Trendwatch Singapore presented 4 trends they have discovered.
The way to connect with the target audience is to have a combination of basic needs being met, innovations created and have the solid backing of drivers of change to ensure your product or campaign will be successful.
Trend: Status Tests
In this age, people seek to define their self worth and elevate their status beyond luxury brands. If twenty other people are carrying the same Gucci bag as you, it's not as prestigious as you thought after all! Thus, people search for new, niche, and innovative ways to "stand out" and feel worthy. Besides followers or 'likes' on social media, brands have taken marketing activities to a new level of direct marketing and interaction.
We carried out an exercise where we formulated a plan or campaign on a consumer trend canvas for NIKE, keeping in consideration the trend of Status Tests.
INSPIRATION:
1. The bar 1930 in Milan utilized the mobile dating app Tinder to create a strict door policy.
Extract from https://medium.com/trendwatching-pulse/why-in-2016-successful-brands-will-test-their-customers-d5f1e34d108f#.vfwxez2jd :
"1930 set up a Tinder profile of a girl from 1930, asking potential entrants to ‘court me like they used to in the old days’. The profile had 4,000 matches in the first week, with applicants asked to ‘act like gentlemen’ and pick up digital handkerchiefs. In what it described as the lowest conversion ever, the bar eventually let one winner enter its premises."
2. 
Baskin Robbins had a marketing strategy where customers wearing pink would get an extra scoop of ice cream with their purchase, only on Wednesdays. This ties to the movie Mean Girls' famous quote "on Wednesdays we wear pink". How hip and refreshing!
BASIC NEEDS:
Status Tests addresses the human need to feel wanted, desired, relevant and recognized. Delving within these feelings brings happiness, fulfilment and enjoyment. By achieving what they perceive to be a higher status, they feel satisfied and proud.
DRIVERS OF CHANGE
- LONG TERM SHIFTS:
1. People are becoming more conscientious about their appearance. This is due to Photoshopped advertisements everywhere lowering our self esteem as models are blemish-free and flawless. Besides which, the prevalence of social media in this age also showcases the "glamour" of the lives of others, Photoshopped pictures, and everything that would be a highlight reel of your life.
- SHORT TERM TRIGGERS:
Linked to the long term drivers of change, the frequency at which we use social media leads to lesser privacy, thus people only want to show their good side to feel gratified and prove themselves as worthy. This in turn leads to competitiveness as people try to outdo each other with their achievements, be it a 5 star vacation or the latest bag off the catwalk. 200 likes? I've got 201!
EMERGING EXPECTATIONS:
- Points of tension and customer expectations skyrocket with this trend. People are more inpatient and want instant gratification, comparable to the one second it takes to tap the "like" button online! With this borderline selfish attitude, it's all about NOW and ME. People want direct, personal and physical interactions.
- Brands must prove their worth before asking the customers to prove theirs. For example, Louis Vuitton founded in 1854 has long since established their reputation as a prestige brand, thus customers are willing to queue up and pay thousands for one product. Brands can prove their worth by branding activities that imply prestige and exclusivity.
- Less brand loyalty: Customers will easily drop one brand for another if they deem it more worthy. This links to ..
- Expect more unique innovations from brands. This way, customers will stay loyal with fresh activities carried out to maintain the image of the brand.
Thus, we apply our INNOVATION TARGET:
PROPOSAL:
The GET IT RIGHT campaign by NIKE.
Nike sponsors various sports teams and athletes, one of which is Manchester City Football Club. In this video campaign, Manchester City players take their turns at shooting penalties wearing limited edition sneakers. 50 pairs of these Nike sneakers will be released in each country to the first 50 customers instore at the launch date.
The catch is. the customer gets the left shoe upon entering the store, but he/she has to work for the right shoe, to GET IT RIGHT. Scoring 5 out of 5 penalties will earn the right shoe with a discount as well as a personal embroidery of your name on the side with Nike's and the campaign's slogan "(NAME) JUST DID IT AND GOT IT RIGHT". However, failing to score still enables you to purchase the shoes albeit without embroidery.
The best penalties by customers will be videoed and shown in Nike's next advertisement.
This activity would make the winning customers feel like they fit and skillful, and are on the same level as professional football players. This makes them proud and happy of their achievements. The shoes are also extremely limited edition, thus they are perceived as a status symbol. Furthermore, the best customer videos will be aired by Nike, which brings fame and recognition to the status-hungry consumers!
As we aim to please and not disappoint, we do not show the customers who failed to score or deny them their purchase as it would generate spiteful, unhappy reviews.
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