Courtney Scharf, the Web Marketing Coordinator for Trend Hunter, has a certain fascination with health prediction infographics. Beyond her skills in social media and web marketing, Scharf has an unrequited love of the written word, goofy cat memes, blogging and Twitter stalking. She's also never above a good Mean Girls quote, and she's predicting Suri Cruise for President in the year 2020.
What's your favorite trend and why?
My favorite trend? I'm a huge fan of infographs. I think they're amazing and so aware of what is going on in social media right now. As such my favorite trend is horrifying health prediction charts. I love infographs because they're so illustrative a lot of the time. They're typically really well-designed and done by people who really know what they're doing. This sort of chart just states what's going to happen if we keep going as we are in regards to health and diet. It's a quick and dirty way of transmitting really important information.
How do you define cool?
I define cool by anything I want to tell my cool friends about. All my friends are cool though.
What's your secret to uncovering the best trends?
My secret to uncovering trends is following some big thinkers on Twitter. Guy Kawasaki gives me a ton of content. Just being really strategic to who you're listening to is key.
What advice would you give to the business world?
In terms of the business world, I think it's overlooked and critical to keep a pulse on what is happening in pop culture. I think that a lot of brands focus inwards instead of outwards, but they need to be aware of what's happening outside of their own sphere.
How do you see the business world changing in the future?
The way that I see businesses changing is that they're catering to their customers in a way that they haven't done before. I see a lot more interaction between brands and their customers. I think that's a really awesome change. I'm really enjoying writing about it, seeing it and experiencing it myself.
How do you reset to be creative?
I reset to be creative with Snoop Dogg.
What is your favorite accomplishment?
My favorite accomplishment was writing 26 trends in one day at Trend Hunter. It was definitely a coffee-related incident.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
When I was a little girl, I wanted to be an actress, kind of like most little girls. I think what it really came down to was wanting to be heard, and I have a platform to do that now.
What's your favorite thing about working at Trend Hunter?
My favorite thing about working at Trend Hunter is just the freedom I have. It's a beautiful thing. As much as I'm told what to do, in terms of what I'm writing the possibilities are really endless. The only thing I really have to follow is whatever I write about has to be cool. You know, I'm down with that.
Is there anything you'd like to add about Trend Hunter?
Ain't no party like a Trend Hunter party! Whoop! Whoop!
Courtney Scharf, Web Marketing Coordinator (INTERVIEW)
Scharf Looks at Health Prediction Charts
Trend Themes
1. Infographics - Opportunity for disruptive innovation in creating visually appealing and informative charts in various industries.
2. Health Prediction - Opportunity for disruptive innovation in developing technologies and tools to predict and prevent health issues.
3. Pop Culture - Opportunity for disruptive innovation in leveraging pop culture trends to create engaging and relevant marketing strategies.
Industry Implications
1. Social Media - Opportunity for disruptive innovation in utilizing social media platforms to create and distribute infographics and health prediction content.
2. Fitness and Wellness - Opportunity for disruptive innovation in developing technologies, products, and services that promote health prediction and healthy lifestyles.
3. Marketing and Advertising - Opportunity for disruptive innovation in incorporating pop culture trends into marketing campaigns and strategies to attract and engage target audiences.