JWT Report Describes Ten Trends That Will Influence Consumer Behavior in 2014

JWT Intelligence has released its ninth annual forecast of ten key trends that will significantly affect how consumers think and behave in 2014.

If you look at similar reports from previous years, it’s clear that JWT has remarkably keen insight into how our preferences and lifestyles continue to evolve. You will also notice that some of the trends identified in this report are outgrowths of trends that have been spotted in past JWT reports (such as “embracing analog” and appreciating physical objects.

According to JWT’s Ann Mack, “In this year’s report, we see how consumers are both welcoming and resisting technology’s growing omnipresence in our lives. For many, technology serves as a gateway to opportunity and an enabler of hyper-efficient lifestyles, but those who are most immersed are starting to question its effect on their lives and their privacy.”

Among other trends, the JWT forecast discusses

  • the growth of immersive experiences
  • the accelerating shift to a visual vocabulary
  • the new appeal of imperfection
  • the rise of telepathic technology
  • the remixing of cherished traditions with new ideas
  • the appeal of mindful living

The authors of the report noted that “Trends don’t happen in isolation. They tend to intersect and work in tandem with each other.”

 

You don’t have to be a brand owner to appreciate the insights in JWT’s Trend Reports. As a freelance writer, I use the reports to help me find timely and relevant story ideas and angles. Photographers, designers, and copywriters, can use the information in these reports to either create new services or tweak how they market their services.

LINKS

Executive Summary: 10 Trends for 2014 and Beyond

YouTube: 10 Trends for 2014

JWT Report: 10 Trends for 2014 and Beyond

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International CES Features 3D Printing Conference Track and Tech Zone

CESLogoThe scope of the International CES conference and expo extends well beyond everyday electronics such as TVs, tablets, audio systems, cameras, and gadgets.

The 2014 International CES (January 7-10) in Las Vegas will showcase how connected technologies are changing the way we run our homes, drive our cars, educate our children, monitor our health, care for the sick, buy things in stores, play games, and watch videos. Tech zones will include areas devoted to robotics, fashionware, fitness technology, digital health innovations, and 3D printing.

The 3D Printing TechZone will showcase the various additive manufacturing processes that are being used in making prototypes in the medical, aerospace, engineering, and automotive industries as well as the more compact 3D printers that are making the process more accessible to makers and consumers.

3DPrint_SponLogoA Conference Track entitled, “Don’t Believe the Hype? 3D Printing Uncovered” is being organized by experts from TCT Magazine and Personalize.

Personalize is a web portal that delivers 3D printing news and printable designs to consumers. TCT Magazine is a leading source of business intelligence on industrial 3D printing. They have been covering the topic for more than 20 years. The editors of TCT magazine note that “3D printing is an overnight sensation that has been around for 30 years. Consisting of tens of technologies processing hundreds of materials, there’s more to it than meets they eye.”

The 3D Printing Conference track at CES will bring together thought leaders, 3D printer manufacturers, champions of 3D printing-related businesses models, and industrial super-users of 3D printing processes.

Speakers will include:

  • Avi Reichental, CEO of the 3D printing equipment manufacturer 3D Systems,
  • Clement Moreau, CEO of the Sculpteo 3D printing service, and
  • TCT columnist and technology consultant Todd Grimm.

Other Programs of Interest to Creators

Sometimes, the disruptive impact of emerging technologies can difficult to predict. Many of the conference sessions are less about the technologies, and more about the types of changes they might bring.

For example, one session will focus on how Hollywood is being affected by the world of always-connected, always-on media and the ability to watch video whenever and wherever we want. Another session will examine how mobile photography on smartphones and tablets has affected photography-related businesses.

A session entitled “The Roar of the Crowd” will examine how crowdfunding through sites such as Kickstarter to deviantArt is changing how content is funded, created, and curated.

