generation now - lowe counsel

8/11/2019 Generation Now - Lowe Counsel

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GENERATION NOW

The power of living in the moment

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LOWE COUNSEL FUTURE SIGNS

PROVIDE A WINDOW ONTO THE

FUTURE DIRECTION OF THE

MAINSTREAM, SIX MONTHS TO

TWO YEARS AHEAD. THESE CAN

REPRESENT MACRO SHIFTS IN

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR AND

ATTITUDES OR MICRO SHIFTS

RELATING TO A SPECIFIC

CATEGORY, TERRITORY OR

TARGET AUDIENCE GROUP.

Our Future Signs series of publications

provides colleagues and clients withimplications of how a specific Future

Sign will impact consumer and

category behaviour.

Counsel monitors these changes as

they emerge and charts their evolution

and impact on the mainstream. Not only

do Counsel Future Signs represent

the evolution of existing macro trends,

but they also represent the seeds of

future mainstream attitudes and

behaviour. In a world of information

overload, access to accurate and

concise trend information and the new

ideas contained within offer valuable

insight, which can create a business

advantage. Being able to respond

THE MARKETING INDUSTRY NOW

ACCEPTS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF

LEADING-EDGE INTELLIGENCE IN

DETERMINING FUTURE CONSUMER

TASTES AND BEHAVIOUR.

Globalisation has created an

environment where new ideas and

behaviours are generated and adopted

on a global level. Certain cities and

countries act as leaders of emerging

trends and can provide insight into

those yet to enter the mainstream.

A combination of these forces and thereality that most product development

and marketing planning processes are

timed in years rather than months

means brands and marketers need

to be in touch with emerging Future

Signs in po pular culture.

Finding a way of seeing into

the future has become the aim of

brands wanting to build successful

consumer relationships. Being able

to provide consumers with what they

want, when they want it, communicated

to them in a way that is relevant to

them is one of the key challenges

for contemporary brands. To do

this successfully they need tobeone step ahead.

WHAT IS A

FUTURE SIGN?

WHAT IS

COUNSEL?

COUNSEL IS LOWE AND PARTNERS

CULTURAL INSIGHT AND ANALYSIS

CONSULTANCY.

Counsel is dedicated to identifying

and understanding global and local

emerging shifts in consumer attitudes

and behaviour. By identifying key

cultural and behavioural foresights

(Future Signs) we help frame and

shape the development of our

clients brand and communication

strategies. Our data analysis

capabilities enable us to also helpclients predict and evaluate the

effectiveness of those strategies.

Extensive experience working with

many of the worlds leading brands

is augmentedby our network of over

3000 leading edge and mainstream

consumers in over 55 key cities around

the world. Accessing our global

Thought Leader network helps clients

to navigate and prepare in the ever-

changing business and consumer

landscape. Coupled with research,

econometric and quantitative analysis

skills, Counsel is uniquely placed to

help our clients understand their

target consumers and markets.

COUNSEL

METHODOLOGY

appropriately to emerging trends can

enable brands to gain relevance, build

connection and ultimately become part

of the contemporary culture context.

All Counsel Future Signs are supported

by statistical and other quantifiable

data, which provide additional evidence

of how the influence of individual trends

is manifested by consumer attitudes

and purchase decisions.

LOWE COUNSEL / FUTURE SIGNS 20143 4


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A COMBINATION OF SPEED OF CHANGE AND

TECHNOLOGY-FOCUSED ALWAYS ON CULTURE

IS FORCING US TO PLACE AN INCREASING

EMPHASIS ON WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW.

As Einstein discovered, our relationship to time is

relative and subject to change depending on ourvelocity. There is a perception that time moves

more quickly in the present than it did in the past.

