Each
year when I put together the Trendcast report, I am amazed at just how
on-target the trends noted are in actuality.
In
the last Blog post, I shared some early thinking and
observations.
I previewed one
showing with a great group of real estate and development folks just before
Thanksgiving. Last
week, I showcased the deck with some peers in New York.
Over
this past weekend, I had the opportunity to have lunch with some retired
college professors. We talked
about the trends while sipping coffee. They quickly connected with Trendcast #7
– Revival of Self-Crafting Trade Skills.
A
number of the professors have retirement homes in the Appalachian
Mountains. They talked about how
amazed they are with the student participation in the regional trade
schools. They then went on to
confirm that colleges and universities are now adding trade skill classes into
the curriculum as well.
I
shared that classes like wood-working, home remodeling, automotive
self-maintenance, metal working and furniture refinishing are all the rave in
the university extended education offerings in the city.
Shows
like Flea Market Flip, Barnwood Builders, Texas Flip, Rehab Addict, Renovation
Realities and Fixer Upper are all the rage with Millennials.
Another
interesting confirmation…
Trendcast
#2 – Migration to Town Square Suburbia – is something that I see and experience
whether I am driving in the ‘burbs of New Jersey, Illinois, Washington State,
LA or even here in the Suburban maze of Atlanta.
Intown
living is promoted as the hip, cool and long-term trend that is changing the
cityscape of America in media-land.
And just as the news-media was off-track in their predictions concerning
Trump, the news-media is quickly realizing that those indie-cafes are fading
from intown scene as the real estate costs climb.
Today,
the WSJ printed an article titled, “Suburbs Outstrip Cities In Population
Growth.”
As
the article notes… “Suburbia in the 50 largest metros (DMAs) makes up 79% of the
population of the metros, but
accounted for 91% of the population growth.”
Wow…
well it just has to be the GenXers that continue to live out there… right?
Here’s
another quote… “Overall population growth, diversity and even younger
residents are out-stripping the urban neighborhoods … three-quarters of the
people age 25-34 (Millennials) live in the suburbs.”
As
I note in the Trendcast report, the urban, "in-town" neighborhoods are being transformed
alright… but unfortunately, they are quickly becoming the 2016 version of the
cookie-cutter, mall-brand ‘hoods that the trendsetters seek to avoid.
Today,
I drove through an area of Atlanta called Buckhead. It’s the neighborhood that is often featured on Housewives
of Atlanta. Some have even gone so
far as to label it the Beverly Hills of the South.
As
I drove through Buckhead, I was amazed at all the new apartments and condos
being built along the famous beltways like Lenox Road, Peachtree Road and North
Druid Hills. The problem is that
all the buildings being built, all look the same.
As
much as suburbia was cookie-cutter when built, its now very mid-century
cool. Town squares that developed
are actually more real than the urban city centers.
2017
is less than 30 days away as write this Blog post.
Hang
on tight.
The
trends cited in the 2016 Trendcast are sure to rattle the marketplace. Changes coming from Washington just
upped the ante 10 times more.
Here’s
the 2017 Trendcast…
#1 – Generation Alpha
Millennials
are the focus of the media and marketing mavens right now. In 2017, the leading edge of Zoomers
turns 17 years of age. Generation
Alpha is now the coined term for the age 0-2 population in the U.S. Get ready
for more focus as those Alphas start talking. BTW, right now they text on the iPhones with the Emoji
graphics!
#2
– Migration To Town Square Suburbia
See
the intro text of this Blog.
#3
– Mobile Cocooning
Many
of you travel with your careers.
When you stay at the chic hotels and branded-chains like EVEN Hotels,
Moxi, Aloft or Element, what percentage of the folks staying at the hotel are
in their rooms at 8p versus in the shared common space? What’s driving the whole craze of the
Tiny Houses? Think about it and
text me as you are riding on the shuttle bus.
#4
– The De-massing of Retail
Target
is now micro-targeting and GAP is trying to figure out why sales are dropping
at record pace. Indie coffee
houses are growing at record speed while the Starbucks CEO is stepping down.
#5
– Mid-Century Homecoming
In
cleaning out closets many Baby Boomers are discovering that an app like
Letgo.com just might net more than the tax deduction of a donation because
Millennials covet Mid-Century “collectables.” Those suburban houses built in the 60s and 70s that many
Boomers label as "tear-downs" are fueling the next wave of home renovation and
remodeling.
#6
– The Culture of Perceived Disconnection
In
the 2016 Trendcast, I identified a group as the “Unconnected
Sub-Generation.” Going into 2017,
I have modified the Trendcast as The Culture of Perceived Disconnection. Check out the resorts, spas, homesites
that all rally around the concept of being "unplugged." Think about what “unplugged” means in terms of the iPhone,
iPad and social media rage. Think about what this means in terms of brand
positioning!
#7
-- Revival of Self-Crafting
Trade Skills
See
the intro text of this Blog.
#8
– Reconstruction of Past Models
We
all know that the U.S. cannot go back to the economic model that fueled mass
production and mass marketing back in the 1960s, but that craving for a
re-prioritization is fueling an economic, governing and political
reconstruction. We all know that
Millennials are now bearing kids and not tossing aside their iPhones, but look at
what’s on the rise with “time-out” boxes in restaurants and family dinner
tables.
#9
– Need For Personal Interaction
I
cite Millennials and their hovering “helicopter” parents as a major change
agent that is causing business to reconsider the automation of their service
delivery models. Whether it’s the
personalization of the Chipotle burrito or the personal credit union member-partner-onsite assistant explaining
credit-line avails or the designer working with you and your Mid-Century “new”
home, personal interaction is coming back full-speed ahead.
#10
– Prescription Wellness
Whether
it’s a dietary plan, a stress management plan, a paced exercise and fitness
plan, a prevention-stay healthy plan, the move right now that doctors are
refocusing revenue around is the whole craze of staying healthy and being
well. While not a rage this year,
there are health insurance options that are beginning to surface that are
advantageously priced around prevention.
Watch more to hit in 2017 as Washington tackles the re-engineering of
Obama-care.
If
you go to our website, you will see that dwelling out and beyond the walls of
office-town and co-working America and getting out and observing, listening,
conversing and actively being involved with all the experiential diversity of
what makes up the marketplace is what drives EXPERIENCE.
For
more details and the impact of the trends, my phone number direct is
404.245.9378. But be ready to move fast to capitalize on the change. Life is too short on our end to meet up
with businesses that simply sit back and listen.
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