Ten Crucial Trends
Whoa. “Crucial Trends for 2010.” So says Trendwatch’s recent pronouncement, which looks into their crystal ball to see what’s up or down or sideways next year.
Here you go . . .
1. Business as Unusual: They say our current problems are less about the recession and more about the “societal changes” set in motion in recent years. I find it hard to separate the two.
2. Urbany: Urban is the culture that leads to more sophisticated and demanding consumers. If true, urban would mean less sophisticated and more jaded. Also, explain why country fans buy more music and dominate the radio waves, and yet they’ll be subordinate to the “urbans”???
3. Real-Time Reviews: Whatever you’re buying or selling, it will be reviewed “en masse.” One of the great nightmares of the Internet comes of age—a megaphone for people who don’t know what they’re talking about, or worse, have the taste of Judd Apatow.
4. (F)Luxury: Status is becoming fragmented, luxury is whatever we want it to be. Not whatever, methinks. One thing luxury will not be is ostentatious or conspicuous. The nouveau riche’s gauche tastes and the pomposity of jinged-up doyennes will never play as luxury again.
5. Mass Mingling: Online lifestyles fueling real-world meet-ups shatter perceptions about computer-bound lonely hearts. I don’t know, what’s more lonely than seeking love on a computer? Perhaps doing same in a bar or a grocery aisle, I suppose.
6. Eco-Easy: In order for us to sustain and survive eco-disasters, business will have to make it easy for consumers to be green. Pray they do that.
7. Tracking & Alerting: Countless new INFOLUST services will enable people to more completely control their desire. Can you say INFOMASTURBATE?
8. Embedded Generosity: More pragmatic and collaborative donation services coming? OK, but either you’re inclined or you’re not.
9. Profile Myning: Everyone has a profile, somewhere. Twenty-ten will bring wonderful, new ways to upgrade, enrich, and enliven your MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, or whatever biograph. Question: who cares?
10. Maturialism: The anything-goes online world will only get worse, with more outspoken opinionators, more raw and risqué. This is maturation?
And, there you have it folks, 2010 in a nutshell. Lots and lots to look forward to.
More than we can say for 2012!


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