By Ines Min
Contributing Writer
In December 2002, there were six promising trends listed in an independent agency's monthly summary of consumer patterns ― none of which were related to the growing effects of technology.
Now, a scant eight years later and at the conclusion of the millennium's first decade, trendwatching.com ― an Amsterdam-based resource for up-to-date consumer trends ― has outlined the upcoming top 10 developments to look out for in the next year, half of which directly relate to the Internet.
Trendwatching.com, itself a product of accessibility perpetuated by the web, not only takes into account the simple convenience of online outlets, but also the influence it has on human interactions, dialogue and relationships.
High-tech mechanisms have broadened the way we take in information and react to it, by becoming a part of daily life as if second nature. But just as the tech world is filled with an abundance of ongoing changes, so are the lives of those who follow it. Bustling business sectors had to adapt to the new playing field by keeping up with the consumer trends that we, the customers, shape.
Korea, said to be one of the most wired places in the world, would be particularly hard-pressed to escape the coming trends, given the sheer amount of exposure to technology. Many of these arising ``consumerisms,'' in fact, can already be seen in their myriad of manifestations here.
Eight years ago, the popular-trend agency rarely wrote about the use of online resources in the monthly debriefings of the hottest trends. Eight years from now, it's hard to imagine anything but.
10 Crucial Consumer Trends
1. Business as Unusual: ``For the first time, there's a global understanding, if not a feeling of urgency that sustainability, in every possible meaning of the word, is the only way forward.''
Trendwatching.com lists the progressive business models of Google and Amazon.com as examples of the new road to success. Part of Google's secret is the company's lack of fear to be innovative and experimental in their endeavors.
Although the search engine's presence in Korea is relatively insignificant compared to those of Naver.com or Daum.net here, the company plans on increasing its Korean audience through a specialized homepage that breaks with its traditional minimalistic model. The redesigned engine, set to be launched in December, refuses to be limited by tradition but instead strives to keep breaking the mold.
2. Urbany: ``A forever-growing number of more sophisticated, more demanding, but also more try-out-prone, super-wired urban consumers are snapping up more 'daring' goods, services, experiences, campaigns and conversations.''
Only a century ago, less than 5 percent of the world's population lived in an urban setting, according to the Global Report on Human Settlements 2009. ``In 2008, for the first time in humanity, that figure exceeded 50 percent.''
Asia, in particular, will be home to the majority of the urban population by 2050, the report continues, at 63 percent.
In Korea, more than 20 percent of the total population of 48.6 million lives in Seoul. With such a dense metropolitan area make-up, what happens in Seoul and its satellite cities ― that boasts a total population of nearly half that of the country, at 23 million ― ostensibly affects the rest of the country. With this in mind, focus should be concentrated within urban hubs as opposed to expanding outward.
3. Real-Time Reviews: Technology has catalyzed the importance of up-to-date information with the accessibility of communication between makers, buyers and reviewers. The insurgence of Twitter-users and bloggers has enabled direct dialogue between product developers and their consumers.
The influential population of netizens here not only helps disseminate information about current events, but also forms social movements. It is hardly a force to be taken lightly. According to a 2009 report from the Korea Internet and Security Agency, 54 percent of the population above the age of 6-years-old have or read blogs.
4. (F)luxury: Luxury has been long defined by scarcity, but this conventional concept will have to make room for the incoming paradigm.
The key is to redefine traditional ideals, then mold luxury into a new shape in order to cater to the audience. The distinction and creativity is what will make it luxurious, desirable. Scarcity is a subjective measure, but finding a narrow, niche market will be more likely to grab the most attention from people most open to distinctive ideas.
5. Mass-Mingling: Though technology debatably has lent toward a less sociable lifestyle over the years, the prevalence of social networking sites have now erased the memories when time on the Internet was time spent alone. The opportunity to connect to past and present friends, groups and relationships has led to increased chances of meeting those same people offline.
Though sites such as Myspace.com and Facebook.com dominate abroad, Korea's Cyworld.co.kr still takes priority within the web of those living here, although each site is used in essentially the same manner. They connect the world not only in horizontal integration but also vertical: communication is not just possible between close friends, but also colleagues, bosses and entire businesses.
The trend agency predicts that the next step for mass mingling will ``be even more impromptu, temporary meet-ups of strangers, mobs and crowds with similar interests, hobbies, political preferences, causes and grievances. Many of these (temporary) meet-ups will revolve around generating public attention, or getting something done. And here too, Twitter will lead the way.''
6. Eco-Easy: With the upcoming climate conference in Copenhagen and the growing unease about global warming hitting the world, being ``green'' has been a hot topic for some time.
Yet, while the general frenzy has led toward overall goodwill, more concrete environmental change will most likely move foward best without the public's awareness. The controversial debates over such issues prove to be obstacles when a simple, firm decision would resolve it in a neutral manner.
Government intervention and policy overhauling will be a part of this. The United States took a major step last week, when the California Energy Commission approved new standards for energy-efficiency in all television sets.
In Korea, Changwon's public bicycle rental system has been garnering international attention, along with its other green efforts such as efficient water-treatment facilities.
7. Tracking and Alerting: ``The real opportunity in 2010? Tracking and Alerting is something that consumers actually need and want, that delights them, that they crave. They are quite literally asking for relevant information, even giving you permission to provide them with more.''
FedEx hit it off with their shipment tracking system that allows both sender and recipient to pinpoint the route of their delivery. In Korea, some companies go so far as to have their employees' cell phones on hand, so that the customer can call the deliverer directly for the most accurate arrival time.
But the same tracking model goes for businesses across the board. Kogi Korean BBQ, a popular Korean and Mexican food truck in the Los Angeles area, alerts their hungry customers to their location within the city through their Twitter page.
8. Embedded Generosity: This is the concept of giving and donating, in an effort to create a sustainable, humanitarian motivation. TOMS Shoes donates a pair of shoes to impoverished children for every pair a person buys. Other organizations allot a specific percentage to charities, or encourage volunteer hours in a place of need.
Efforts toward sustainability and equality are another trend, with the participation of consumers and interaction with the world surrounding them providing a sense of goodwill for all sides.
 9. Profile Myning: With the rise of the online presence of both the average consumer and businesses alike, a sense of digital estate develops. Companies aren't planning on making money on personal profiles, but on protecting the safety and storage of such properties. ``Expect a burgeoning market for services that protect,'' according to the trend-watcher.
10. Maturialism: Just as the Internet has grown, so has the world and its audience around it. Maturialism, a hybrid of ``mature'' and ``materialism,'' will come to the forefront in daring, risque and bold business tactics. The public is tired of being thought of as a child and the industry is accommodative of fearless, fresh marketing that leaves behind stuffy traditions.
The Korean public is one that may need some working over, but the presence of recent, more scandalous marketing techniques can be seen everywhere from clothing ads in Myeongdong, to the latest dance moves in K-pop video commercials.
seninim@gmail.com
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