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PERKONOMICS: A new breed of perks and privileges, added to brands regular offerings, is satisfying consumers ever-growing desire for novel forms of status and/or convenience, across all industries. The benefits for brands are equally promising: from escaping commoditization, to showing empathy in turbulent times. One to have firmly on your radar in the months to come.
More and more, the offline world (a.k.a. the real world, meatspace or atom-arena) is adjusting to and mirroring the increasingly dominant online world, from tone of voice to product development to business processes to customer relationships. Get ready to truly cater to an ONLINE OXYGEN generation even if you’re in ancient sectors like automotive and fast moving consumer goods...
FREE LOVE: the ongoing rise in free, valuable stuff that's available to consumers online and offline. From AirAsia tickets to Wikipedia, and from diapers to music. Blame an all out war for consumers' ever-scarcer attention, the post-scarcity dynamics of the online world, the avalanche of free user generated content, and an emerging swapping and recycling culture.





Many brands now actively target the gay community, as even the most conservative execs have come to realise that there's just too much money to be made from well-to-do, happy-to-spend GLBT consumers. And merely acknowledging consumers who sadly are used to being ignored if not vilified, does wonders for brand loyalty.

“(STILL) MADE HERE encompasses new and enduring manufacturers & purveyors of the local. In a world seemingly ruled by globalization, mass production and ‘Cheapest of the Cheapest’, a growing number of consumers are seeking out the local, and thus the authentic, the storied, the eco-friendly, and/or the obscure...”


The power of groups, the clout that crowds can exercise to get what they want, is nothing new. What is new, however, is the dizzying ease with which likeminded, action-ready consumers can now go online and connect, group and ultimately exert influence if not demand bulk discounts. Call it group power, call it CROWD CLOUT...

Freed from the shackles of convention and scarcity, immune to most advertising, and enjoying full access to information, reviews, and navigation, TRYSUMERS are trying out new appliances, new services, new flavors, new authors, new destinations, new artists, new outfits, new relationships, new anything with post mass-market gusto...


If consumers produce the content, if they are the content, and that content brings in money for aggregating brands, then revenue and profit-sharing is going to be one of 2007's main themes in the online space. Get ready for an avalanche of revenue sharing deals, reward schemes and sumptuous gifts aimed at luring creative members of GENERATION C(ASH).




As a business professional, you can have the ride of a life time with YOUNIVERSAL BRANDING. There are interactive billboards to be placed, virtual product placement strategies to be executed, scripts to be written, friends to be made, avatars to be dressed, fed and equipped, and virtual stores to be opened.


The phenomenon of corporations creating goods, services and experiences in close cooperation with experienced and creative consumers, tapping into their intellectual capital, and in exchange giving them a direct say in (and rewarding them for) what actually gets produced, manufactured, developed, designed, serviced, or processed.

Experienced consumers are lusting after detailed information on where to get the best of the best, the cheapest of the cheapest, the first of the first, the healthiest of the healthiest, the coolest of the coolest, or on how to become the smartest of the smartest. Instant information gratification is upon us.


A special edition that's all about how to become better at trend watching yourself, including a detailed look at the resources, mindset and processes required. Start your own TREND UNIT today! (Note: this Briefing has been replaced and updated as TOP 5 TREND WATCHING TIPS »)
