Trend Talk: A Look Back At 2003, And Forward To Homes, Jobs In 2004
by Kathy Lamancusa
As we begin a new year wondering what lies ahead, let's look back at a few of 2003's noteworthy trends:
Rich-Kid Reality Shows: A number of "rich-kid" programs hit the small screen.
HBO's documentary 'Born Rich' captures the antics of kids whose parents are millionaires.
MTV's reality show 'Rich Girls' follows a pair of wealthy girlfriends.
Fox's 'The Simple Life' pokes fun at hotel heiress Paris Hilton. Hilton became a celebrity in her own right following the release of her homemade sex tapes and the ensuing success of 'The Simple Life.' More Americans tuned into the program than watched an interview with President Bush airing at the same time.
'Joe Millionaire,' a reality show about a construction worker who pretends to be a millionaire was an unexpected hit, but its follow-up bombed.
A New Form of Weight-Loss: The bare-bones, women-only gym 'Curves' was named the fastest-growing franchise by Entrepreneur Magazine. Word-of-mouth spread the word like wildfire and there are now about 6,000 locations in the U.S. The gyms promise a complete workout in 30 minutes. Members move between different strength-training hydraulic resistance machines, and maintain a target heart rate by jogging in place between stations.
Hold the Carbs, Please: More people than ever seemed to find the Atkins Diet appealing. With several celebrities leading the field, we are now seeing 'lo-carb' and 'no-carb' appearing on menus and packaged food alike.
Other Noteworthy Fads: colored diamonds, ever-expanding celebrity entourages and bodyguards, home improvement shows, and hip-hop's ascension over pop music.
Looking To The Future At Work
There may be changes in workplace norms on the horizon. Watch for:
Benefit Basics: With a recovery in the economy, benefits at work will be an important key for recruitment and retention. The benefits desired most by employees will be basic, not extravagant: healthcare, disability, employer-matched 401(k)/profit sharing plans, and
career development programs.
Returning To Tradition: Many unlikely entrepreneurs who were forced by the recession to try their own luck at making their way, will seek a return to traditional jobs.
Life-Span Employment: Many will want to slow down in their working lives, but total retirement will be undesirable. Some will officially "retire" but will seek to continue to work on a project, consulting or part-time basis. Additionally, corporate leadership is largely in the hands of aging baby boomers that will be looking to move aside to free up top jobs for new leadership, without jeopardizing their optimum pensions or the ability to facilitate the transition of new leadership.
Combining Work and Vacations: The lines are blurring between vacation time and work time. Current available technology such as cell phones and ready Internet/email access has made checking in on the office and fielding pressing problems easier to do, than training someone to handle things while away.
Looking To The Future At Home
Recent developments in fiber engineering and advances in manufacturing technologies have resulted in an evolution in home interiors. Personal preference dictates three current popular decorating styles: classic elegance, casual comfort, and urban contemporary.
Surface Pattern & Texture: From collections in floral and leaf sculpted patterns, to fleur-de-lys and quilts, to subtle geometrics, waffles, and rib-like sisals, patterns add dimension and architectural interest to home decor. Watch for the 'new shag' in carpeting which promises to be thick, durable, tightly tufted and trendy.
A New "SOFT" Touch: New developments in the molecular construction of nylon carpet fiber and home decor fabrics, has made possible the introduction of a new generation of soft, natural wool-like feeling textiles.
The New Neutrals: New dye technologies have given rise to a color evolution. Most popular are the new "neutrals", such as subtle greens, pale creamy yellows, and light dusty shades of blues, soft purples, browns, or tans, replacing the basic beige of old.
Home Networking: Consumers that are planning a home network are expecting significantly more functionality than is currently available. Planners anticipate being able to easily add devices to their network and to use the devices to do tasks such as media file sharing and streaming among the devices, tasks that are not easily accomplished at present. As consumers begin to embrace the technological changes by the current wave of digital convergence, home networking will be one of the first technologies to which consumers will be looking for solutions.
One More Thought
You are going to love this web site that "provides definitions and detailed explanations for new, hip words and phrases that ooze into the culture." It's called The Word Spy, check it out!
Here are some examples:
Affluenza: An extreme form of materialism in which consumers overwork and accumulate high levels of debt to purchase more goods (affluence + influenza).
Wal-Mart effect: The economic effects attributable to the Wal-Mart retail chain, including local effects such as forcing smaller competitors out of business and driving down wages, and broader effects such as helping to keep inflation low and productivity high.
Chrismukkah: A holiday celebration that combines elements of both Christmas and Hanukkah, particularly in households that have both Christian and Jewish members.
Nag factor: The degree to which parents' purchasing decisions are based on being nagged by their children.
Butt call: An unintended phone call placed by sitting on one's cell phone.
Dirty tricks Thursday: The Thursday before an election when candidates often accuse opponents of scandalous behavior knowing that the charges will bring headlines while also allowing the opponents little time to refute the charges.
Office creeper: A person who sneaks into an office building during business hours to steal personal items and equipment.
Brain on a stick: An intelligent person who lacks emotion or social skills.
Published: January 26, 2004
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Kathy Lamancusa is a trend strategis, professional speaker and author who tracks the forces that impact our lives. Over 1.6 million copies of Kathy's books are in print, and she has appeared on numerous television and radio shows including Oprah! She is a public speaker who can offer organizations entertaining and enlightening peeks into what is coming and what is shaping change so that they can better reach their own customer bases.
