Top 20 Trends in 2011

Projected Publicity, Tweetonomics and Rockstar Self-Expression
Today we hunt Trends in 2011
20. Projected Publicity - Marketers turning to large-scale, low-cost and ultra viral mediums like these projected billboards. From Pac-Man projections to giant pinball displays, this form of advertising is grabbing the attention pedestrians in dense urban cities.

19. Interactive Retail - Interactive shopping bags, dinosaur-themed malls and iPad menus are all examples of how retail stores are striving to differentiate themselves from other industry competitors. These brands have turned positive in-store experiences into loyal customer relationships.

18. Charitable Deviance - Charities are treading off of the beaten path to create awareness and increase funds by using shock tactics like gruesome, bizarre and overly sexual imagery. With so many organizations to choose from, charities are vying for consumer attention by using a variety of attention-grabbing methods.

17. Wearable Tech - Earring telephones, holographic wristwear and visual hearing aids are all examples of how the fashionable and geeky can converge into a functionally chic product. Now you can find out who’s calling from your bracelet and text people via your skivvies thanks to these wearable tech innovations.

16. Brand Reversion - From princess phones to Disney couture and childish ads, it seems that consumers are on a continual quest to satisfy their childhood nostalgia. Drawing from iconic symbols like Mickey Mouse ears, many brands are tapping into people’s pasts to generate revenue.

15. On the Spot Style - As the famed ‘Sartorialist’ blog is making book deals, established brands like Club Monaco and GQ are mimicking the recent demand for "real" style. Consumers have always valued street style fashion blogs, this trend has been amplified by a surge in unique, niche fashion sites and even a celebritizing of the bloggers themselves.

14. Real-Timing - Businesses are incorporating Foursquare, Twitter and live streaming to provide participants with instant gratification. Social media has become the medium of choice by consumers who crave immediacy.
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13. Modern Cubism - Cubed lighting, architecture, seating and technology are the perfect match for those valuing clean lines and an uncluttered aesthetic. The simplistic geometric shape of the cube lends itself well to modern minimalist homes as the quest for visual clarity saturates interior design and bleeds into product design, branding and many other industries.

12. Next Besting (UPDATE) - Consumers are still purchasing -- regardless of the current economic state of uncertainty. While we've seen a lot of "next besting" since 2008, this trend continues to resurface in all industries such as fashion and technology. It seems that expensive, brand name products are taking the back seat to budget-friendly alternatives.

11. Tangible Printing - From body armor to shoes and clothing, smaller businesses are using 3D printing for creating a variety of products because lower costs have increased the accessibility of this cutting edge technology. Expect to see this increasingly mainstream concept carve a path into the homes of consumers.

10. Hyperrealism - Rebelling against the notion of photoshopped perfection, artists are striving to create their own accurate representation of reality using their raw talent. These pieces of photorealistic art defy deception and stand out against the faux feel of many magazine covers.

9. Toddler Touchscreens - Interactive film apps, pillow tech and interactive fairytales. Using touchscreen platforms leveraged by the popular iPad, developers have been producing games that appeal to next gen parents who want to integrate new technology into their parenting. Story time has never been so hi-tech and immersive.

8. Democratic Selling - Businesses like ‘Threadless’ were early pioneers of crowdsourced clothing in 2006, but now consumer votes are pushing a variety of products such as furniture and even quirky card designs. The voice of the customer has never been louder.

7. Rockstar Self-Expressionism - Hard-edged hotel designs, rockstar fashion and even in rebellious product design. The old saying that "Rock’n’Roll will never die" rings true in a variety of industries proving that rock’n’roll culture still has significant influence.

6. Modern Kidvertising - Marketers are focusing their efforts to where the money is: the parents. Children’s campaigns are appealing to adult interests by using eco-friendly textiles and minimalist décor. Say farewell to brightly patterned goods and cartoony commercials and welcome in a new era of adultized children’s products.

5. Luxury Lives On - Airplanes equipped with personal rooms, business class bedrooms and even 22-Carat flight trolleys prove that even though the market is down, indulgent consumers still crave luxury. The financial crisis has caused many businesses to scale back, but other businesses are taking risks and capitalizing on existing upper-class consumer needs.

4. Geriatric Couture - Embroidery, crocheting and vintage fabrics are being resurrected from our grandparent’s generation. Forward-thinking fashionistas are turning geriatric style on its head by modernizing it and embracing this preconceived bland flavor of style as today’s anti-fashion.

3. Perpetual Adaptation - Barbies are going retro, planes are getting glam and even old school tech gadgets are getting redesigned in order to satisfy the demand for ever-evolving aesthetics in all industry areas. The products that consumers are purchasing are aesthetically evolving radically without losing their primary functions.

2. Tweetonomics - From hashtag-powered sites to twittering shoes and social networking stockings, as long as Twitter continues to flourish, so will the businesses and service industries that utilize it. As more users continue to join Twitter, there will be a surge of career opportunities that will evolve from the Twittersphere’s success.

1. Discrete Consumerism - Whether it’s Starbucks disguising one of its chains as an indie espresso bar or Absolut going labeless, it’s apparent that consumers are shying away from big brand names. As credit-crunched consumers blame mega-brands for rough economic times, smaller or newer businesses have an open door to reap the rewards of an anti-corporation sentiment.