Trend Lab Update

Presented by Erin Middleton, Brand Planner

April 23, 2008

What we’ll cover

Trends today

Opportunity for planning

The room on 10

Q & A

Trends industry

Problems with “trends”

The word “trend” is vague

“The latest trends” is misused and overrated

Trends are often mistaken as novelty, not real ideas

Opportunity

If we are

700 of the brightest, smartest, most talented and focused people in the industry today

then…

Opportunity for TRG

We need to

Be thought leaders

Get everyone involved

Eliminate duplicate efforts on research and trends

Integrate

Contemporize the agency

“Companies that ride the currents succeed; those that swim against them usually struggle. Identifying

these currents and developing strategies to navigate them is vital.” - Ian David, McKinsey & Company

That’s where you come in

Look for more than “trends”

Connect the dots

Be a culture expert

Make ideas actionable

Planners rule!

“You can find inspiration in everything and if you can’t you are not looking.” - Paul Smith

We offer human interpretation

A new way to look at trends

A Connections Lab

- build cultural context

Cultural Snapshot

Consumer confidence (economic environment)

Conversation of the month (Trend Report)

Digital/Interactive trends

Creativity trends

Media trends

Reported trends

Be smarter

What events and news are contributing to the American psyche?

What cultural context is a brand strategy going to be operating within?

What opportunities are there to be forward-thinking and proactive with cultural movements?

What conversations can you facilitate with the client?

Culture Snack April ‘08

Economic worries

But it’s a free society

And everything is green

And “good”

Hello consumer community

Help me with stress

Small, bite-sized bits of media

Thanks Google and YouTube

What about the Resource Library?

The trend lab does not replace the Resource Library

– You know more of what you’re looking for vs. discovering

something you didn’t think of

Same thing with Iconoculture

– As planners, we should bring something to the table, instead

of relying on them to be the information source

The Lab - levels of engagement

Room

– Clump similar-themed articles

– Conversation of the month

– Trend report

Blog

– Write posts

Agency

– “Put it in the folder!”

Newsletter

– Receive and enjoy

How to get involved

Newsletter

Article collection

Field Trips

Brainstorming

Trend reports & presentations

Now for some Q & A