Other session titles include:

  • Merging Content with New Technologies
  • The Digital Copyright Debate: What Needs to Change?
  • YouTube: Unlocking the Power of Programming, Premium Content, and Advertising
  • The Future of Gaming
  • The Smartphone/Tablet Economy
  • The Multiscreen Universe
  • Redefining the Relationship Between the Consumer, Advertising, and Media Platforms
  • The State of Digital Music
  • Impact of the 3D Printing Revolution
  • The Power of Co-Creation and the Maker Revolution

International CES

The International CES is the world’s gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. Held in Las Vegas every year, it has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for more than 40 years—the global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace.

CES showcases more than 3,200 exhibitors, including manufacturers, developers and suppliers of consumer technology hardware, content, technology delivery systems and more; a conference program with more than 300 sessions; and more than 152,000 attendees from more than 150 countries.

LINKS

2014 International CES

Follow CES on Social Media

CES TV

 

Report Examines Future of Museums in Digital Age

MuseumsInDigitalAge-CoverA new report “Museums in the Digital Age” envisions a dynamic future for museums. Published by Arup’s Foresight + Research + Innovation group, the report contends that museums must move far beyond static objects in glass cases and offer more personalized content, new levels of sustainability, and visitor experiences that extend beyond present expectations of time and space.

“It is a common misconception that museums are designed to house objects,” notes Senior Analyst Josef Hargrave. “In fact they are designed to give visitors an experience.”

The report calls attention to cultural changes that may affect what visitors expect to experience, and suggests changes in museum design and technology investments that can help museums meet those expectations.

For example, the report recognizes that museums must cater to increasingly disparate visitor groups–from Facebook-using digital natives to aging Baby Boomers. Funding restrictions will put pressure on some museums to be both more profitable and more inclusive.

The report makes several recommendations:

  • Create more immersive experiences. As people become accustomed to having unlimited access to information, museums must figure out how to present their content in a manner that is appealing to all groups within society. Use innovations such as contact-less technology, augmented reality and face-recognition software to capture the imaginations of all visitor groups and enhance the physical experience.
  • Find innovative ways to use advancements in 3D printing. For example, 3D printing can enable the accurate reproduction of rare, damaged or previously unavailable objects. Accurately reproduced objects could be exhibited in multiple locations. Museums could also give visitors the option of creating a copy of the artifact to take home.
  • Consider creating nomad museums. Museums and the content they exhibit no longer need to be fixed to a certain point in space and time. Mobile museums, combined with digital access to collections can reach a wider demographic, shifting the notion of where and how museums can exist in the future.
  • Integrate sustainable and open spaces. In addition to managing water, heating and cooling systems more effectively, the museums of the future might shift towards the preservation and archiving of threatened living elements or the promotion of alternative food cultivation systems such as hydroponic farms.

Future Scenarios 

The report concludes with a number of future scenarios in the year 2040, envisioned by students in the Narrative Environments course at Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design in London. The students were mentored by the Arup Foresight + Research + Innovation team. Built on existing social and environmental trends, the scenarios provide drastic visions of the museum’s role in the future.

One such scenario includes museums functioning as a temporary retreat from future ‘mega-cities’, with vegetation helping to regulate environmental toxins. In this future, Kew Gardens will have a dual role as a research center and visitor attraction, becoming a driving force in the development of functional plants.

Another scenario envisions transient museum experiences, where objects are showcased on trains as they are returned back to their country of origin. Plugging into mass transit systems, the scheme presents the museum with an alternate business model, as a travel and tourism guide and international affairs ambassador.

In an increasingly globalized community, a move to deliver artifacts back to their country of origin would exemplify cultural awareness and might ease political tensions.

The 40-page report can be downloaded as a PDF from the Arup website.

About Arup

Headquartered in London, Arup is an independent consultancy that provides professional services in management, planning, design, and engineering. The Arup F+R+I Team identifies and monitors trends and issues that are likely to have a significant impact upon the built environment and society at large. Other reports available through the company’s website cover The Future of Retail, The Campus of the Future, and the Living Workplace.

LINK

Report: Museums in The Digital Age

About Arup

 

New SoDA Report Previews 2014 Trends in Digital Marketing

SODAReport2013-2.png-300For insights into where digital-marketing might be heading in 2014, download the 2H 2013 edition of “The SoDA Report: Digital Marketing Outlook.” Published by SoDA, the Global Society for Digital Marketing Innovators, the report has become a leading voice of digital agencies and production companies worldwide.