Digital theorist Douglas Rushkoff calls the

phenomenon Present Shock to explain how

modern society has re-orientated itself around the

present. Our continual exposure to u nlimited and

unfiltered data comes at a price. The digital world

gives us so much information so fast, we can no

longer turn it into knowledge, much less wisdom,

resulting in a diminishing ability to contemplate

anything that is not happening now. Forty years

ago Alvin Toffler wrote Future Shock, which

helped define the age; now we are living in a state

of Present Shock. Today it is all about the n ow

If the end of the twentieth century can becharacterized by futurism, the twenty-rst

century can be dened by presentism.[1]

- Douglas Rushkoff, Present Shock

THE ACCELERATION OF CULTURE IS NOW

SO RAPID IT MEANS WE ARE CONSTANTLY

ADAPTING TO LIVING WITH CHANGE AND

UNCERTAINTY. WHAT TOOK GENERATIONS

TO ACCOMPLISH IS NOW ACHIEVED IN LESSTHAN A DECADE. EVERYTHING IS QUICKER,

FASTER, MORE NOW.

Predictive text and search mean we no longer

have to finish off sentences or even thoughts.

In the last ten years emails and websites have

given way to pings with blogs giving way to

Twitter feeds and Snapchat.

The next ten years will see continuing increases

in job market instability, housing bubbles, Twitter

uprisings, population migration and climate change

in both developed and emerging markets.

According to The New York Times a graduate

in 2007 could expect to change jobs 11 times,

and their skill set at least three times in the course

of their professional career. When the future is

so fast and unpredictable its not surprisingthat

people are choosing to focus o n the present.

While Moores Law (the continuing increase in

computer processing ability) and the nu mber

or patents are all increasing, product lifecycles

continue to shorten. During the last few years

dating has evolved into a hook up culture and

pop-ups are now a permanent fixture in the

retail landscape. Everywhere we look there are

examples of things speeding up and cycles being

condensed. Societys techno-social systemsare becoming ever faster and more computer-

orientated. Far from simply generating faster

versions of existing behaviour, this speed-up is

generating new behaviours as humans lose the

ability to comprehend and intervene in real time.

Huge profits in stock trades are now dependent

on having millisecond advantages related to

information and prices. Few people have the time

or the capacity to think abou t the long term.

Our ability to look forward is that much

harder because of the acceleration of

change that has taken place throughout

the 20th century, but particularly in the lastcouple of decades as digital technology

has changed the speed and scale of

human communication.[7]

- Henry Jenkins, Professor of Communication, Journalism,

and Cinematic Arts, USC, writing in Forbes magazine

SHOCK OF THE NOW

Main Image:[8] Everything is quicker, faster and more now!

RESPONDING TO CULTURALACCELERATION (Speed of Change)

Front Page: [2] Cliff Jumping at Kamari Beach. Previous Page:[3] Shibuya

crossing, Tokyo. Top + Below:[4+5] The always on generation is

increasingly forced to focus on the now. Right:[6] Present Shock by

Douglas Rushkoff talks about the shock of the now.

LOWE COUNSEL / FUTURE SIGNS 2014 / GENERATION NOW7 8


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FOMOPHENOMENON(Fear Of Missing Out)

THE HUGE INCREASE IN SOURCES OF ALWAYS

ON INFORMATION GENERATED BY SOCIAL

NETWORKS IS TURNING PEOPLE INTO

INFORMATION JUNKIES.

FoMo Fear Of Missing Out can be defined as the

anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may

currently be happening elsewhere. According to a

study into FoMo by the University of Essex in the

UK: Twitter followers and retweets provide the

indirect measures people use to quantify their

importance and the reach of their personal brand.[17]

People seek out the new and the now to alleviate

the fear of missing out and to acquire status through

social media.

The ability to take any thought or picture andimmediately bring it to the attention of an expansive

web of friends and acquaintances is the essence

of the social media experience. This is now a way

of life for the generation born in the late 80s and

through the 90s. Friendships are formed through

these connections and shared experiences to the

extent where it is hard to imagine life without a

readily available source of reassurance.

WHILE THE IDEA OF INSTANT GRATIFICATION IS NOT

A NEW CONCEPT, DEVELOPMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY

ARE DRIVING PEOPLE TO BECOME INCREASINGLY

DEMANDING AND IMPATIENT.

Smart phone apps now eliminate the wait for a cab,

date, or a table at a hot restaurant. Movies and TV shows

stream in seconds. The demand for instant is seeping

into every corner of our lives. Amazon, Net-A-Porter and

Wal-Mart are all embracing this growing impatience by

offering more same-day delivery services.

