Trend Center: do not judge the world around us, but carefully consider
So what is a trend?
How about such a definition: "Significant statistical changes in indicators of measured data that cannot be explained by random variations of the process."
Sounds somehow not very inspiring. Let's try to offer our interpretation, which appeared in our country a few years ago and we still consider it relevant:
')
"The manifestation of a certain" erogenous zone "or a new way to serve the existing (and virtually unchanged) needs, desires or values ​​of consumers."
Example? One of the basic human needs is to control the situation or at least have the illusion of such control. Without a doubt, it is implemented in a virtual environment (new technology), where a person is at the helm of all events, and it is very delays. We called this phenomenon ONLINE OXYGEN , and as the Network continues to offer the consumer more and more levers of control, we are daily catching new sub-trends.
It is much more than ...
Watching trends is more than just watching what color, fabric or designer comes into fashion. Without a doubt, black can become popular again and mini-skirts can also retake the counters in 2008, but it's much more complicated with the consumer arena. Yes, and of course, monitoring trends is not as directly related to futuristic predictions as it may seem. Let us leave crystal balls and predictions for the next 15-20 years to futurists and employees of planning departments. To follow trends means to observe and try to understand what is already happening, both on a large and a small scale, both in the center and on the periphery .
When you fully understand the essence of the driving force of trends, why some become popular, while others disappear without a trace, then you are ready to think about which of them could affect your business and determine what those exist. What's next? Determine how to avoid potential pitfalls and take advantage of potential opportunities. To quote one of our trend observers, Mitchell Chong: “Catch the next wave before it catches you.”
Problems
Last year we held a lot of informal, but at the same time, demonstrative, conferences and meetings devoted to the problems faced by those professionals who want to monitor trends become an integral part of their corporate activities.
It turned out that there were three main problems: If you were confronted with any of these problems (or even with all three), then you know how difficult it can be to overcome all obstacles and implement trend tracking in your company's work plan. Fortunately, all this is surmountable and you already have everything you need.
Some of the answers received in the course of our research resemble the cries of drowning people. The board of directors thinks in terms of the 50s. Everyone is interested only in what shareholders think, instead of what is important for modern consumers. The leaders neglect every new trend, every new business concept, saying: “they will never use it”. No one is interested in the latest innovations. And in the same spirit. So, if your trend project is forced to break through the resistance of those who should be its main allies, try to look at the following recommendations:
What can be used as a source of new trends? We use any media resources: newspapers, websites, blogs, news, newsletters (online and offline); More on this in the article about VIRTUAL ANTHROPOLOGY
Let the information itself floats into your hands
It’s not necessary to endlessly jump from site to site: today every trend browser has its own RSS feed (we prefer Bloglines ). Among other ways to catch information that goes into your own hands, you can call Google Alerts and Technorati Mini . Enter a search phrase like 'consumer trends' or 'world's first' or the name of a specific trend. If you successfully pick up the phrase, the trend flow will flow like a horn of plenty.
And a little more about good
Do you still feel overwhelmed? You can be glad that a lot of (new) companies and blogs that work with trends, do all the work for you, and often even for free (well, to a certain extent, because everyone wants to eat ;-).
Spend a few days on sites like PFSK , Iconoculture , Influx Insights , Agenda Inc and, of course, trendwatching.com , try to figure out as much as possible consumer trends with insiders and you will already have good material to start building your own "system" (more on this below). Another clue: you will find in our database not only a lot of trends, but we also collect articles on this subject, which are published in publications like Guardian and Time Magazine.
Mindset
When you prepare a selection of web resources, the second, equally important, part of the work will remain: set up your trend-finder . The trick is to maintain openness and curiosity. Do not judge the world, but carefully consider; if you find something new, then ask yourself "why?", and not try to find mistakes in it. Remember that you may not be among your own clients: your professional interests should be wider than your personal ones. In other words, think and act like a journalist heading entrepreneurship . How? Try to think globally. Beyond the concrete industry, concrete society, concrete class.
Recommendations? Launch your own corporate Trend Center. You can start today. Even if this Trend Center will be only you personally. The trend center will not require any million investments. You also do not need to hire a separate staff of two or three employees (although this would not be so bad). This is more mentality. This may take a low-budget, informal or voluntary form.
So, do not expect a special invitation, but try to allocate a few hours a week and start building your own Network, even if it consists of only well-structured links to the corporate wiki. This will solve, at least for the first time, issues with resources / finances. Then try to hone your point of view by inviting like-minded colleagues to brainstorm on how to apply your first findings to your brand and the company's internal structure. Without a doubt, within a week, your Trend Center will become an assembly point for trend-minded colleagues and other associates.
Network
Every self-respecting Trend Center, of course, wants to spread its network of observers around the world; have your eyes and ears on the streets of Tokyo, the boulevards of London, the avenues of Amsterdam, New York Avenue and in other paris. Too expensive? Well, if even we could afford it, then any small or medium-sized company can also. Take a look at our network of observers Springspotter Network , in which informers are rewarded with points that can be converted into gifts. On the site you will find a brief but accurate description of why we need such a network and how we created it.
