Ideas
Explore the world's #1 largest database of ideas and innovations, with 462,655 inspiring examples.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,243 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 320,976 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Consumer Insights
Uncover major shifts and emerging opportunities with our exclusive PRO research.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,243 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 320,976 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Trend Reports
Get fast, customized trend reports, presentations and deep dives 20x faster than traditional research.
Plans
Get started today with a free consultation, our self-serve tools, or a dedicated program.
Articles & Magazine
Get inspired with our 4,215 innovation strategy articles, keynote, videos and innovation tools.
Innovation Awards
Trend Hunter’s Innovation Strategy Awards recognize the best innovation tactics gathered from our interviews with some of the world's most notable business leaders, authors and change makers.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Innovation Assessment
Enhance your innovation potential with a deeper understanding of your unique innovation archetype and how your organization benchmarks.
FuturistU
Prepare for the years ahead with 100+ lessons, tactics, tools and frameworks with our full learning database.
Innovation Books
Join 20,000,000 people getting better and faster with our New York Times Bestselling books and keynote videos.
Jeremy Gutsche
Ignite your event or virtual event with our CEO, a NY Times Bestselling Author and one of the top innovation keynote speakers.
Our Team of Speakers & Virtual Presenters
Inspire your group with our most popular speakers on innovation, trends, change and futurism.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Custom Masterclasses
Join the world's leading brands who leverage our custom programs to accelerate innovation.
FuturistU 5-Day Program
Become a Futurist with our immersive 5-Day program at Future Festival World Summit.
Online eLearning
Learn the fundamentals of futurism and trends with 100+ online courses about innovation.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Contact
Get in touch to learn more, ask a question or submit a tip.
About Us
Learn more about Trend Hunter and how we accelerate innovation.
Follow-Us
Join our 3,500,000 social media followers, on the cutting edge.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
FAQ
Get answers to common questions about Trend Hunter.
Community
Stay on the cutting-edge with the help of the Trend Hunter community.
Team
Meet the team trusted by hundreds of leading businesses worldwide.
Jobs
Find opportunities to accelerate your career with the #1 Trend Firm.
News
Catch up on noteworthy Trend Hunter news and media mentions.
Join
Build a portfolio and put your trend-spotting abilities to the test.
Advertising
Supercharge your marketing by partnering with Trend Hunter.
Portfolio
Visit your public portfolio and browse your past articles.
Add a Trend
Write up an article and showcase your trend-spotting skills.
My Trends
Edit your articles and see how they stack up on the leaderboards.
Settings
Edit your profile, connect your social media accounts, and more.
Add a trend, customize your dashboard, or track topics.
Future Festival
Innovation Events
Join the world's top innovators at our in person events.
Free Webinars
Learn to innovate through chaos, navigate the new normal and maintain work culture from home.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Search our database of 462,655 cutting edge ideas.

Author Guessing Games

Fourth Estate Challenges Readers with Anonymous Stories

— October 21, 2009 — Business
Mystery is the mantra for businesses as more companies entice customers through the element of surprise. Hipstery and ShoeDazzle are two recent examples, and now Fourth Estate -- a UK imprint of HarperCollins -- is doing the mystery dance in the publishing arena.

According to Springwise, Fourth Estate engages customer interest by challenging its readers to guess which authors wrote anonymous stories in a new collection called Anonthology, which is available in print and online. Fourth Estate’s Anonthology includes nine short stories written by a variety of Fourth Estate authors including Joyce Carol Oates, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Patrick Gale.

It’s up to readers to guess which Fourth Estate author wrote which story (the names of the authors are on the cover of the collection). Get in on the guessing fun by visiting the Anonthology site.
Trend Themes
1. Mystery Marketing - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Businesses can engage customers by adding an element of surprise and mystery to their products or services.
2. Anonymous Content - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Companies can challenge readers by presenting anonymous content and encouraging them to guess the creator, increasing customer engagement.
3. Interactive Storytelling - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Brands can create interactive experiences for consumers by allowing them to participate in the storytelling process and guess the author of a story.
Industry Implications
1. Publishing - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Publishers can create buzz and intrigue by releasing anonymous stories and inviting readers to guess the authors.
2. Fashion E-commerce - Disruptive innovation opportunity: E-commerce platforms can incorporate mystery marketing techniques by offering surprise items or collections, adding excitement to the shopping experience.
3. Online Literature Communities - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Online platforms can foster engagement by creating spaces for readers to guess and discuss the authors of anonymous stories, building a community around their content.
2.4
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness