attractivity.
Consumers like to share themselves, their body, their thoughts and status. They are also willing to share their environment with their friends, community, not to mention portable technology. The spreading of Selfies underline the desire for narcissistic selfcelebrity, which unambiguously means the end of anonymity, because we are traceable anytime and anywhere and the SELF becomes more controllable and traceable in the future.
A new segment appears, the segment of Mass Premium. Consumers have a need to get more than before, they want manufacturers/brand owners to take care on details, but not to escalate with prices.
Since people like to revive and rethink their roots, the Remixing tradition shows that the old becomes the new. People go back to already existing, traditional products, brands and they revive them with a creative and new impulse, recipe. This makes them fell good. It is like the old, but refurnished with new technology.
new cocoon
Cocooning is not a new trend, it was identified by Faith Popcorn in the 90’s. Based on this trend lots of people try to cocoon, surround themselves with services and electronic goods, devices, which provide convenient and secure life without the need to get away from home. A lot has passed since than, but the trend is even stronger and received new motives. In 2014 we have to prepare for the „new cocoon” trend.
Fear (economic crisis, unpredictable economic atmosphere, questionable governmental measures, 9/11, shootings, natural catastrophes, etc.), distancing ourselves from the unpredictable, striving for the secure and the need for being entertained are still the essence of this trend. Theological novelties and the even cheaper tech and digital gadgets have reshaped the trend. Based on new cocoon we still would like to stay at home cocooned, but we still need social experiences. Virtually we invite the audience to ourselves, but not physically. We do not have to leave our homes, we can buy anything through the internet, we can watch a movie in movie theatre quality, we can ask for an appointment to the doctor, we can even go to a university, we can watch scientific lectures. We can look into anyone's life through social media; this trend has influenced home-restaurants and home-theatres.
Living creature, animals, ani”mates” living in our homes become even more important. Serving the needs owners and pets mean a separate consumer market. People would like to provide the most convenient and most secure life for them.