According to Narayan Janakiraman, Assistant Professorof Marketing, University of Texas: Our expectation of

instant has become faster, and as a result, our patience

is thinner.[12]

Unlimited access to information and the desire for

external validation is altering behaviour. A limitless

source of knowledge and opinion has expanded the

possibilities for many, but this information and sensory

overload is affecting our personalities in ways that are

not always obvious. We are increasingly living with

what neuroeconomists call temporal discounting.

Our brains are becoming hard-wired to crave instant

gratification. When we buy something we want, it

triggers our pleasure sensors. Conversely, participating

in more long-term thinking and behaviour, such as

saving, has declined significantly over the last 30 years.

The US Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic

Analysis found that Americans personal saving rates

the percentage of disposable income saved declined

to 3.6 percent in 2012, down from 9.7 percent in 1982.

Immediate gratication is the default response.

Its difcult to overcome the urges and (learn) to be

patient and wait for things to come over time. [13]

- Darrell Worthy, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Texas A&M University

INSTANTGRATIFICATION:Everything, all the time, now

Top + Right:[14+15] Too many options, we are worried about missing

out.Above:[16] Social media can become an obsession.

Above:[9] Net-A-Porter offered same-day delivery with StndAIR

in The Hamptons for a limited period. Below Top:[10] Apple TV brings

instant streaming into our homes. Below bottom:[11] Large

infrastructures are needed to support these services.



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THE IDEA OF BEING PRESENT, BEING IN

THE HERE AND NOW IS INCREASINGLY BEING

USED TO DESCRIBE A POSITIVE RESPONSE TO

INFORMATION OVERLOAD AND THE CONSTANT

DISTRACTIONS OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATION.

In a world of constant distractions, learning to

live in the moment can be valuable in promoting

wellbeing and have a positive effect on society.

Our growing interest in living in the moment can

be seen in relation to the mindfulness movement.

Psychologists define mindfulness as a state of

non-distraction characterised by full engagement

with our current task or situation. By learning to

focus on the now, we are able to free ourselves from

past regrets and future concerns, which has been

proven to have a positive effect on mental health.

A recent study published in the Psychological Science

Journal explored the impact of mind wanderingand while it may not be a seriou s issue in many

circumstances, in tasks requiring attention, the

ability to stay focused is crucial. Pop psychologist

Eckhart Tolles bestselling book The Power of Now

is based around this idea and reflects many of the

central themes of Buddhist teaching, specifically

that mindfulness can lead to enlightenment.

Spontaneity is also seen as an aspirational state of

mindassociated with confidence and status. Many

see having the ability to act spontaneously as an

indicator of having both time and money. The growth

of mindfulness can also be seen in relation to the

increase in spontaneous behaviour, partly enabled

by technology. Studies show that more people

around the world are seizing the moment by

taking last-minute holidays.

According to a 2013 study by the online travel

company Expedia, nearly all US adults (92%)

consider themselves at least a little spontaneous.

Nearly half of US adults admitted to impulse

shopping (49%), or paid it forward by treating

someone else with something kind (49%) while

approximately one third took last-minute trips

out of town (30%). [23]

IS YOLO A POSITIVE AFFIRMATION OF CARPE

DIEM (SEIZE THE DAY) OR AN EXCUSE TO

EMBRACE IRRESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOUR?

Either way YOLO (You only live once) has become

a shorthand mantra that defines youth on a certain

level. YOLO is being used as a battle cry an d

means of justifying youthful, crazy and sometimes

irresponsible behaviour. It is abo ut celebrating

being young in its purest sense.

YOLO, as its currently used in popular culture,

represents a modern update on the tradition

beginning with carpe diem. The ancient Roman

poet Horaces famous phrase is about seizing

the day. YOLO is about justifying it. The yolo.com

website says: YOLO should not be an excuse to do

something YOLO stimulates you to do something

crazy, something youve never done before.[18]

Interestingly FOMO and YOLO represent both

driver and response to the cultural desire torefocus on the present.

