Trends

TRENDS

trend n (1777) 1 : a line of general direction or movement. 2 a) a prevailing tendency or inclination : DRIFT b) a general movement : SWING.

Source: Faith Popcorn

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99 LIVES:

Too fast a pace, too little time, causes societal schizophrenia and forces us to assume multiple roles.

Faith Popcorn's 99 LIVES Observations:

I tuned in to 99 Lives when someone at a BrainReserve TrendProbe said, "Today I don’t even have time to realize how busy I am."

I predict that by 2010, 90% of all consumer goods will be home-delivered.

Time is the new money: people would rather spend money than time.

80% of Americans are looking for ways to simplify their lives.

78% want to reduce stress.

Home meal replacement is now a $100 billion business.

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ATMOSFEAR:

Polluted air, contaminated water and tainted food stir up a storm of consumer doubt and uncertainty.

Faith Popcorn's ATMOSFEAR Observations:

I first noticed this Trend at a hospital several years ago. I passed someone in the hallway pulling their sleeve down to cover their hand before turning a doorknob.

What’s that, I thought?

Bacteria & germs worry 96% of adults (up from 77% in ‘95).

Headlines scream about E.coli, mad cow disease, listeria, pfiesteria, anthrax threats.

Bottled water sales in U.S. have risen 144% in last 10 years.

Even McDonald's has its own brand of bottled water!

Hand sanitizers are now a $100 million category.

From aliens to viruses: the villains in our thrillers are looking more biological all the time ("The Hot Zone," "Virus," "The Cobra Effect").

A device now available from PolluCorp, called Pollumetre Air, samples ambient air quality every two seconds and displays the carbon monoxide count in parts per million. It's no bigger than a pack of cigarettes, but seemingly much better for you!

73% of Americans use antibacterial liquid soap. Are we clean enough yet?

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BEING ALIVE:

Awareness that good health extends longevity and leads to a new way of life.

Faith Popcorn's BEING ALIVE Observations:

The quickest illustration of this Trend is the incredible surge in organic products.

Now organics are a $7.6 billion business, up 200% in the last 5 years.

Think about herbal additives: Ginseng, St. John’s Wort, Kava. Herbal additives in food or in the form of capsules, tinctures, extracts or teas are now routinely used by one third of American adults.

GNC is opening more than a store a day; they do $4.2 billion in annual sales.

Fitness club membership is up 64% over the last 7 years for those aged 39-54.

And we’re trying to improve mental health at the same time. Witness the "sweat shop fitness & wellness facility" in Albany, NY, where clients get therapy while working out.

People are gobbling up green tea – even as ice cream.

Alternativity is a big part of this Trend. Think acupuncture, magnets, meditation.

We are even seeing the rise of alternative pet care: the Holistic Veterinary Association counts 700 member vets.

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CASHING OUT:

Working women and men, questioning personal/career satisfaction and goals, opt for simpler living.

Faith Popcorn's CASHING OUT Observations:

Sheryl Crow’s hit song sums this one up: "All I wanna do is have some fun;
I’ve got a feeling I’m not the only one"

Stressed consumers are searching for fulfillment and simplicity in the following areas:
Back to basics
Leisure time
Entrepreneurship


Back to basics

Astonishing success of "Simple Abundance" by Sarah Ban Breathnach: Time Warner now has a deal with her to produce 4 books per year at Simple Abundance Press.

51% of Americans prefer more free time, even if it means less income.

Over 4 million city-dwellers moved out of cities in the last 4 years.

People looking for ways out of the rat-race have formed support groups to help with "exit strategies."


Leisure time for the briefcase set:

Prominent leaders are leaving to spend more time with their families:

Susan Molinari and Bill Paxon: both U.S. House Representatives resigned to devote time to family.

Patty Stonesifer: former head of Microsoft’s interactive division left that pressure-cooker job for a more temperate pace as president of the Gates Library Foundation
Sergio Zyman, marketing guru for Coke, left to spend more time hanging out at home.


One way out is Entrepreneurship

Someone starts a home-based business every 11 seconds.

Oh, and those home-based businesses are raking in $401 billion in annual revenues!

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COCOONING:

The need to protect oneself from the harsh, unpredictable realities of the outside world.

Faith Popcorn's COCOONING Observations:

Martha Stewart, B. Smith and Katie Brown have turned "home-making voyeurism" into big business.

Home improvement is a $143 billion business.

Home Depot has 657 stores, with 1,300 new stores planned for 2001.

And what else are we doing at home? Shopping!

QVC counts 5 million couch shoppers; HSN sends out 62,000 packages per day.


The armored Cocoon is changing our neighborhoods and homes:

Gated communities house 4 million Americans.
Private security is now a $104 billion market.
And when we’re tucked safely indoors, we want to enjoy ourselves: movie theaters are now installed in some 16.6 million homes.


Not to mention working at home:

New surveys show that only 17% of workers want that corner office; a clear majority would prefer to work in a home office.

The number of U.S. at-home workers is up 100% in the last 5 years, for a total of 10.1 million. In 20 yrs, 1 in 7 workers will be a full-time telecommuter.

Len Riggio, President of Barnes & Noble, understands stores are Cocoons: the pick-up place of the 90's is a retail space designed like a comfortable living room. Barnes & Noble has revenues upwards of $2.5 billion, opening 70 outlets a year.

An old prayer brings this Trend home: "Bless these walls so firm and stout, keeping want and trouble out."

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EVEOLUTION:

The way women think and behave is impacting business, causing a marketing shift away from a hierarchical model toward a relational one.

Faith Popcorn's EVEOLUTION Observations:

It was Chairman Mao who said, "women hold up half the sky".

Let me answer once and for all the age-old stumper: What do women want? Relationships!


The numbers on women in business may surprise you:

Women-owned businesses employ more than the Fortune 500 combined: 18.5 million workers.

They do $2.3 trillion in annual sales.

Women own 8 million businesses in the U.S., or 1/3 of all U.S. firms. And by the way this figure has risen 78% since ‘87.

A woman opens a new business every 60 seconds. Women are leaving corporate America at twice the rate of men.

By the year 2005, 40% of all firms will be female-owned.

Four out of five Japanese small business owners are women.

As for women’s consumer power, they control 80% of household spending.

Women purchase 75% of all over-the-counter drugs.

Last year women bought 50% of all PCs, and have reached parity in the on-line community.

Women influence 90% of all car purchases.

Women own 53% of all stocks.





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SOS (SAVE OUR SOCIETY)

The country rediscovers a social conscience of ethics, passion and compassion.

Faith Popcorn's SOS Observations:

A bumper sticker sums this one up "There's no hope, but I may be wrong."

Concerned with the fate of the planet, consumers respond to marketers who exhibit a social conscience attuned to ethics, environment, and education.

Chef Alice Waters of Chez Panisse created an edible schoolyard, using an organic garden as a classroom.

Working Assets phone service uses major carriers (like Sprint), but applies 2 cents of every dollar in revenue to a chosen cause of the month.

Timberland gives every employee 40 hours per year of paid time for community service.
182 major investing institutions make socially responsible investments, amounting to $639 billion in annual assets (almost 10 times the size of the Vanguard S&P Index 500 fund).

In fact, S.O.S. is becoming the corporate standard.

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What's fantastic with those trends is that they are perfectly in phase with our business. That's what we call being at the right place at the right time! Do yourself a favor, join the team!

Stephan Bourget, Consultant
Do you wanna be an Architect of the Future?
http://www.mynewsuccess.com

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