Z Connections | Edition #13 Jan 10 | DON'T MISS THE TRENDS OF 2010!
Article by Jacob Hunt

As the new decade begins, trend-spotters are looking to the future with eager eyes.

Technology races forward and consumers are adapting their behaviour with equal speed, and this is how;

• Tablet devices will become the way many of us will ‘read’ magazines, books, newspapers and will kick off the era of mobile augmented reality.

Media Futurist, 6 January 2010

• Strides toward targeted messaging or “one-to-one” marketing have quickened, making ad versioning, targeting and optimisation a reality.

Eldad Persky, iMedia Connection, 22 December 2009

• Value is the new black. Consumer spending, even on sale items, will continue to be replaced by a reason-to-buy at all. This spells trouble for brands with no authentic meaning, whether high-end or low.

• Social Media: Make 2010 your year to test content that attracts repeat and referral business. Your current customers are more likely than total strangers to respond to offers posted on social networks because they already know you and trust you based on their prior purchases.

• Fusion boosts ‘offline’. While LinkedIn and Facebook may be great places to find prospects and create awareness, they are not always the best platforms to build relationships deep enough to create a sale.