Sources for Trend Information

It’s the end of October and time for one of those really scary activities — watching for trends.

I’ve decided to give you a little roundup of articles and resources where all you marketing types can go to shine at your next meeting or planning session:

Online Publications

Small Business Trends: If you want to see what’s hot in the small business market - check out Small Business Trends. You’ll not only get a sense of what tools, books and products small business owners are into, you’ll actually get to see their comments on products and articles. Cheaper than a focus group, more authentic and real than a Friday night at the pub.

Trendwatching: With a little more focus on the consumer and macro side of things, Trendwatching is really on the cutting edge of what you might be seeing in the world of product design. I like to read it for hints on what people really want - what people are going to copy next.

Trendhunter: This site is so darn interesting - you could spend hours just clicking around and getting inspired. I like to look at the products they feature and see what else pops into my mind regarding complementary products and services that might suit the trend.

Tools and Resources

SRC Free Demographics.com: This is much like the census data that you get from the Census Bureau, what I liked about this is that you can point and click on the information you’re interested in, and the site gives you a report which you can then download into Word, Excel or simply print.

Prizm Market Segments: This site is so much FUN. They’ve literally characterized people by zip code and buying habit. I’ve used this FREE data to identify potential store locations for a client. It’s idea for any kind of retail research you want to do.

Blogs with Great Articles

Luxury Trends: During a time when everyone is whining, it might be healthy to read this little ditty about the growth of luxury brands. All I can tell you is that this article says that research shows that when we know that something is expensive - it releases happy chemicals in the brain. How can you argue with that?

10 Strategic Technologies for 2009: This article outlines the trends and all you have to do is see how you can take advantage of them.

Global Food Trends: I love how this article is laid out. There are sections such as “Indulgence” with a clear description of the trend in such a way that you can easily come up with ideas about potential opportunities.

General Trends: This is a great first place to start reading. It outlines trends from a variety of categories and lets you focus in on what you want. Trends range from “More home cooked meals” to “more time in education”

If you’ve got some favorite sources for trends- send them here and I will create a roundup.

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