The 138-report includes 22 essays, 18 case studies, and interviews with luminaries such as predictive analytics guru Mike Kuniavsky of PARC Innovation Services. The content is designed to keep brands, agencies and consultants aware of issues that are likely to drive real business improvement in 2014.

“Keeping abreast of digital innovation is increasingly critical for marketers and agencies that want to be successful in 2014,” said Chris Buettner, SoDA executive director and managing editor of The SoDA Report. “This report gives not just a look at some of the most successful campaigns of 2013 but also key insights that will help readers ensure they don’t get left behind in this fast-changing business.”

This edition includes essays on how brands can:

  • speed up their innovation cycles:
  • cultivate smarter, more responsive online communities; and
  • use ethnographic research techniques to develop a stronger understanding of the motivations and behaviors of people

The SoDA Report is divided into five sections:

  • Industry Insider: Trends, issues, and best-in-class methods that are shaping the future of digital agencies and production companies worldwide.
  • Modern Marketer: Client-side innovations that are delivering a new generation of success stories in digital marketing.
  • People Power: Education and talent cultivation within the industry, including user-experience and the power of human understanding.
  • Tech Talk: Future technology developments and trends that are likely to have a powerful impact in 2014.
  • Advocacy: Communicating collective power and positions around key issues impacting digital agencies and production companies globally.

The case-study section includes projects executed by brands such as KLM, Google, Yamaha, Burberry, Philips, Lenovo, Adobe, Lynx and Gulfstream.

Some of the thought-provoking articles include:

  • The Digital Agency Paradox (teaching clients to do what we do) by David Maren, EffectiveUI
  • Brands: How to Get Agile with your Agency by Jack Skeels, AgencyAgile
  • Integrating Multiple Agencies into One Brand Team, by Stacie Hoffmeister
  • Simple and Valuable Recruiting Advice, by Matt Paddock, Grow Interactive
  • The Personalization of Everything, by Stephen Foxworthy, Reactive
  • Consumer Control: Coming to a Store Near You, by Alessandra Lariu, SheSays
  • A Call to (Legal) Action, by Brad Gross, SoDA

Now in its fifth year, the bi-annual SoDA Report trends publication is one of the most-read reports in the digital-marketing industry. The first edition of 2013, released in March, was viewed or downloaded by more than 150,000 people.

LINKS

Slideshare: The SoDA Report: Digital Marketing Outlook

About SoDA

 

B2B Marketers Plan to Spend More on Content Marketing

WRITERS. DESIGNERS. The continuing growth of B2B content-marketing may provide new opportunities for writers, designers, and other content producers.

According to a study recently published by the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs, 93 percent of B2B marketers in North America are using content marketing. Seventy-three percent of these respondents are producing more content than they were a year ago and 58 percent plan to increase their budget for content marketing over the next 12 months.

CONTENT MARKETING INSTITUTE PIE GRAPH

Entitled “B2B Content Marketing: 2014 Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends–North America,” the report publishes findings from the fourth annual Content Marketing Survey conducted by the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs. More than 1,200 B2B marketers in North America from diverse industries and a wide range of company sizes responded to the survey in July and August 2013.

Here are a few key findings:

Compared to last year, marketers are using more content tactics (13 compared to 12) and more social-media platforms to distribute content (6 compared to 5).

The types of tactics used has remained relatively constant. The ten most popular tactics are:

  • social media (87 percent)
  • articles on their own website (81 percent)
  • e-newsletters (80 percent)
  • blogs (76 percent)
  • in-person events (76 percent)
  • case studies (73 percent)
  • videos (73 percent)
  • articles on other websites (68 percent)
  • white papers (64 percent)
  • online presentations (63 percent)

ContentMarketingCoverThe number of B2B marketers using infographics jumped from 38 percent last year to 51 percent in this year.