Usage of YOLO has been propelled by multiple

references in global pop music. It reflects both the

desire for living in the moment and the compulsive

need to share that define the post-millennial

generation. Interestingly #YOLO moments, by

nature of using the social media hash tag, are all

about sharing. They provide a way of making

everyday decisions and activity significant.

Jenny Garrett in The Huffington Post says that YOLO

moments are often deemed as rare, significant,

life-changing events to be grasped with both hands.

Instead she sees them as frequent, omnipresent

events that we choose to make meaningful. [19]

The #YOLO terminology has already become part

of youthspeak, appearing on college application

forms and spawning numerous parodies, most

notably from US TV show Saturday Night Live.

Live While We are Young[20]

- One Direction

Top:[24] Living in the now.Above:[25] The Tinder dating app matches

users with people nearby for instant hook ups.

Y LO O

Top + Above:[21+22]The YOLO battlecry justifies youthful, crazy and

sometimes irresponsible behaviour.


A battle cry for the post-millennial generation

Embracing

mindfulnes

s&spontan

eity

BEHEREN

OW


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IMPLICATIONS



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WE ARE SEEING BRANDS AND MARKETERS RESPONDING

TO THE GROWING NEED FOR PEOPLE TO REGAIN

CONTROL AND BETTER MANAGE THEIR PERSONAL

TIME WITH A HOST OF LIFE OPTIMISING SOLUTIONS.

A recent survey by Wolff Olins and Flamingo identifiesthis new attitude towards time. It says: People are looking

for ways to control the flow and get things when they

want them, and on their terms.[35]

We are seeing the development of apps that analyse

personal and environmental data and help people to

prioritise certain tasks, reward positive behaviour and

suggest optimal times to conduct certain activities.

Foresee a new app created by BorderLeap suggests

optimal times of the week for particular activities. Using

a number of metrics such as weather, time of day, location

and learned user preferences for particularly activities such

as running, hiking, cycling, walking the dog, swimming,

gardening and other outdoor callings, the app is then able

to advise the best time and a place to indulge in them.

Meanwhile, Offtime takes a fresh perspective on personal

time management. This growing trend for tech-free timeout

is a theme we explored in more detail in our 2013 Future

Sign Esc. The Offtime app manages and filters incoming

calls and messages in a curated and customised way. Users

can choose to block all work emails or calls on weekends

to allow them to focus on important real-life stuff. The

application responds automatically to callers, and also lists

all the missed activities on the phone for later reference.

Another interesting app applies the principles of instant

gratification and behavioural economics to make long

term activities like losing weight or saving more enjoyable

and rewarding. ImpulseSave encourages individuals to

save through an app, which tracks spending and sends

congratulatory messages when users cut costs. This

supports behaviour that contributes to a long-term

goal and provides immediate feedback.

Its instant gratication that were giving

People have a need for immediacy that they

dont normally see when theyre saving money.[36]

- Phil Fremont-Smith, founder of ImpulseSave.

OPTIMISING LIFEHelping people seize the day

Above:[32] Benirras Beach, Ibiza Below Left:

[33] Foresee suggests new ways to optimise

peoples offline behaviour times for particular

activities.Below:[34] ImpulseSave helps users

to save money by rewarding them instantly.



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LIVING IN AN INCREASINGLY ON DEMAND

WORLD WHERE EVERYTHING NEWS,

PHOTOS, MUSIC, MOVIES IS AVAILABLE AT

THE PUSH OF A BUTTON, CONSUMERS NOW

WANT THE SAME AMENITIES AVAILABLE TO

THEM OFFLINE

Flash sales and online limited edition/time-sensitive offers are becoming a permanent

fixture in the retail landscape, reflecting the

trend of instant gratification. Online sales

channels have been particularly successful in

exploiting consumer urgency to convert sales.

Retailers are realising there is profit in impatience,

expanding same-day delivery services to cater

for a generation of consumers who want it now.

Wal-Mart and eBay are currently challenging

Amazon in the category by offering same-day

delivery. In certain areas, shoppers can place

an order by 11 a.m. and, for an $8.99 fee plus

99 cents per item, have it that day.

