By Ethan Lyon, Senior Writer
To stay ahead of the curve, we developed key cultural and business mainstream trends in early February of this year. We found the freshest, promising startups like MealBaby and NowPlayIt to exotic companies like Shark Diver and Tripwolf, while orienting ourselves with the recessionary market. To see how we fared, below is our mainstream trend report card.
An earthquake has shaken our social foundation—shifting the power of the chosen few and giving opportunity to the many.
We discussed information aggregators like Digg and Reddit as a competitor of traditional news sites like NYTimes. Since we published this trend in February, according to Compete.com, we’ve been spot-on. Digg’s unique users increased from 33.4 to 40 million and Reddit’s numbers also rose from 4.9 to 6 million, whereas NYTimes readers fell from 16 to 15.5 million. Though the NY Times numbers have only marginally decreased, we feel with the rise in alternative news sites will continue—leading to a decrease in online traffic for traditional news platforms.
Grade: A
Bite-Size Indulgence
In an era where over indulgence is a no-no, we look to bite-size pleasures to satisfy our cravings for that much-needed getaway.
Convenience and quality: that’s the award-winning combination we predicted with this trend. To illustrate bite-size quality, take example from coffee icon, Starbucks. They’re expanded their menu to include small sandwiches, coffee cake, oatmeal and other treats, while taking aim at new markets in Europe. Starbucks does bite-size to go with their introduction of the drive-thru. Convenient snacks in general are on the rise. Sales of healthy and savory snacks are estimated to increase 16%, according to Brandweek. Though we aim to cut costs, there is still that one bite-size allowance that gets us through the day.
Grade: A
Personal Symmetry
A healthy balance between mind, body and soul keep us energized, refreshed and ready to face everyday challenges.
As America looks in the mirror, they’re finding an unappealing reflection. With obesity on the rise, Americans are looking for a healthy alternative to shed those extra pounds. We forecasted not only would “lite” or “low-cal” increase in popularity, but also organic food consumption. Organic foods comprise 4% or retail grocery sales, while natural takes 8%–totaling 12% in “healthy” purchases. Even amid the economic recession, healthy foods have a forecasted growth of 41%, and “lite” or “low-cal” labels are estimated to increase 18%, according to Brandweek.
Grade: A-
Human Bond: Revisited
We are reprioritizing what is important in our lives—choosing meaningful relationships over objects and things.
We predicted the recession would force families and friends to close their wallets and go for a picnic or some other free entertainment to cut costs. We were 50/50 on our prediction. With rising ticket prices for featured films, we estimated theatres would be a less popular entertainment option for penny-pinching consumers. The opposite is true. Ticket sales are up 17.5% to $1.7 billion, according to Media By Numbers, a box office tracking company. The other 50% we nailed was restaurant sales. Ruby Tuesdays closed 43 restaurants, and similar eateries sales dipped 3.2% and domestic franchise numbers fell by 6.9%. While families are dodging the food service industry, they are filing in to see the latest flick—dodging the socialization over food to sit in a dark room together, but alone.
For many, however, the theatre is not an option—particularly for those moving back into the parent’s house. A quarter of people, 18 and older, live with their parents, according to a recent AARP poll. With unemployment on a steady rise, the rekindling of familial bonds is out of necessity.
Grade: B
We’re all in search for the next best thing, whether our journey leads us to another continent or an alternate universe.
Taking that trip to get away from it all could not be less expensive. Why? Tourism has plummeted, comparatively speaking. Finding that unique experience is not as en vogue as we predicted. The economic crisis spilled over into the tourism sector to the tune of 4-6%, according to estimates from the U.N World Tourism Organization. Earlier this year the U.N predicted a 2% decrease in international tourism, which they revised early this month to 4-6%. The only dream consumers are trying to catch now is an end the economic crisis.
Grade: D
Download the full 2009 Trend Report in PDF format
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