Trends and how to follow them

Trends and how to follow them and make the most out of your marketing. Cashing in on trends is easier than you think

My story on trends
  • Seasonal trends
  • Country trends
  • Political trends
  • Sporting occasions
  • Mysteries
  • Legal and ethical
  • Shopping
Ever upward

We all love a good leader

Having experienced what trending names can mean to a business I thought I would share a few ideas with you and stir up some of your creative juices. I entered the paging business when they were going up and switched to mobile phones when the decline was evident. We marketed discount phone calls until the world caught up and I recognized a future in blogging early in the piece.

Three years back online shopping was hardly a household word but is now an everyday habit of millions of consumers. Yet many still fail to see the relevance.

Tinned or bottled coffee was used in nearly every household and now we can't manage without a double cappuccino or Latte bought from the local coffee shop.

I took my light milk to my coffee shop because they only served full-cream milk and I wanted something different. Now they have a lineup of choices, Goat milk, coconut milk, Soy milk, and many more that have captured a marketplace.

Trends and how to follow them over time

Short term trends

Intermediate trends

Long term trends

Recognizing a trend early provides an opportunity to be a first investor

Elon Musk presented the first marketable Electric car and the world scoffed at the idea. Now every vehicle manufacturer has had to play catch up just to stay in the business.

Bitcoin was rubbished yet the first investors all become overnight millionaires as the price rocketed up the market.

Steve Jobs presented the first Smart Phone at a price nearly double that of traditional flip models and the world followed.
Mobile users demanded smaller phones but Apple went bigger and changed the trajectory

Not seeing a future can be painful in the long term

Many companies spent millions on producing hard-copy road directories that were in nearly every car on the highways.
Similarly was the greeting Card market where Facebook took over and devastated an industry.

Yet we can't ignore nostalgia. The record industry was shattered by the emergence of new technologies and high-priced systems were a novelty of the past yet Records are having a resurgence among the young as they search for older values.

The taxi industry scoffed at Uber and tried everything to stop them from entering the market, or should we say taking the market. They failed to change to demand and lost the race.

The video industry and particularly Blockbuster was offered Netflix for a purported $50 million and laughed at the suggestion. Netflix is now valued at just under $100 billion and blockbusters are zero, a mistake no one wants to make.

Kodak had nowhere to go as the phone camera came of age, it could not innovate itself out of a falling market.

Trends and how to follow them with winning formulas

Companies that innovated an offering and came out on top

There are many examples of this but a few stand out as great pivoting operations that succeeded.

Google
What started as a free search engine and map maker added advertising content to launch a massive profit and future

Amazon
Originally a bookseller using affiliates as a marketing channel now sell anything known to man and has discouraged affiliates with low margins. However, the product has seen massive growth when they were laughed at during the early days

You_tube
Originally a dating site that failed to get attention. Users placed all sorts of videos and the owners recognized an expanding market and changed it from a dating site to what it is today, a purveyor of information

Play-Doh
This is interesting because the original product was for cleaning soot originating from fires off the walls of houses. Demand decreased but they noticed a small school with an interesting use. Now one of the highest ranking products of its type.
3m had a similar issue with a new glue batch that failed to work, however, it made great sticky pads.

Corning Company.
Originally supplying glass for light bulbs they moved into Household dishware named Corning ware, a product used in many homes. They invested in glass technology and came up with the concept of Gorilla glass made famous when Steve Jobs introduced it to Mobile phones.

Trends and how to follow them when you can see the future

What innovation is coming next

Trends and how to follow them
Blockchain technology

It is always difficult to predict the future but seeing enterprises that present life-changing innovation gives us an advantage.

Battery technology
The need for advanced battery technology has seen many companies bringing in new ways to get longer life and more power. Tesla originally teamed with Panasonic but they have since gone separate ways.
The old AA battery has seen a big change with more to come.

Broadband data

Broadband data has changed the way we work and the underground networks delivering lines to our homes and offices have been a massive industry.
However, SpaceX and Amazon have taken to the sky offering broadband opportunities in places never before available. These low-earth satellite networks will replace a lot of the copper and fiber networks once they reach size. Limits are receiver costs but that will change

5G mobile networks
Mobile data has grown significantly as phones have become data centers. However, 5g opens a new world of broadband potential but is limited by tower coverage.

Blockchain usage
blockchain technology is behind secure high-speed data transfer in large amounts that are changing how the world currency can be transacted.
A company like Ethereum, Solana and even Bitcoin are showing that the emergence of Cryptocurrencies will change the world.
This will include the NFT phenomena of pricing products digitally for investment

Trends on YouTube, a nice interchange

New impact technologies

Trends and how to follow them

The work-from-home business grew out of Covid shutdowns and has become so popular it is here to stay. Designing innovative ways to make the home business central to a corporation's future is really on the rise. Products like Facetime will come and stay as the need increases.

Artificial Intelligence is happening around you every day. Cars are being driven by computers and being made safer and more reliable every day but are we just starting?
Google search is now handled by Robots that work out what you want from what you ask.

Self Drive cars are no longer a fantasy but a beckoning reality that will take over our cities as taxi drivers join the dole queue

Packaged food delivered to your doorstep is taking many away from supermarkets. Often based on dietary needs they offer an easy meal for those on the run.

Finally solar and wind innovation will continue to take over from Coal and gas power as it saves the earth from climate devastation.
Finally, we may even see the re-emergence of clean energy with Nuclear units taking up a new role.

Trends are your friend therefore use them

Conclusion

The world is changing faster than ever before and with that change comes the opportunity for those that stay with innovation and recognize disruptive ideas early in the life cycle. iPhone, Google, Facebook, Blockchain, AI, and Electric cars have created a monumental shift in our life that will stay the journey. Being close to them is a way to get on the merry-go-round and profit where others will fail

How to overcome failure in business

How to make better decisions

Peter Hanley

I have been in business for many years and the internet to find ways to grow your business faster