Additional services like Instacart available in

San Francisco, and new app Pocket Shop inLondon offer same-day delivery of groceries

from major supermarkets. These services are

powered by a local network of pedestrian pickers

who do the carrying on foot in an attempt to

avoid traffic, cut carbon emissions, and avoid

incurring high costs for the bu siness.

Creating urgency can affect consumer behaviour.

Time-sensitive messages can make us feel

strangely optimistic and even important. Times

a wasting, you only live once, and you have

agency to push back against the frantic

busyness of todays world. Work by Scott D.

Swain and Lisa J. Abendroth of Boston University

and Richard Hanna of Boston College discovered

that advertising campaigns that create a sense

of urgency actually increase purchases.

The continuing global success of pop-up retail

demonstrates the appeal of temporary, limited

edition spaces and products. UK fashion

designer Henry Holland launched a mobile

flagship store created to celebrate the launch

of House of Hollands e-commerce site. The

designer transformed a traditional ice-cream van

named Mr Quiffy after the designers famously

voluminous hairstyle into a multicoloured touring

pop-up shop selling a limited edition collection.

Pop-up shops are proliferating. Theyre cheaper

than the alternative, easy to execute and supermobile, with the ability to roam from city to city,

hitting only the spots where theyll have the most

impact. More and more established brands are

using pop-ups to generate interest and cater to

consumers desire for the new. Starbucks recently

opened its first pop-up only coffee bar in Tokyo

in an attempt to challenge the fierce competition

in the Japanese coffee market. Pop-ups offer

brands the chance to experiment with unique

concepts and ground-breaking design.

The industry is evolving all the time and

initially opening as a pop-up works for us.

It might not work forever but it is a model

we have chosen and it allows us to dip our

toes into the water and test it before wetake any risks.[53]

Nigel Grant, Brand Director, Pretty Green

TIME-SENSITIVE SALES AND POP-UPS

Top Left:The Artizen pop-up shoe store in Istanbul. Left:[54]

Fashion designer Henry Hollands pop-up ice-cream van mobile

store.Above:[55] Starbucks first pop-up coffee bar in Tokyo.



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How can you help people to make the most of thepresent, be spontaneous and enjoy the moment?

Consider incorporating time-sensitive, responsive orreactive brand communications as a way of drivingengagement, social media reach and cultural relevancy.

Are there specific events or naturally occurring socialphenomena that could provide seeds for consumerand brand conversations?

Integrate live social media content into traditionalmedia campaigns to enhance immediacy and relevance.

Could you develop or partner with an app likeForesee that enables people to optimise theirlives more efficiently?

Use instant gratification to reward long-term activity.

Think about the benefits of encouraging people todisconnect from digital technology for set periodsof time.

Embrace the creative potential of temporary messagingapps like Vine and Snapchat that encourage people tobe more experimental and spontaneous. Theyre greatfor time-sensitive messaging and to communicate asense of urgency.

Could you encourage people to temporarily turnoff their digital devices in order to better participatein live social activities?

Recognise the growing power of being present -how could you help people to reduce distractionsand live more in the moment?

Being able to participate in spontaneous activities/travelremains a dream for many. How could you facilitate thisfor your consumers?

Feed the need for exclusivity and instant gratificationwith time-sensitive offers and limited editionretail events.

GENERATION NOW BRAND CHALLENGES



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LOWE COUNSEL / FUTURE SIGNS 2014 / GENERATION NOW29

1. Douglas Rushkoff (2013) Present Shock.

rushkoff.com

2. Cliff Jumping at Kamari BeachSantorini.

soflyinmybowtie.com

3. Shibuyafc05.deviantart.net

4. Michael Carney(2012) Younity skips storage limits,

making all your files available on all your devices

pandodaily.com

5. Carsten Nicolailive allHangar.

artslife.com

6. Douglas Rushkoff (2013) Present Shock. rushkoff.com

7. Henry JenkinsOn The Acceleration Of Change

forbes.com

8. Fast Paced Industrysujanpatel.com

9. Kelli Delaney (2013) KDHamptons Fashion: Forgot

to Pack Your Hamptons Party Dress?

