Abstract:

The nature of 21st century trends is changing. The fragmentation of sub-cultures and the media has created a very different consumer landscape where assumptions about the influence of different sub-cultures are becoming obsolete. We are in the age of the 'fake trend' with accelerating speed of change, the influence of celebrity, saturated media channels and an over-zealous trend industry actually changing the fundamental way in which trends work. Brands are becoming ever more instrumental in shaping trends, leaving the question 'what is it we are actually researching and why?' This paper shows that the changing trend landscape demands a re-evaluation of research approaches, or we risk undermining the potential value of the discipline and alienating clients. We propose that many current assumptions and approaches may be misleading, but are used due to their acceptance by clients and agencies alike. If we are honest, we must be realistic about what we can deliver against. The realistic options open to us are to either explore individual sub-cultures as markets in themselves, or uncover the core needs that relate across these increasingly autonomous sub-cultures.