What's to Be in 2003
by PRNewswire
Euro RSCG Worldwide today released forecasts for the coming year, focusing on global, youth, and European trends. Insights are drawn from the ongoing research of the agency's S.T.A.R. (Strategic Trendspotting and Research) team and from a global panel of Stargazers, colleagues who report in regularly on local trends and information.
"So much of what we're seeing in trends right now is a response to our heightened feelings of insecurity," said Marian Salzman, Chief Strategy Officer at Euro RSCG Worldwide. "Even as we go about our daily business, we are aware that things are not quite normal. This is why we're turning to products, services, and new behaviors that help us to retain some sense of control."
Top Global Trends:
Anxiety Avoidance
-- In a post-9.11 world concerned with terrorist threats, job layoffs, the prospect of war between the United States and Iraq, and sinking stock prices, more people will decide that ignorance is bliss. They'll avoid world news, choose to leave financial statements unopened -- generally do anything they can to keep anxiety at bay.
-- Consumers will seek emotional fulfillment, not complexity. In 2003, this will impact everything from product design to branding to luxurious indulgences. Consumers and companies will single-mindedly focus on the here and now rather than worry about the long-term, and businesses will continue a movement away from sustainability and toward accountability.
The Pursuit of Safety
-- People want to feel safe -- and they're willing to spend money for the privilege. There will be far more emphasis on defensive and preventative products, from tick detectors to "panic rooms," personal weaponry to water filtration.
-- The post-9.11 trend toward "everyday heroes" reminds us that the best things in life require courage, commitment, and personal sacrifice. 2003 will bring louder cries for personal responsibility and a lesser willingness to accept quick fixes that gloss over problems without getting to their roots.
-- People are taking comfort in all that is genuine -- the antithesis of our high-tech environments teeming with artifice. One result will be a push for companies to use real people in their marketing communications. Additionally, research shows that consumers think companies owned and managed by families are more likely to make products they can trust and to treat their employees well. We'll see more companies follow the lead of SC Johnson, which last year re- branded itself as "SC Johnson: A Family Company."
-- In the past 18 months, home has gained new meaning, whether it's an increased interest in DIY, household comfort, homeschooling, cooking, or creating personal spaces that reflect one's individuality. Home will continue to serve as a sanctuary and a workplace.
Forming Tribes
-- Tribes of unmarried young adults are flourishing, changing the format of socialization. Tribes function as substitute families and sources of security. Look for more organized "branding" of the groups, through anything from modern-day coats of arms to joint sponsorship of needy children or youth soccer teams.
Making It Count
-- With staffs cut, competition tighter, and employees finding difficulty in accomplishing everything during regular work hours, people will be increasingly intolerant of endless meetings and other time wasters. We can expect less business travel and fewer team meetings.
Top Youth Trends:
A Sense-ational 2003
-- Youths' technology-driven lives, media's profusion, and post-9.11 vulnerability are fueling the popularity of experiences that stimulate all five senses. Energy drinks, narcotics, indulgent foods, sensual fabrics, and visceral music will thrive, while high-tech environments and products will be a turnoff.
Artifice's Decline
-- Stardom is now within the grasp of ordinary people, thanks to reality-TV shows and a movement toward real talent and low-budget genius. Youth are gravitating toward characters like Eminem instead of Britney. As the artifice of celebrity is stripped away, ambitious young talents are working around bureaucracies and systems on their road to success. Artists are using guerilla tactics such as whisper campaigns and poster blasts to promote their art. Young musicians are building grassroots fan bases and using the Internet to work around the major labels.
-- In 2003 we'll see a grittier version of anti-glamour. Rock music is back as lead singers ring in a new post-punk genre that borrows from groups like the Clash and the Ramones. For some, the obsession with all things gritty takes on an extra dimension: young Japanese men tanning to darken their skin in imitation of Brooklyn hip-hop crews, and theme parties such as London's School Disco, which requires everyone to wear a school uniform. From fashion to lifestyle, young people are looking for ways to be intimate and real, in appearance and action. Tried and true brands are ousting designer duds. "Trucker chic" and "bohemian chic" aesthetics in fashion and decor are spilling over into life. Local dives and neighborhood bars are supplanting exclusive clubs.
Social Identity Convergence and Gender-Bending
-- The issues of race, gender, religion and heritage are now ambiguous. Even language is morphing, as evidenced by the rise in Spanglish in the U.S. This will lead young people to explore cultures that might have once seemed off-limits, and also closely investigate their own heritage.
-- Another convergence will be the continued blurring of gender lines. Young men are exploring vanity and pampering. In Japan, men are plucking their eyebrows and applying concealer. In the U.S., male cosmetics brands such as Aramis are expanding their lines.
Marrying Younger and Focusing on the Home
-- During the 1990s, the number of married teens in the U.S. increased nearly 50 percent, reversing a decades-long decline. Among the factors contributing to this trend: teens' awareness of thirty-somethings bemoaning their decisions to put off marriage and children; a yearning for the emotional and financial security that marriage suggests; and a growing conservatism as a reaction to uncertain times.
-- Additionally, house parties and other forms of in-home entertainment will continue to grow in popularity among young people in 2003.
Slow, Thoughtful Food
-- Young people will shun their parents' fast food for more healthful solutions. Chains that offer fresh, convenient foods with options for vegetarians and environmentally conscious consumers will reap the rewards.
Top European Trends:
Increased Ethnic Marketing:
-- As populations of ethnic minorities grow across Europe, smart marketers are targeting these groups in culturally specific ways. Marketers are learning that it is imperative to understand the cultural nuances, linguistic preferences, and consumer attitudes of each unique group. The influence of these niche markets upon the broader population may give them a power that belies their actual numbers.
Eurocracy
-- European nations are grappling with compliance with EU directives banning certain marketing practices and restricting the advertising of a number of products. Among the categories affected: cigarettes, cigars, tobacco, and related products; confectionary products; alcohol; nutritional supplements; financial products; and children's products. One result will be an increase in alternative marketing, including buzz campaigns on- and offline.
The above forecasts are derived from Euro RSCG's Mind & Mood Monitor, a series of e-surveys conducted throughout the year; the X-Plorer Panel, a group of influential youth aged 18-29 who regularly consult with Euro RSCG about youth issues; the Stargazer network, made up of Euro RSCG employees across the globe who serve as local trendscouts; and ongoing data scans online.
Euro RSCG Worldwide, one of the world's five largest integrated marketing communications agencies, is made up of 233 offices located in 75 countries throughout Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia Pacific. Euro RSCG provides advertising, marketing services, corporate communications, and interactive solutions to global, regional, and local clients. The agency's client roster includes Air France, Danone Group, Intel Corporation, LVMH Louis Vuitton, Reckitt Benckiser, Volvo, and Yahoo!. Headquartered in New York, Euro RSCG Worldwide is the largest unit of Havas, the world's sixth-largest communications group.
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