Large B2B companies outsource content creation more frequently than small companies: 72 percent of large companies (1000+ employees) use a mix of in-house and outsourced professionals for content creation. Only 33 percent of small companies (10 to 99 employees) outsource some of their content-creation work.

Writing and design are the two functions most likely to be outsourced: 64 percent outsource writing; 54 percent outsource design; and 22 percent outsource editing.

Other functions that B2B marketers outsource include content distribution/syndication (30 percent), measurement/analytics (22 percent), content planning and strategy (8 percent), and the creation of buyer personas (5 percent).

The Organizations Behind the Research

CONTENT MARKETING INSTITUTE BOOK COVERContent Marketing Institute is a content marketing education and training organization. CMI teaches enterprise brands how to attract and retain customers through compelling, multi-channel storytelling.

One way to learn what B2B clients are expecting to achieve with content marketing is to read the newest book by CMI founder Joe Pulizzi. The book’s title alone explains a lot: “Epic Content Marketing: How to Tell a Different Story, Break Through the Clutter, and Win More Customers by Marketing Less.” 

MarketingProfs is a marketing education and training company that offers actionable know-how to more than 600,000 MarketingProfs members.

The research study was sponsored by Brightcove, a global provider of cloud services for video. Brightcove cloud content services can be used to operate video services across PCs, smartphones, tablets, and connected TVs.

LINKS

B2B Content Marketing: 2014 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends — North America

About the Content Marketing Institute

About Marketing Profs

Epic Content Marketing: How to Tell a Different Story, Break through the Clutter, and Win More Customers by Marketing Less

 

The Creative Group’s 2014 Salary Guide Lists Eight In-Demand Jobs

TCG-Salary-Barista-Cover2The 2014 Salary Guide for professionals in creative and marketing fields is now available free from the website of The Creative Group. Entitled “Salary Barista,” the guide serves up fresh data on the average starting compensation levels for 134 different jobs.

The Design and Production category lists salaries for 34 jobs, including Creative Director, Art Director, Studio Manager, Medical Illustrator, 3D Animator, Package Designer, and Presentation Specialist.

The Interactive category lists 26 jobs such as Interactive Creative Director, Game Designer, Blogger, Motion Designer, Web Production Artist, Video Editor, and Mobile Developer.

The Content Development and Management section provides salaries for 15 positions such as Copywriter, Medical Writer, Curriculum Developer, Proposal Writer, Copy Editor, and Content Manager.

The Advertising and Marketing category includes salary ranges for 49 corporate and/or agency jobs. Agency jobs include President, Account Manager, and Social Media Account Manager. Corporate jobs include Chief Marketing Officer, Marketing Director, and MarCom Specialist. Jobs that can be found in either an agency or corporate setting include Media Director, Brand/Product Manager, Web Analytics Specialist, Event/Trade Show Manager, and Market Researcher.

The Public Relations category lists salaries for 5 agency jobs such as Account Executive and VP/Group Director and 5 corporate jobs such as Public Relations Director and Public Relations Manager.

For each position, the guide lists national average low and high starting salaries. To determine the estimated salary range for positions in your city, use the “variance numbers” listed on page 12 and 13 of the guide.

For example, jobs based in Chicago have a 123.0 variance number; jobs in Fort Wayne, Indiana have an 81.0 variance number. If the national average starting stalary for a content manager ranges from $62,500 to $83,000, the salary range in Chicago would be 1.23 times higher (i.e., $76,875 to $102,090). In Fort Wayne, the salary would be 0.81 of the $62,500 to $83,000 range (i.e., $50,525 to $67,230).

Eight in-Demand Jobs

Salary Barista lists the eight most in-demand creative and marketing jobs and describes the required skills. The eight jobs include:

  • Digital Project Manager
  • Front-End Web Developer
  • Interactive Marketing Manager
  • Mobile Designer
  • SEO/SEM Specialist
  • User Experience (UX) Designer
  • Web Content Writer
  • Web Designer

The guide notes a continuing shortage of creative talent with digital expertise, particularly in the field of mobile design: “Companies need people who can help them develop content for small screens…Responsive design also is becoming a greater priority for businesses that want to provide customers with optimal experiences on their devices and browsers of choice.”

