Decoding Next: Five Trends from January marketers need to be aware of
There is no question that in today’s world, people reward brands who are able to understand and respond to external forces in real time. From a simple piece of content to evolving product features, responding with agility to shifts in cultural trends is the defining trait of brands who aim for cultural relevance as their source of competitive advantage.
The following five trends were identified from the daily culture briefings at Sparks & Honey. In January alone we covered over 800 stories in our briefings which were selected from a pool of over thousands of trending and/or fringe signals. Moving forward we will be selecting five trends to be featured exclusively in The Drum every month
From CPG to QSR, brands are experimenting with on-demand experiences
While push-to-order buttons have been around for a while with Evian’s evianchezvous.com being one of the early adopters, more brands are now leveraging new systems and APIs to test on-demand mobile commerce programs. The latest manifestation is Bud Light’s The Bud Light Button, a one-tap beer delivery app introduced in January in Washington DC. The app is following a series of launches in this space, including the now famous Push for Pizza which works with the Ordrx platform’s API, one of a few that simplifies the process of building on-demand apps in the food space. Expect more experimentation in the arena throughout 2015.
Task-Oriented Gadgets Replace the All-Purpose-You-Figure-Out-What-This-Is-For Type
Microsoft recently unveiled Project Hololens amid much speculation in the industry. In the near future we will see a rise in holographic computing technology discussions, with implications on interaction design, product development, communication, and entertainment. However what makes the unveiling of Microsoft’s HoloLens interesting is in how they introduce the technology compared to other gadgets in the recent past -- through contextual relevance. This shift, from the all-purpose (or even purposeless) to the decidedly task-oriented, could signal people’s maturing relationship with task-specific devices and the industry’s response to a demand for substance behind new tech products.
Mining the world of fiction for products, services, or experiences will continue to grow
Defictionalization can be best understood as the opposite of product placement. With more stories and imaginary worlds out there, it’s not surprising to see how artists, designers, fans, and brands continue to bring fictional worlds to life. Danish architect Bjarke Ingels said “If documentary is to document our world as it already is, fiction is to fantasize about how it could be”. People are continuing to make fantasy reality whether it be from a (sold-out Harry Potter engagement ring to Zelda-theme art, our relationship with fiction has never been so intimate, communal, and real at the same time.
It’s Still Not OK To Be On Your Own (Or Is It?)
Social pressure to have a significant other seems quaint but is still very real. The proof is in the instant popularity of the recently launched invisible boyfriend and invisible girlfriend service. Both services give you “real-world and social proof that you’re in a relationship - even if you’re not - so you can get back to living life on your own terms”. Beyond any social stigma associated with being single, we see this service as one more contribution to our expanding ideas on what it means to be in a relationship. Or how we have adapted to satisfy our emotional needs through messages on a screen – real or otherwise. From falling in love with operating systems to hiring professional cuddlers, social norms are evolving fast thanks to a growing number of options which might or might not involve humans on the other side of the relationship.
Single-Game Video Gamers Signal the Evolution of eSports
There are a number of factors influencing the transition of gamers as a mono-culture tribe centred on one particular game. On one hand the stakes have never been higher in the world of eSports, with north of 71 million people watching and over 25$ million (£16.5m) in prize money, this is a growing community that can no longer be ignored by the mainstream. On the other, the games themselves continue to evolve in complexity and in the many ways that they establish a credible world. This in turn takes the attention away from gaming as a culture, and puts emphasis on the culture of the individual game. The opportunities for brands willing to dive into the space and help shape it are limitless, the time is now or perhaps never.