Try to use the collective mind, attracting your colleagues, friends, relatives, your fans and advanced users, your average consumers, your suppliers and thank them with your products or services or anything else that they will be pleased with.
Announce and promote your network through your website and your stores. And do not complain about the attendant difficulties, if you have a multinational company: if you really have offices and employees all over the world, this means that you already have the necessary network, you just do not use it effectively enough. Note: details on how best to use your network of informants, what questions to ask and what steps to take, will be discussed in the article on Trend Center 2.0
Permanent event
Obviously, the Trend Center is a permanent event. First of all, you will need:
To further promote your Trend Center, launch a semi-official website or a page where you will be given information about what trends you are tracking, and what possible consequences and applications for your company you see in them. To invite people to participate in the work, you can use the corporate wiki .
Get into the essence of the trend
To gain insight into the essence of the trend, to understand its influence and contexts, we use the trend system , which is just another name for a large list of all business and consumer trends that we explore. Now, we are talking only about consumer trends, but at the same time two more trend categories remain uncovered. In general, there are three levels of trends :
Social
Technological
E conomic
E cologic
Political
The easiest way to create your own trend system is simply to copy trends from a database of some trend observers (for example, our trends can be found here: www.trendwatching.com/trends ), and then add your own findings to them . Your system will grow quickly, in the sense that each time your new discoveries will become more and more predictable. Over time, you will find that most of your new discoveries fit into one of the big trends already known to you (and this is quite normal). Those findings that will not be explained in any way within the already existing trends of your system may become new trends or simply turn out to be a passing fantasy.
Translation from English to:
blog.worldwebstudio.com
How about such a definition: "Significant statistical changes in indicators of measured data that cannot be explained by random variations of the process."
Sounds somehow not very inspiring. Let's try to offer our interpretation, which appeared in our country a few years ago and we still consider it relevant:
')
"The manifestation of a certain" erogenous zone "or a new way to serve the existing (and virtually unchanged) needs, desires or values ​​of consumers."
Example? One of the basic human needs is to control the situation or at least have the illusion of such control. Without a doubt, it is implemented in a virtual environment (new technology), where a person is at the helm of all events, and it is very delays. We called this phenomenon ONLINE OXYGEN , and as the Network continues to offer the consumer more and more levers of control, we are daily catching new sub-trends.
It is much more than ...
Watching trends is more than just watching what color, fabric or designer comes into fashion. Without a doubt, black can become popular again and mini-skirts can also retake the counters in 2008, but it's much more complicated with the consumer arena. Yes, and of course, monitoring trends is not as directly related to futuristic predictions as it may seem. Let us leave crystal balls and predictions for the next 15-20 years to futurists and employees of planning departments. To follow trends means to observe and try to understand what is already happening, both on a large and a small scale, both in the center and on the periphery .
When you fully understand the essence of the driving force of trends, why some become popular, while others disappear without a trace, then you are ready to think about which of them could affect your business and determine what those exist. What's next? Determine how to avoid potential pitfalls and take advantage of potential opportunities. To quote one of our trend observers, Mitchell Chong: “Catch the next wave before it catches you.”
Problems
Last year we held a lot of informal, but at the same time, demonstrative, conferences and meetings devoted to the problems faced by those professionals who want to monitor trends become an integral part of their corporate activities.
It turned out that there were three main problems: If you were confronted with any of these problems (or even with all three), then you know how difficult it can be to overcome all obstacles and implement trend tracking in your company's work plan. Fortunately, all this is surmountable and you already have everything you need.
Some of the answers received in the course of our research resemble the cries of drowning people. The board of directors thinks in terms of the 50s. Everyone is interested only in what shareholders think, instead of what is important for modern consumers. The leaders neglect every new trend, every new business concept, saying: “they will never use it”. No one is interested in the latest innovations. And in the same spirit. So, if your trend project is forced to break through the resistance of those who should be its main allies, try to look at the following recommendations:
- Sometimes it is a language / perception problem. The word “trend” may be associated with some fashion designers who cherish exquisite fabrics or crazy teenagers from Japanese parks who have been dressed up in the fashion of the times of Louis XIV. Better try to talk about the future of business . Or the future of consumerism . Or about the causes of change . Or about the Flows ( Take the example of Ian David from McKinsey & Company: "Companies that manage to catch a jet achieve success; those who try to go with the flow usually have difficulties. manage them. ”).
- Try to ensure that the trends you are trying to present do not look like your personal ideas and scenarios. Let it not look like a performance by one actor. Be an impartial reporter who delivers an important message. Show specific examples of how other firms have already earned on these trends. Give as an example the most famous brands and, of course, as many direct competitors as possible. Let it never look like YOUR personal fantasies!
