We-Think10 Insights into a Mega Trend

Growth Stories

Bringing you a flavour of business

growth trends...in just 5 minutes

A Futures Coaching initiative

www.futurescoaching.com

it's about....

Growing belief in 'people like me'...

bringing a deeper sense of togetherness...

a need for more trusted references...

an excited desire to share & build...

and all catalysed by new technologies

people like meIn today's society, people increasingly ignore former social markers like class or politics

Now, we find 'friends' amongst people who do the same things as we do, go the same places as we go

I witnessed many informal conversations in Starbucks recently between customers and Baristas. Social status was no barrier; both enjoyed Starbucks – that was enough

togethernessSharing collective emotions is a key desire

Working for Cancer Research UK, I have witnessed the power of Race for Life bringing together suffers and survivors of cancer and creating powerful bonds

As I write this blog, a typical example ofWe-Think plays on the television

'Tous Ensemble' is typical of a new genre of reality TV where an entire community comes together to rebuild the home – and the lives - of an unfortunate family

tous ensemble

trusted references Clearly we are moving to a 'bottom-up' society

What counts is the opinions, advice and recommendations of 'others like me'

Brands, leaders and authoritieshave less to say in this new world order

Even doctors find their statuschallenged by new patientcommunities

hierarchies get itThe power of We-Think is causing strategic rethinks in the corridors of power

Some banks are now proposing to let small businesses use their overspaced banking halls as their own private office

Supermarkets continue to investin on-site cafés to help the isolatedmeet other lonely shoppersand mums team up

In growth countries, the FMCGbrands are all about sponsoringlocal roadshow events (right)to bring the community together

A great example of We-Think from,of all places, a goldmining company

Goldcorp were desperate to reinvigorate an exhausted mine in Canada

They took the unprecidented step of publishing all geological data on line

They got 1,400 participants looking for gold, several promising sites were

examined and the result is that Red Lake is now Goldcorps' most profitable mine

striking gold

Did tech create We-Think or did the social need to belong spur tech developments?

'Socio-tech' is a term I like. It suggests an iterative loop

People want to connect;technology comes alongand builds the links;encouraging people tonetwork more; givingnew incentives to invent

tech enabled

videoThere will be an explosion of

video use over the next 10 years

Already, more content is uploaded to Youtube every 2

months than the entire output of NBC, ABC and CBS since 1948

Video will ramp up even more since we are hardwired for face-to-face communication- and video will give us this

making money

If you need to be convinced that We-Think is amoney-spinner look at the story of Instagram

In the news recently since Facebook agreed to pay$1bn for this photo-sharing and photo manipulation site

Why did Zuckerberg pay so much? He could have downloaded the App for 0.99 cents!

Or maybe the 30 million users sharing 5 million photosa day had something to do with it

What is Futures Coaching upto during April 2012?

Helping reinvent an entire supermarket departmentDeep-diving into global banking technology trendsBuilding a key note speech to NGO Fundraisers in Geneva in JunePitching to build an international development strategy for a major European agencyPreparing a business trip to Jakarta and SingaporeBlogging on Asian trends and growth strategies

Working with Future Coaching Conference speeches on major trends - accelerating

management awareness Workshopping trends – evaluating impacts on

businesses or brands; future-proofing existing offers Brainstorming sessions – innovating to harness growth Reports on the future of sectors or industries –

jumping ahead of the curve; achieving thought leadership; building in longevity

Training for consumer insight teams – boosting internal futuring capabilities

Website: www.futurescoaching.comBlog: http://futurescoaching.typepad.com

Email: chris@futurescoaching.com

LONDON • PARIS