How do you spot the right trend? And how do you avoid a flop?
In Trend Sociology v. 2.0, we introduce you to Martin Raymond’s checklist that you can use to check whether it is a real trend or just a fad.
A great many new products fail before launch or do not live long on the store shelves. There are many reasons, and they can be attributed to problems at different stages in the product development and marketing value chain.
Trend checklist
Martin Raymond, the author of the book, ‘The tomorrow people’, has prepared a checklist that you can use to check whether it is a real trend or just a fad. The main points are listed below with short comments.
- Is it original? Is it brand new (first of its kind) or a new version of something already in existence? Does it require an explanation (then it is probably brand new)?
- Is it innovative? Something new doesn’t have to be original to change something radically, but can be a new application, new packaging, new story.
- Is it intuitive? Can it be understood and used without lengthy explanations? If it is intuitive and straightforward, there is a higher chance of it spreading (all by itself).
- Is it tactile? If it is a product, it must be designed so you get the urge to touch it.
- Is it “on trend”? Does it fit into the spirit of the time, is it in accordance with the dominant trends and does it make the buyer “trendy”?
- Is it authentic? Have efforts been made so that it works without any problems and so that it can be expected to continue to be associated with authority, integrity, and honesty in the future?
- Does it have a clear origin? Is there a clear line from the brand’s DNA, history or heritage that it fits into and which automatically gives it some values?
- Is it essential? Is it something that there is a real need for? Something that solves a problem or makes things easier?
- Is it easy to copy? The easier it is to copy, the higher the likelihood there is of a trend that will catch on.
- Is it a “Firestarter”? Is there a chance that it may have a radical and decisive effect?
You can find the whole checklist and much more useful knowledge about trends in the book ‘Trend sociology v.2.0’. Interested in getting your hands on the entire book, (it’s 400 pages), it is possible to buy it here.
The book consists of three parts:
- Theory and practical description of what a trend is, how it is spread and what effect it may have.
- Interview with 17 of the world’s top trend researchers
- Practical process description (5 phased process) with concrete methods and tools for working with trends.