Jeremy Gutsche was profiled in the ‘2009 Trends to Watch’ edition of Entrepreneur Magazine. The article was titled, "Be Your Own Trend Spotter: Preparing for the Future is Easier if You Know What’s Coming". This was exciting to read, especially in the light of our recent launch of the 2009 Trend Reports
The following are excerpts from the feature:
When Jeremy Gutsche sees his disparate group of 20,000 trend hunters posting similar observations on his trend-spotting website, he gets excited. That usually means something’s emerging from the chatter. He calls them "clusters of innovation," and they’re the basis for the trend predictions on Trendhunter.com, which logs about 8 million views per month.
Follow trends online.Trend-hunting websites like Gutsche’s, as well as trendhunter.com and JWT’s jwtintelligence.com, offer up the trends du jour, so add them to your regular web surfing itinerary.
Jeremy Gutsche’s Predictions for 2009:
Prediction: Shockvertising, or using jarring images or words, will grow. This was evidenced by the bloody arms that appeared in butcher shops to promote the European launch of Dexter and blood-colored soap in public washroom soap dispensers for the game Clue.
Prediction: Politics will influence fashion. We’ve seen a spike in interest in Sarah Palin’s glasses and Hillary Clinton’s pantsuits.
Prediction: Artists will continue to recycle garbage into art, as evidenced by dozens of innovations in fashion and furniture.
Prediction: Advertisers will embrace blogs in the same way that they do print and broadcast media. (This hasn’t quite caught on yet.) "
Jeremy also noted, Traditional beauty has become ubiquitous, driving cutting-edge designers to use more extreme and ‘real’ characters as icons of beauty. For example, Vivienne Westwood used real Gypsies on the runway, Yohji Yamamoto used senior citizens and one designer even used real prostitutes. The use of real beauty seems to generate more buzz. We’re likely to see more examples of this, signaling further marketing and fashion opportunities."
Entrepreneur Magazine: Jeremy Gutsche Profiled
Entrepreneur Magazine: Jeremy Gutsche Profiled
Trend Themes
1. Shockvertising - Incorporating jarring images or words in advertising campaigns will grow, creating an opportunity for marketing firms to explore new ways of captivating audiences with unconventional ads.
2. Incorporation of Politics in Fashion - The recent spike in interest in politicians' fashion could result in an emergence of politically-themed clothing lines and accessories, offering fashion and design entrepreneurs a fresh perspective.
3. Recycling Garbage Into Art - With more innovations in fashion and furniture using recycled materials, artists have the opportunity to create pieces that are both sustainable and aesthetically pleasing.
Industry Implications
1. Advertising - As advertisers embrace the use of blogs, marketing firms can capitalize on this trend by creating innovative online campaigns that reach larger audiences.
2. Fashion - The trend of incorporating politics in fashion could open up new opportunities for clothing lines and accessories that reflect political ideologies or personalities.
3. Art and Design - By incorporating recycled materials into their work, artists and designers can create sustainable and unique pieces that appeal to environmentally conscious consumers.