As this Sweet Play video shows, consumers want to be able to customize the food they are eating. Susan Keefe explains this delicious food inspiration video and dives into a few facts about herself. Despite realizing her childhood dreams of wanting to be seven different occupations all at the same time didn't quite pan out, her imaginative spirit has carried through in her writing talent at Trend Hunter.
What did you want to be when you were little?
When I was little I wanted to be a multitude of things. I was convinced I could have as many careers as I wanted and still raise nine kids. I also really wanted to live in an RV, I don't know why. I wanted to be a doctor, I wanted to be a singer, I wanted to be an actress, veterinarian, cinematographer, photographer and a foodie too. I wanted to do it all at the same time. This was when I was four years old.
What is your favorite trend and why?
My favorite trend is this concept seen in this Sweet Play video. It's a concept for a chocolate company. You know how usually when you get a box of chocolates, there's half of them you don't even like. You just pick out the caramels and eat the fruit creams or whatever. This gives you the opportunity to build your own kind of chocolate. It speaks to how much more interest people are having in food as well as wanting to understand the different ingredients because more ingredients are more readily available. People are more educated about the culinary world. This gives you the opportunity to fly in the face of convention and play with your food. I love it because it's playful. It's like a little bit of childhood and you need that.
How do you define cool?
Cool comes from inside you, inside yourself. Having confidence in the decisions and the things that you do. Cool comes from being genuine and not apologizing for who you are. Cool is about being you and I think that's beautiful because everyone's got something really interesting about them.
What is your favorite thing about working at Trend Hunter?
My favorite thing about working at Trend Hunter was the people that I interned with and growing and learning about writing and trusting your instinct. When you are writing a mile a minute, you got to go with your gut and what you think is cool. Also, of course beer parties are awesome!
Predict something awesome for 2020?
A trend I see upcoming in the future is going to be agro farming. I really think this is going to take off. Buying local, eating local. You can look up how to build your own chicken coup. Why wouldn't you want to do that, it sounds fun.
What is the most remarkable way that you see business changing?
The most remarkable way that I see business change is the rise of the individual within the company. Creating a community where your team can share ideas freely. Respect is bottom line the most important thing that any company can do. Creating community based companies is the biggest thing that companies need to do right now, and the only way they are going to survive in this economy is by driving their knowledge. Really learning from other people never ends, you never stop learning. All the old guys on those panels for huge corporations, listen to the youngsters and listen to the people your own age because I bet they can tell you a tale or two.
Susan Keefe, Trend Hunter (INTERVIEW)
Keefe Offers Delicious Inspiration with the Sweet Play Video
Trend Themes
1. Customized Food - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop platforms or products that allow consumers to customize their food and choose their preferred ingredients.
2. Agro Farming - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create solutions that promote local and sustainable farming, such as tools for building chicken coops or apps for connecting consumers with local farmers.
3. Individual-driven Business - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment that empowers individual employees to share ideas and contribute to the company's success.
Industry Implications
1. Food and Beverage - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop innovative food customization platforms or products that cater to the growing demand for personalized food experiences.
2. Agriculture - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Invest in technologies and practices that support local and sustainable farming, such as agro-farming tools and smart farming solutions.
3. Business Consulting - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Offer consulting services that focus on building inclusive and collaborative work environments, helping companies adapt to the rise of individual-driven business models.