According to a recent study conducted by The Creative Group, more than half (52 percent) of the 400 marketing and advertising executives surveyed said it’s challenging to find skilled creative professionals today.

In a section listing five hot trends affecting hiring, the authors of Salary Barista observe that “Professionals with in-demand skills recognize that they have more choices in the current employment market and are open to pursuing new avenues, even if it means leaving a stable job. Consequently, managers are redoubling their efforts to retain top performers.”

Freelancers Bring Flexibility and Specialized Skills

To help manage heavy workloads and access specialized skills, organizations are bringing in freelancers more frequently (and for longer periods).

In a section that promotes the benefits of flexible staffing, the Salary Barista notes that, “The percentage of people who are working on a temporary or part-time basis is rising – for a variety of reasons. Specialists at very high levels often choose interim assignments over full-time work because of the schedule flexibility and diversity of projects this option provides.”

The “Salary Barista” 2014 Salary Guide includes

  • four characteristics to look for in creative talent
  • tips on preparing job offers applicants can’t refuse
  • statistics on perks and willingness to negotiate compensation

Starting Salaries Up for Creatives and Other Professionals in 2014

A division of the Robert Half professional staffing services agency, The Creative Group specializes in placing interactive, design, and marketing professionals on a project and full-time basis.

The salary guide for creative and marketing professionals was one of five salary guides released by Robert Half this week. Robert Half also released salary guides for professionals in accounting and financial services, information technology, legal services, and office and administrative support.

Overall, starting salaries for professionals in U.S. are expected to increase an average of 3.7 percent in 2014.

Technology positions are expected to see the largest gains among the fields researched with a 5.6 percent increase in the average salary for newly hired workers. Accounting and finance professionals can expect starting salaries to rise an average of 3.4 percent.

Salaries for professionals in creative fields in the U.S. are expected to be up by an average of 3.3 percent, as are starting salaries for administrative and support staff. The starting salaries for legal professionals are expected to rise 2.7 percent.

Robert Half has been publishing salary guides for businesses owners, hiring managers, and professionals since 1952. Ongoing salaries are not reported because salary increases are affected by factors such as seniority, work ethic, job performance, and training.

LINKS

The Creative Group 2014 Salary Guide

The Creative Group

Robert Half

Robert Half Salary Guides

Survey Shows Firms Plan to Spend More on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ Marketing

If you sell creative services to marketing and advertising firms, it can be useful to know which social-media channels they favor for their campaigns.

More than six of ten (62 percent) of the advertising and marketing executives interviewed in a new survey by The Creative Group said they expect companies to increase spending on Facebook marketing in the next 12 months. This is up from 53 percent who planned to boost their Facebook budget one year ago.

In addition, 51 percent of the executives anticipate companies to channel more marketing dollars toward LinkedIn over the next 12 months. This is up from 38 percent last year. The percentage of executives who anticipate boosting their budgets for Google+ rose from 41 percent last year to 50 percent this year.

The national survey was developed by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service for interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm. Advertising and marketing executives were asked, “Do you anticipate companies will increase or decrease their advertising/marketing investment in the following social media sites in the next 12 months?”

TCG_0713_GRAPH_Social-Media

“Today, there is a social media component to nearly every marketing campaign,” said Donna Farrugia, executive director of The Creative Group. “The challenge is determining which channels make the most sense for the brand and how to truly engage with customers via social media.”

Farrugia added, “As organizations increase their social media investment, they seek professionals with experience planning, executing and measuring the success of social media activities. In fact, social media positions ranked among the top roles advertising and marketing executives said they plan to hire during the second half of the year in a recent survey by The Creative Group.”

The national study was developed by The Creative Group and conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on more than 400 telephone interviews — approximately 300 with marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees and 100 with advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees.

The Creative Group (TCG) specializes in placing highly skilled interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals with a variety of firms on a project and full-time basis.

LINKS

The Creative Group