By Jessica Folger, audience insights strategist
Special thanks to Ian Verschuren, Scott Chapin and Tim Laubacher for their contributions!
I’m always excited by the start of a new year. (And no, I’m not talking about New Year’s resolutions.) A new year means the roll-out of marketing predictions from all of our wonderful research partners. Well, this year … in our new space … with our new DigiKnow friends…and some inspiration from third-party experts, we decided to come up with some predictions of our own. Take a look, and let us know what you think!
1. Group buying sites will sink
They haven’t quite figured themselves out. At first there were many, then some folded, and then others became victims of buyouts or industry consolidation. The management of relationships between brands, consumers and platforms is still pretty messy, and in turn, models are on the fritz. You also have to wonder how often a sale results in a long-term relationship, when more often than not; consumers use group buying sites to indulge in high-end products and services they wouldn’t invest in otherwise.
2. Consumers will expect checkout rewards for their check-ins
Consumers are over bragging rights. They want deals, discounts and loyalty points for their check-ins via foursquare, Facebook Places and other location-based services. Technology is allowing for geo-targeted messages by location, not just zip code, and the most sophisticated users have already caught on. Heightened consumer expectations shouldn’t be too much of a challenge for more cutting-edge retailers and locations, but others may face some challenges.
3. Enhanced social filters will become a “must have” not a “nice to have”
Consumers are seeing the long-term ramifications of oversharing. The fact that nothing you share online ever “goes away” is scaring the living daylights out of people and creating concern about personal safety. Additionally, HR screening procedures have heightened consumers’ awareness of their various digital personas, and augmented the desire to keep those identities separate. “I’m a professional.” “I’m a mom.” “I’m a 20-something who has fun on the weekends and occasionally one too many cocktails.” The launch of Google+ got the ball rolling. Not only will consumers take advantage of Google+ Circles, they will have a newfound appreciation for Twitter Lists and Facebook Groups. An increase in social filtering may result in decreased accessibility for brands.

4. Organized chaos via pinning, snipping and posting will skyrocket
Prepare for Pinterest to surpass some of the largest social networks on the map. (It’s already well on its way.) So why are so many consumers hopping on the digital pinboard bandwagon? First and foremost, consumers are experiencing information overload. They are being drawn to platforms that offer simplicity, organization, and complete control over content exposure. Sites like Pinterest, Wanelo and Snip.it do just that with their minimalist approach to content sharing – simple visual cues. Secondly, these sites fulfill consumers’ needs for self-expression, especially as it relates to topics like home décor, crafts, fashion and food. Brands that are playing nicely on these sites are seeing increased site traffic from pins, snips and posts.
For more on Pinterest, check out my recent blog post: http://blog.inspiredthinking.com/2012/02/01/take-your-interests-to-pinterest/
Too girly for you? Check out this manly pinboarding site (thank you, Jason Perkowski): http://gentlemint.com/
5. Devices will be used differently as the “cloud” is embraced by the masses
Cloud-based streaming is putting everything within reach, allowing consumers to access ALL of their content (music, photos, apps, calendars, documents, etc.) on ALL of their devices. The folks at trendwatching.com put it best: “Screens will be an interface to everything and anything that lies beyond the screen.” Devices will not be used based on what content is accessible, but on how and where users want to experience the content. Apple’s iCloud and Amazon Cloud are among the most accessed clouds, but expect other big players to emerge. Also, embrace the unlimited access while you can. It won’t be long before content owners fight to jack up licensing costs.
6. Consumers will experiment with technology that showcase memories
We are a culture obsessed with making memories and, more importantly, preserving them. Millennials in particular have been tagged as a “reminiscent” generation. Preservation is increasingly taking a digital form, although consumers still like the tangible stuff, too. Hello scrapbooking culture! Facebook’s Timeline is one of the more recent forays into the digital memory-making territory. Another is Timehop, which surfaces memories from Facebook, Twitter, foursquare and Instagram. So what about the more tangible memory-making technologies? Little Printer allows consumers to send digital files to a tiny portable printing device, while Instaprint was designed to serve as a location-based photo booth for Instagram enthusiasts.
7. Microsoft will double its share in the mobile market
Windows 8 is big. Windows 95 was big. For those that don’t remember the drastic change to Windows 95, Windows 8 promises to be a similar departure, and it’s Microsoft’s step towards unifying desktops, tablets and mobile devices. Given the continued marginalization of BlackBerry®, enterprise is looking for a new platform, and Windows 8 is going to fill the void and make Microsoft a player in the mobile and tablet space. With enterprise integration and a significant developer market already in place, apps will be coming quick and steady. It’s even likely that the new Xbox console will have a Windows 8 variant on it.
8. Anticipate convergence in the console space
Webtv? Google TV? Web-enabled TV’s? A number of attempts have been made to bring interactivity to television sets with minimal success. Building off of the success of Netflix running on top of gaming platforms such as the Xbox 360®, PS3, and Nintendo Wii™, consoles will finally be the Internet bridge to the television. Apple is likely to make a more dominant play in the space (possibly with an Apple TV), and at the same time existing consoles will add apps to further integration to not just gaming communities, but social networks and online tools. Next-generation consoles due out in 2013 will more resemble desktops/tablets, and touch screen technology will eventually make our televisions oversized iPads.
SOURCING
Prediction #2
eMarketer “Top Digital Trends for 2012”, December 2011
Forrester “2012 Interactive Marketing Predictions”, December 7, 2011
Prediction #3
http://adage.com/article/digitalnext/ten-digital-trends-set-mass-market-2012/231653/
Prediction #5
eMarketer Top Digital Trends for 2012, December 2011
http://trendwatching.com/trends/12trends2012/?screenculture
Prediction #6
(http://adage.com/article/digitalnext/ten-digital-trends-set-mass-market-2012/231653/)
advertising, creative, digital, digital experience, Inspired Thinking, media, planning, research, social media
advertising, creative, digital, digital experience, Inspired Thinking, media, planning, social media