Trendwatch: Sweat equity
David MattinTrendwatching.com
In 2014, the value shift away from the accumulation of more products towards better-lived experiences will continue. Meaning consumers will demand that brands surprise, delight, amuse and entertain.
But driven by the ever-more democratic, grown-up brand/consumer relationship, and made cynical – 'seen it all, done it all' – by years immersed in the Experience Economy, these consumers will search for increasingly off-beat, and even challenging, forms of fun.
A counterintuitive way to cater to fun-hungry consumers in 2014? Sweat Equity initiatives that blur the boundaries between play and (playful) work. Yes, experienced consumers will...