Trends

Mapmania

X marks the spot. What that spot is, though, is really up to you. X might be a much-needed trinket at Target, or perhaps the location of the closest coffee shop. With an explosion of new maps appearing from north, south, east and west, Xs are everywhere. We are officially in the age of mapmania. … Continued

Trends

Branding in a Data Hungry Society

How many steps did you walk today? How many calories have you consumed over the past week? Is that a good ratio? These are questions that are on everyone’s mind, especially in the New Year. People have set annual goals and they want to track their progress in real time. How is one supposed to … Continued

Trends

Recommerce

CONSUMERS ARE UNLOCKING THE VALUE OF THEIR PAST PURCHASES. Raise your hand if you have your eye on a savvy buy for spring. Keep it up if you also have a room, closet or drawer in your home where your less-loved belongings live untouched. Whether it’s the latest tablet, a hot new watch or a … Continued

Trends

Eco-Chic

WHY CHIC, LUXURY, DESIRABLE AND GREEN IS AN ENDURING AND WINNING COMBINATION. It’s tough to find a person who doesn’t enjoy chic, luxury, well-designed products— and if the product, service or experience does well for the environment? Even better! Not only are eco-friendly products, services and experiences beautiful, they are a source of status. Eco-chic … Continued

Trends

Brand Me

PERSONAL ONLINE PROFILES MATTER MORE THAN EVER. Youniverse. It’s at the heart of our digital soul. It’s our personal consumption realm where our preferences, tastes and wants live. Our youniverse is driven by the desire to express and be recognized by our individual tastes, personality and identity through consumption. And now more than ever, our … Continued

Trends

Free Love

WHY CONSUMERS WILL FOREVER LOVE FREE. From great gear to stellar services, there are very few people who don’t love free. Free love is the ongoing rise of valuable, free stuff that’s available to consumers, both online and offline. Consumers’ attention is scarce, and free love thrives on the all-out war to gain our awareness … Continued

Trends

Gifting Galore

WHY HELPING CONSUMERS GIVE IS GOOD. From birthdays to bar mitzvahs, anniversaries to “just because,” we are giving to friends and loved ones all year long. But no time are we inspired to gift more than the holiday season. While we want to give lavishly, we are also strapped for time and overwhelmed with options. … Continued

Trends

Crowd Express

HOW BRANDS HARNESS THE WISDOM OF THE CONNECTED CROWD These days, consumers have a lot of opinions about what’s going on in the world around them, and they aren’t afraid to share them. With technology becoming more accessible (Smartwatch) and social media sites on the rise, consumers love to share what they think, feel and … Continued

Trends

SOCIAL-LITE

CONSUMERS ARE BECOMING CULTIVATORS THEMSELVES. Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter are all tools that consumers use on a daily basis to share their experiences (LIVING THE LIVE), products they purchase and brands they love. Consumers are becoming curators- compiling, sharing, and recommending content to friends and followers worldwide. Social technologies are empowering consumers to share information … Continued

Trends

Living the Live

From the moment we get up in the morning till the time we crawl into bed at the end of the day, ads are something that we see. Whether we are taking the subway to work, listening to Pandora or simply walking down the street, ads surround us. But how many of these branding ads do we really remember? What’s tying you to the brand/ad? Unless you are working in the marketing or advertising arena, chances are you don’t think about ads that often, therefore no physical or emotional connection is made.