TRENDS

Of 2012

THE TOP 10

10 Trends

9000

bu z zSp o tte rs

Who was INVOLVED?

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Each year BuzzMG CEO Tina Wells releases a list of trends for the year. Based on surveys, immersion experiences, and personal interviews, Wells compiles a list of trends that will influence the year.

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Buzz Youth

Institute (bYI)

Parents

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#1: Conscious Consumption

Millennials are still consuming. The Recession proved to be more of a reset button, allowing them to focus on what’s important. Brands like TOMs sh oes and F EED are examples of h ow Millennials are purchasing great products wh ile supporting ph ilanthropic causes at the same time. Th is is a trend that’s here to stay.

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#2: PROFITABLE PURPOSE

This term is frequently used by Adam Braun, founder of the nonprofit Pencils of Promise. For these organizations to

survive and appeal to a new generation of donors, they will have to understand the power of profitable purpose. Millennials want to feel a personal connection to the brands they’re supporting. Simply

writing a check won’t do; Millennials need the experience.

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#3: CAKE BAKING

No, I’m not literally talking about baking a cake. Th is is an analogy for the process of making products. Millennials are more interested in the process of, say, baking a cake, than in buying the cake. So what does th is mean for businesses?

There needs to be more transparency with their consumers. A beh ind-the-scenes view of

designing the new J. Crew co llection migh t be the push needed to get Millennials interested in the product. Millennials like the process more than the product.

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#4: INSTANITY

I introduced th is trend in my marketing book, Chasing Youth Culture And Getting It Righ t. Instanity is simply the insane focus of having everyth ing now. Th is is why I’ve dubbed Millennials as the “Microwave Generation.” Just th ink of all the th ings we can do in less than a minute: snap and print a ph oto, find a book and download it to a device and even cook a meal.

Th is convenience has led us to expect everyth ing at the exact moment we want it. It’s not solely Millennials driving th is trend. We all want our economy fixed righ t now. We all want wars ended and our troops sent h ome righ t now. In th is world of the 24/7 news cycle, there isn’t time for “later.”

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#5: HAND-ME-UPS

Tweens and teens are swapping newer tech nological devices with their parents, who aren’t as obsessed with having the newest and the latest. Maybe it’s an effect of the Recession, maybe not. Families are finding ways to be more resourceful post-Recession and th is includes parents and ch ildren swapping tech tools.

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#6: WHARHOLISM

Alth ough I coined th is term a few years ago, th is trend is sh owing plenty of staying power with our Millennials. They are not obsessed with fame; they just know it’s easily attainable. Th is wasn’t the case for any of the generations before them. Th is trend may eventually mean bad news for Hollywood.

We’ve already seen the erosion of celebrities from the A-list trickled down to everyone else. And because of 24/7 media spotligh ts, even A-listers are losing their sh ine and appeal with every drunken h ookup sh owcased all over the world. The real issue lies in talent.

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#6: WHARHOLISM

Do you have to be talented to be a celebrity? The Kardash ians would reckon no. Even so, Millennials are moving on and moving fast. For instance, 2011 was the worst year at the box office in decades. Are Millennials quickly losing interest in A-listers?

Would they rather stay h ome and make their own movies? They certainly have all of the

tools to do it. There is no substitute for a great experience, but it’s unclear where that experience will come from in the future.

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#7: COMMUNAL CONSUMPTION

One word to describe th is trend: Spotify. Music ownersh ip is no longer a necessity. Renting our favorite songs – or new ones we migh t be curious about – serves us just fine.

In all of my research over the past 15 years, I’ve always found that Millennials are committed to the music they love see it as the soundtrack to their lives, etc. But do they want to buy music? That is the $100 million question. Well, at least now we know they don’t mind renting it and sharing their picks with their friends.

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#8: Existential experience

The real winners in Millennial marketing will understand h ow important it is to th is demograph ic to have “once in a lifetime experiences.” Th is extends from the simplest “coffee experience” to life changing service experiences in places like Africa. For a generation who gets so much flack in the media, they have truly figured out the meaning of life.

They have watched their parents save every dime and invest in “big, safe companies” that have ultimately let them down. They are committed to living life to the fullest. Recording artists who perhaps make less money selling CDs are surely earning more via live sh ows. It’s no accident that popular artists like Cee-lo and Lady Gaga have over-the-top personas and even more imaginative stage sh ows.

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#9: TECHNOHOLISM

In my book, I discuss h ow we’re all becoming Tech noh o lics, completely consumed with tech nology. Th is is not changing anytime soon. If you want to engage with Millennials, you must understand the role tech nology plays in their lives. When we get scared of it as marketers, we tend to disconnect with our consumers

Tech nology doesn’t kill magazines or newspapers or music. What hurts these media is when we decide to stop innovating. Content is king and always will be. Create an interactive experience with content, no matter what the platform, and consumers will engage.

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#10: SEGMENTED ENGAGEMENT

Sadly, the idea of having someone’s “undivided attention” no longer exists. Our attention is divided in a million different places. We check text messages in movie theaters, tweet important speeches and sh op and text ph otos of what we’re buying. The list could go on forever

What th is really means is that marketers have a smaller window of time through wh ich to reach consumers. Say it fast, say it righ t. But has th is really changed? Nike said, “Just do it” in 1988. Short, sweet, and to the point is noth ing new.

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