Monthly Archives: January 2010

Trend Spotting Lesson 1: Trend Boards

By Simone | Published: January 29, 2010

via Jamie Kalvestran Overview The general purpose of a trend spotting company is to help its clients develop products and services that are well-suited for tomorrow’s consumers.  There exists a broad range of trend spotting firms and consultants which offer a wide array of products and services.  These offerings include idea generation, primary research, secondary [...]

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William Higham on Terrible Trend Terms

By Simone | Published: January 28, 2010

UK-based trend forecaster William Higham wrote a good post on Terrible Trend Terms today- it’s worth sharing! As Higham puts it, “trend forecasters are regularly lampooned for coming up with ‘ridiculous’ names, but 8 times out of 10 it’s the media that makes up the name, not us.” Higham goes on to write that a [...]

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Trendspotting Book Review- Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping

By Simone | Published: January 26, 2010

People watching skills are an essential component of a trend spotter’s toolkit.  Without the ability to observe peoples’ behavior and discover underlying motivations behind their actions, it is nearly impossible for one to formulate clear ideas on how consumers’ behavior may change in the future. For the cultivation of observational skills, I recommend reading Why [...]

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Why People Hate Trendspotters

By Simone | Published: January 24, 2010

I recently came across an article which discusses the work of Ann Mack (a trendspotter working for JWT).  More importantly, Its author, Jim Edwards, reveals one of the key challenges the trendspotting industry must overcome in the next couple of years. Edwards, expresses the negative attitude people hold toward trendspotting, describing it as “one of [...]

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2057 & 3-D Dolphin Buddies

By Simone | Published: January 22, 2010

I love it when people share their visions for the future.  Have you seen Discovery’s 2057?  It’s a three-part series that explores the potential future of The Body, The City, and The World.  Here’s The City: In each part, Discovery (with the help of Michio Kaku) shares various technological conveniences we might enjoy in the [...]

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Trendspotter Profile: Gill Linton

By Simone | Published: January 21, 2010

Much of professional trend spotting is tied up with marketing and advertising- after all, companies need to know what the new trends are in order to satisfy and cater to new demands and preferences. One professional that has experience with both marketing/advertising and understanding the pros and cons of ‘trends’ is Gill Linton, a New [...]

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A Nifty Trend Blog!

By Simone | Published: January 18, 2010

I came across an interesting trend blog today: What’s Next: Top Trends. The blog is written by Richard Watson of What’s Next, a company that offers trend reports and consulting services. What’s Next: Top Trends is organized in such a way that you can look up entries by subject, such as travel & tourism, healthcare [...]

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One Point Rich

By Simone | Published: January 17, 2010

Yesterday Kirin of Tokyo Kawaii Etc published an interesting post on One Point Rich, a concept discussed in a September 2009 episode of Tokyo Kawaii TV.  The show discusses how some people have cut back on spending but still indulge in one thing- hence they are one point rich.  The indulgences include tangible items such [...]

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The Sardine Trend of 2010 and the Infamous OPPOSING TRENDS!

By Simone | Published: January 15, 2010

WTF, world? Sardines are popping up everywhere. In a special show on dieting (“Live and Let Diet”) Alton Brown extolled the virtues of sardines, giving a recipe for sardine-avocado sandwiches.  Food bloggers and Food Network Fans alike found it amusing.  Further investigation shows that this is not the only sardine recipe Alton has published.  At [...]

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The Demand for Multifunctional Gloves

By Simone | Published: January 12, 2010

Whilst researching Spring 2010 Paris runway shows, I came upon this quote from Joel Nikolaou of the European Fashion Examiner: “Americans, have just rediscovered the wearing of hats and scarves. I would imagine gloves worn in this fashion, will be next. Its only logical. I mean elegant gloves, worn out to dinner. Not the Michael [...]

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