One thing that has always interested me is how trends change over time, and, more specifically, why trends have started to change more quickly than before and continue to change at an increasingly rapid speed. For instance, trends used to be narrowed down by decade. A fashion trend could be described as being ‘very 1960s’ while a piece of home decor could be described as ‘straight out of the 1980s.’ Now, however, it seems like trends can be narrowed down to a specific year or possibly even a month. So why exactly are trends changing so quickly? Do we simply get tired of things more quickly these days? Are we surrounded by too much technology? Some experts have weighed in on the situation with their opinions.
Doctor Leuthardt, for Psychology Today, says that one reason for the increasingly rapid changes in trends is simply due to the massive amount of computing that we are now able to do in a very short amount of time (Leuthardt, 2014). Specifically, he says, “…the common answer is Moore’s law. Namely, that the number of transistors that can be placed inexpensively on an integrated circuit has doubled approximately every two years (Leuthardt, 2014).” However, Doctor Leuthardt says that this, alone, cannot explain why trends are changing at the pace that they are. His answer to why these trends change so quickly has a very simple answer: because they can (Leuthardt, 2014). He says that when information dissemination was expedited through the printing press, it was the first time that we were able to share our ideas to many people in a relatively simple way (Leuthardt, 2014). From there, the ability to disseminate information became quicker and quicker with the rise of the telephone, radio, television, and, eventually, the internet. Now, information exchange can happen almost instantaneously, and, “[g]iven these rapid timescales, we can expect the emergence of novel and world changing events to occur more and more frequently. Dramatic change will be the new norm for our lives in the future (Leuthardt, 2014).”
When we think of changing trends in marketing, or really any aspect of our day-to-day routines, we tend to think about technology and social media—and rightfully so. Between 2012 and 2013, the amount of Baby Boomer aged people on Twitter grew 79%; a 46% increase was reported for the same demographic on Facebook and a 56% increase on Google+ (Cooper, 2013). Also, in 2013, social media took over as the number one activity on the internet (Cooper, 2013). Lastly, an astounding 93% of marketers use Facebook in their business strategies (Cooper, 2013). With these statistics, we can see that social media has definitely made an impact on how we go about our day-to-day. However, that impact is only possible through a rise in technology.
Greg Satell, a contributor for Forbes magazine, lists five ways that trends will drive the future of technology. The first he lists is no-touch interfaces such as voice recognition software (Satell, 2013). We have seen the progression from physical keyboards, to touchscreen keyboards, and now to no keyboards. A second way technology trends are shaping the future is through the massive amounts of content that is now available online (Satell, 2013). Today, you can do most anything on the internet ranging from playing video games with people across the world, earn a college degree, or participate in a live chat with policymakers. Building off of this idea, Satell also states that not only are there so many ways to utilize the internet, but there are also numerous ways of accessing it (Satell, 2013). Computers, phones, and tablets have been integrated for some time now; homes and cars are now joining the integrated mix. When everything is so connected as such, there’s no reason for a person to be disconnected from technology for any lengthy period of time.
So what does all of this information mean for the future? Fast Company interviewed some of the world’s top media, marketing, advertising, and public relations experts on what they think we can expect to see in the very near future, what challenges they see arising soon, and what their respective companies are doing to stand out amongst the crowd. Linda Boff, global executive director of brand marketing for General Electric says her company is heavily involved with virtual reality right now. She says, “[w]e’re fascinated by the limitlessness of it and began creating content […] this year (Beer, 2015).” Tor Myhren, worldwide chief creative officer or Grey says that the biggest challenge she foresees is the actually ability to stay relevant in pop culture. She says that only brands that are quick enough to stay current with trends are winning amongst their peers (Beer, 2015). Brent Choi, chief creative and integration officer for JWT Canada/JWT Toronto says that in order to stay relevant, his company will be taking calculated, but brave risks to stand out against the crowd (Beer, 2015).
Related article: General Electric on virtual reality
From this, it seems that trends will continue to change at a faster and faster rate—perhaps becoming almost instantaneous. We can expect to see a continuous increase in the amount of digital technology that we utilize in our day-to-day routines. At this point, it’s nearly impossible to say what we can expect our lives to be like in five years, let alone in ten to twenty years. Before long, having a home, vehicle, phone, television, computer, and tablet all integrated and connected to one another will be a reality for nearly every person in our country. While it seems absurd now, we will continue to adapt to these trends just as we did with the adoption of the printing press hundreds of years ago.
Sources
Beer, J. (2015, January 5). HOW MARKETING WILL CHANGE IN 2015: THE CREATIVE FORECAST. Retrieved May 4, 2015, from http://www.fastcocreate.com/3040028/how- marketing-will-change-in-2015-the-creative-forecast
Cooper, B. (2013, November 18). 10 SURPRISING SOCIAL MEDIA STATISTICS THAT WILL MAKE YOU RETHINK YOUR SOCIAL STRATEGY. Retrieved May 4, 2015, from http://www.fastcompany.com/3021749/work-smart/10-surprising-social-media- statistics-that-will-make-you-rethink-your-social-stra
Leuthardt, E. (2014, March 5). Why is the World Changing So Fast? Retrieved May 4, 2015, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mind-blender/201403/why-is-the-world- changing-so-fast
Satell, G. (2013, March 12). 5 Trends That Will Drive The Future Of Technology. Retrieved May 4, 2015, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregsatell/2013/03/12/5-trends-that-will-drive- the-future-of-technology/
Blake Herrman 