An excerpt from the November 2011, trend report reads:

Now, we're not saying that all of consumption will be dominated by discounted goods and services. However, for status-conscious consumers (read: all of them ;-), making the most of discounts and deals is no longer considered cumbersome or even embarrassing, but simply smart.

In fact, DEALER-CHIC is yet another example of the longer-term shifts playing out in the consumer arena, where savvy consumers have more choice, higher expectations, and more control, while mature consumers have an ever-less reverential relationship to brands.

So, here are just three reasons why DEALER-CHIC is set to get bigger and bigger in the coming years:

1. MORE FOR LESS: While many people in developed economies may have less money to spend right now, consumers everywhere will forever look to experience more.

2. THE MEDIUM IS THE MOTIVATION: Consumers are now being alerted to, using, reusing and sharing offers and deals via new (and therefore infinitely more exciting and attractive) technologies.

3. BEST OF THE BEST: With instant mobile or online access to not only deals but reviews as well, consumers can now be confident they’re getting the best price for the best product or service.

Read the entire report at trendwatching.com.

*camille

As a fan of the television show Mad Men (what designer isn't, really?), it should not surprise me that my Netflix genie suggested I would enjoy the documentary film Art & Copy.

Indeed, the genie was right. What an interesting film this was -- particularly in light of the recent death of Steve Jobs. I think those of us in creative fields have been doing more self-reflection than usual this week, wondering what our own artful legacies will be in this world. In Art & Copy, the contributors -- most of whom are some of the most prolific and pioneering figures in advertising -- speak to the impact their respective work has had in the world of business and brand-building.

If you have any interest in learning more about the genesis of some of the greatest ad campaigns and agencies in the United States, I would recommend you take the time to watch Art & Copy. You'll hear about the 'Got Milk' campaign, Tommy Hilfiger's debut on the fashion scene, and the classic Volkswagen ads from the 1960s, among other interesting stories.

Oh, and you'll also learn about a young visionary's willingness to put his money where his mouth is, so to speak, in producing the ad to launch his company's new computuer in 1984.

*cf

Just to be absolutely clear: R.A.K. are not about rewarding customers for tweeting / liking your product, and not about giving away lots of free samples (that would be FREE LOVE), but about selected, random acts of kindness (hence the name ;-)

Now is the ideal moment to engage in some R.A.K:

HUMAN TOUCH | Consumers increasingly wanting to see the human side of brands (or if indeed a brand has a human side at all ;-), making R.A.K. more welcome than ever.

PUTTING IT OUT THERE | Audiences publicly disclosing more and more personal information on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks, about their lives, moods and whereabouts, both current and intended, enabling R.A.K. to be more relevant.

PASS IT ON | More consumers than ever are now sharing their experiences with their friends and wider audiences on social networks, meaning R.A.K. can spread far beyond the original recipients.

As always, Trendwatching's March/April update on consumer trends is an interesting read.  I look forward to these every time.  Click the link above to read the entire article.

*cf

The importance of serendipity

Connections among people, the report states, are more important than measurable outcomes. That’s “counterintuitive in a world where we’re so interested in metrics and outcomes,” says Patel, but it’s true. When an organization builds a network, people and relationships must be at the center.

Your social media platform may have only a few hundred visitors, but if those people are connecting, that’s far better than having tens of thousands of visitors who don’t interact at all.

“Investing in networks and designing for serendipity is really an investment in a community’s infrastructure,” Patel says. There will be outcomes to measure, he says, but they shouldn’t be the No. 1 goal.

I found this to be an interesting post that attempts to put into words how social media - and our interactions with one another - will change between now and 2015.

Suffice it to say that the idea of predicting the nature of our social interactions four years from now is challenging, at best. However, the article does seem to say that the same things that make for good "offline" relationships are similarly powerful in the online arena.

Though the tools are different, it is still essential to enable individuals to connect, not only with one another, but also with a larger community and sense of purpose.

*cf

Trendwatching's February 2011 report focuses on the the all-but-certain trend toward urbanization in the next decade, across the globe. In response, those in the business of purveying goods and services or shaping brands would do well to tailor their work in ways that appeal to this large demographic.

From the report:

Here are just three drivers behind the CITYSUMERS trend:

1. The huge increase in the number of urban dwellers all around the world (URBAN BOOM).
2. The ever-increasing wealth and power of cities and those who live in them (URBAN MIGHT).
3. The spread of urban culture and values (URBANE).

Serving these CITYSUMERS obviously requires brands to tailor products and campaigns to savvy urban audiences: for anything from practical reasons (offering appropriate shapes, sizes and features of urban goods and services) to showing the brand 'gets' it (addressing busy and diverse lifestyles) to contributing to the quest for social and environmental sustainability.