NET-A-PORTER.COM Will Fly One Here For You ~

Same Day! kdhamptons.com

10. Apple TVtechhive.com

11. Warehouse placementapm.files.wordpress.com

12. Christopher Muther(2013) Instant gratification is

making us perpetually impatient.

bostonglobe.com


making us perpetually impatient.

bostonglobe.com

14. Apartment Block with Balcony Poolsin Mumbai.

media.oregonlive.com

15. FOMO Pillowskai.gr

16. Erin Coulehan(2013) If Were Going To Have

Couples Apps, Were Going To Need Breakup Apps.

slate.com

17. Claire Cohen (2013) FoMo: Do you have a Fear of

Missing Out? telegraph.co.uk

18. YOLO yolo.com

19. Jenny Garrett(2013) When Was Your Last YOLO

Moment? huffingtonpost.co.uk

20. One Direction Live While We Are Young.

onedirectionmusic.com

21. Travellers on a beach

statravel.com

22. Crowd Surfing 30daysout.files.wordpress.com

23. ExpediaSurvey Shows Mobile Travel Bookings May

Indicate a More Spontaneous Lifestyle.

prnewswire.com

24. Place Hackingplacehacking.co.uk

25. Tinder uvureview.com

26. Heineken Departure Board. alourbano.com.br

27. Oreos Blackoutabcnews.com

28. Coca-ColaHappiness Table Promotes Eating

Together. motivators.com

29. Mini CooperWorks Advertisement.

marketingfacts.nl

30. Lucy Tesseras(2013) Live in the moment.

marketingweek.co.uk

31. How Oreo Won the Social Media Bowl with a Single

Piece of Contentblog.360i.com

32. Benirras Beach Ibiza

duranvirginia.files.wordpress.com

33. Victor H(2013) Best new Android, iPhone and

Windows Phone apps for June 2013.

phonearena.com

34. Impulse Save amazonaws.com

35. The New Mainstream gamechangers.wolffolins.com


making us perpetually impatient. bostonglobe.com

37. Christine Lagorio-Chafkin (2013) Dont Credit

Sexting: How Snapchat Actually Took Off.

inc.com

38. Snapchat Logo

snapchat.com

39.Albert Costill (2013) These 7 Brands Prove That

Snapchat Can Be A Useful Tool.

searchenginejournal.com

40. Brian De Los Santos (2013) Swinging From 140

Characters To Six-Second Videos, Twitter Launches

Vine npr.org

41. eBay Nowblogs.icemd.com

42. Lexi Brown(2013) So Monday.

carat.co.uk

43. Michael Hann(2013) Yeah Yeah Yeahs launch

pre-emptive strike at phone-wielding gig-goers.

theguardian.com

44. Bands urge fans to ditch phones(2013).

japantimes.co.jp

45. Salve Jorge Bar The Offline Glass.

fbexternal-a.akamaihd.net

46. Caroline Tell (2013) Step Away from the Phone.

nytimes.com

47. No No No

showbizgeek.com

48. Phubbing: The term that defines Anti-Social Act of

Phone Use(2013). jagranjosh.com

49. Loulla-Mae Eleftheriou-Smith(2013) BA launches

digital platform to help consumers picture your

holiday. marketingmagazine.co.uk

50. Vodafone Still from #Hashtag Holidays Teaser.

erwinverweij.nl

51. Vodafone Still from #Hashtag Holidays Teaser.

erwinverweij.nl

52. Heineken Departure Board alourbano.com.br

53. Sandish Shoker(2012) Pop-up shops spreading

across UK. bbc.co.uk

54. Ypsilon TasarimArtizen Pop-up shop Istanbul.

retaildesignblog.net

55. Fashion News House Of Holland Goes On Tour In

Mr Q uiffy. groomedandglossy.com

56. Eleanor Warnock(2012)

wsj.com

GENERATION NOW

CREDITS

COUNSEL WOULD LIKE TO THANK

THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE FOR

THEIR HELP AND SUPPORT:

Tony Wright, Charlotte Rivers,

Peter Glanvill, Mihir Warty,

Jeani Rodgers, Karen Eriksen,

Leo Walton, Fiona Thompson

About:

lowecounsel.com

Follow:

@lowecounsel / @zoelazarus

Contact:

[email protected]

generation now - lowe counsel

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