- Numbers should not be mentioned, but keep them close at hand.
- More visual information. Pictures. Video. Or lushe all: let the people try. Have a live demo!
- It is also important to enlist the support of someone from the authorities. Without the support of at least one of the managers of the management team, all this will be EXTREMELY difficult to implement.
What can be used as a source of new trends? We use any media resources: newspapers, websites, blogs, news, newsletters (online and offline); More on this in the article about VIRTUAL ANTHROPOLOGY
Let the information itself floats into your hands
It’s not necessary to endlessly jump from site to site: today every trend browser has its own RSS feed (we prefer Bloglines ). Among other ways to catch information that goes into your own hands, you can call Google Alerts and Technorati Mini . Enter a search phrase like 'consumer trends' or 'world's first' or the name of a specific trend. If you successfully pick up the phrase, the trend flow will flow like a horn of plenty.
And a little more about good
Do you still feel overwhelmed? You can be glad that a lot of (new) companies and blogs that work with trends, do all the work for you, and often even for free (well, to a certain extent, because everyone wants to eat ;-).
Spend a few days on sites like PFSK , Iconoculture , Influx Insights , Agenda Inc and, of course, trendwatching.com , try to figure out as much as possible consumer trends with insiders and you will already have good material to start building your own "system" (more on this below). Another clue: you will find in our database not only a lot of trends, but we also collect articles on this subject, which are published in publications like Guardian and Time Magazine.
Mindset
When you prepare a selection of web resources, the second, equally important, part of the work will remain: set up your trend-finder . The trick is to maintain openness and curiosity. Do not judge the world, but carefully consider; if you find something new, then ask yourself "why?", and not try to find mistakes in it. Remember that you may not be among your own clients: your professional interests should be wider than your personal ones. In other words, think and act like a journalist heading entrepreneurship . How? Try to think globally. Beyond the concrete industry, concrete society, concrete class.
Recommendations? Launch your own corporate Trend Center. You can start today. Even if this Trend Center will be only you personally. The trend center will not require any million investments. You also do not need to hire a separate staff of two or three employees (although this would not be so bad). This is more mentality. This may take a low-budget, informal or voluntary form.
So, do not expect a special invitation, but try to allocate a few hours a week and start building your own Network, even if it consists of only well-structured links to the corporate wiki. This will solve, at least for the first time, issues with resources / finances. Then try to hone your point of view by inviting like-minded colleagues to brainstorm on how to apply your first findings to your brand and the company's internal structure. Without a doubt, within a week, your Trend Center will become an assembly point for trend-minded colleagues and other associates.
Network
Every self-respecting Trend Center, of course, wants to spread its network of observers around the world; have your eyes and ears on the streets of Tokyo, the boulevards of London, the avenues of Amsterdam, New York Avenue and in other paris. Too expensive? Well, if even we could afford it, then any small or medium-sized company can also. Take a look at our network of observers Springspotter Network , in which informers are rewarded with points that can be converted into gifts. On the site you will find a brief but accurate description of why we need such a network and how we created it.
Try to use the collective mind, attracting your colleagues, friends, relatives, your fans and advanced users, your average consumers, your suppliers and thank them with your products or services or anything else that they will be pleased with.
Announce and promote your network through your website and your stores. And do not complain about the attendant difficulties, if you have a multinational company: if you really have offices and employees all over the world, this means that you already have the necessary network, you just do not use it effectively enough. Note: details on how best to use your network of informants, what questions to ask and what steps to take, will be discussed in the article on Trend Center 2.0
Permanent event
Obviously, the Trend Center is a permanent event. First of all, you will need:
- Create your own collection of web resources
- Create your trend system (see below)
- Set up weekly or monthly meetings.
To further promote your Trend Center, launch a semi-official website or a page where you will be given information about what trends you are tracking, and what possible consequences and applications for your company you see in them. To invite people to participate in the work, you can use the corporate wiki .
Get into the essence of the trend
To gain insight into the essence of the trend, to understand its influence and contexts, we use the trend system , which is just another name for a large list of all business and consumer trends that we explore. Now, we are talking only about consumer trends, but at the same time two more trend categories remain uncovered. In general, there are three levels of trends :
- Macro trends (the STEEP type approach below can be a good start to categorize macro trends)
- Consumer Trends
- Business trends
Social
Technological
E conomic
E cologic
Political
The easiest way to create your own trend system is simply to copy trends from a database of some trend observers (for example, our trends can be found here: www.trendwatching.com/trends ), and then add your own findings to them . Your system will grow quickly, in the sense that each time your new discoveries will become more and more predictable. Over time, you will find that most of your new discoveries fit into one of the big trends already known to you (and this is quite normal). Those findings that will not be explained in any way within the already existing trends of your system may become new trends or simply turn out to be a passing fantasy.
Translation from English to:
blog.worldwebstudio.com
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/31170/
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