The Year Two Thousand I-Am-Great
Status symbols and conspicuous consumption
will loom big in 2008. Wondering what to expect in consumer trends in 2008?
Our friends at Trendwatching (www.trendwatching.com) have compiled a list of the top eight emerging and established products and concepts to look for in the next 12 months.
Overall, status remains big in ’08, every product will offer a premium version of itself, and as tastes refine to ultra-premium
proportions, attention spans will further shorten. Here are a few of the highlights...
Green This, Pal.
Trendwatching’s recent spoof got me
saying, “uh-oh…” Boy, was I duped last week when I read—and
believed—the November 2007 Trendwatching report, my jaw dropping as I came across the headlines “Generation Z,”
“Eco-Fatigue,” and “Blandtastic” (www.trendwatching.com).Yes, as with most situations in which things seem off-kilter, I did have the nagging gut feeling that some of the information
was just too outlandish to believe...
Hollywood Vixens Ain’t Got Nothin’ on Tuesday!
...or Wednesday. Glamorous bad girls have
been around since Eve. At least twice in the past couple of weeks the classic
movie channels have aired showings of films by the beautiful, sexy and talented Tuesday Weld, a former ‘60’s Hollywood
bad girl, better known for her off-screen antics than, sadly, for her acting skills. Watching her magnetic performances, I
wondered if the sudden interest in her films had anything to do with the tumultuous love affair the public conducts with today’s
troubled stars...
Something’s Fishy
Beware of dubious “studies”
aimed at boosting the interests of big business.Last week a surprising
report came out reporting that pregnant women can consume unlimited amounts of fish, and even went so far as to recommend
a minimum weekly serving amount, but, oddly, no maximum, for expectant mothers.
The report authors even had the gall to suggest...
Nowhere Next To Go But Naked
Putting on clothes is the newest,
hottest trend for the fall. From adding sleeves to the ubiquitous strapless bridal gown, to the reserved feminine styles strutting
down New York runways, covering up is the latest fashion, and it's not just the cooler weather that's responsible. Here's
to you, Ms. Spears.
Droves Flying South for the Winter, Spring…
Sweet Southern charm—and lower cost of living—lure multigenerations of Yankees. As a college student at UNC Chapel Hill, I had friends who lived in a sunny, safe, and spacious 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment
for a monthly rent that would have gotten them one bathroom stall overnight at New
York City’s now-defunct Tunnel.
Your Daddy’s Rich and Your Mama’s Good Lookin’
Competitive birthing is the not-so-cute
baby trend among the affluent.
Just as blue jeans, formerly exclusive to
manual laborers, have morphed into the $200 designer jeans of the wealthy, the rich have again taken a cue from the lower
classes and made it chic. Originating on New York City’s Upper East Side, and having
spread to posh suburbs of Connecticut and Massachusetts,
unabashed baby-making has become the newest thing among the affluent.
We Can See Right Through You
Consumers have bigger mouths than
ever, and companies would be wise to open their ears, according to the “May 2007 Monthly Trend Briefing” by our
friends at www.trendwatching.com. The “Transparency Tyranny,”
is a growing trend defined by the explosion of user reviews available on sites like Amazon, epinions, and TripAdvisor.
