Printed
with permission from TCI
Management Consultants. A group of senior-level management
consultants, offering strategic planning and marketing services
to a wide range of public and private sector clients.
Clicking
- 16 Trends to Future Fit Your Life, Your Work and Your
Business
by Faith Popcorn and Lys Marigold
HarperCollins,
New York, 1996
'Clicking'
is the term that Popcorn and Marigold use to describe being
in synch with a particular trend or set of trends. The analogy
they draw is that of cracking a safe - when you have the
tumblers all lined up the right way, there is a 'click'
and the door pops open. In a similar manner, when you understand
all the relevant trends that influence the future of your
business and your life, and act in accordance with them,
then you are 'clicking'. Or, as they would say, you are
'safecracking the future'.
They
have even invented a slogan for which 'CLICK' acts as an
acronym:
C is
for Courage, which you need to have in order to follow a
new direction in your business or your life;
L is for Letting Go of the old ways of thinking about things,
and following the directions implied by the current prevailing
trends;
I is for the Insight required in order to know how to re-structure
your business or your life to take advantage of the trends;
C is for Commitment to follow through and stick it out in
the initial times when it looks as though you won't succeed;
and
K is for the Know-how that is required to make it work.
The
recipe for success, the authors maintain, is simple: a belief
in this 'click' formula, plus an understanding of the trends
facing business and society today.
The book is divided into three sections. The first section
defines the notion of 'clicking' and how it is meaningful,
the second describes in some detail the various trends,
and the third is devoted to 'how to click' - practical advice
on how to use the idea of clicking on the trends in everything
from planning a career to raising kids. Throughout, Clicking
is filled with bizarre illustrations that depict in symbolic
form the various themes that run through the book. Several
of these feature likenesses of the authors in heroic and
athletic poses. Very annoying.
The
second section, which occupies the bulk of the book, identifies
and describes sixteen trends that the authors report as
being actively at work shaping our future. These build upon
and extend the ten trends identified in their previous book,
The Popcorn Report (1991), some of which (such as 'cocooning')
have entered the common parlance and are acknowledged as
factors shaping consumer behavior and market responses.
These 16 trends are:
cocooning: this labels our desire to build ourselves strong
and cozy nests where we can retreat from the world, enjoying
ourselves in safety and comfort
clanning:
this refers to our need to associate with like-minded individuals,
and to identify ourselves with a particular group that shares
our outlook and values
fantasy
adventure: as a break from the mundane day-to-day, we seek
risk-free fantasy and adventure experiences
pleasure
revenge: another form of escape for us is to take enjoyment
in sensual and pleasurable activities, as a feeling of reward
for all we've suffered
small
indulgences: this refers to the trend towards people rewarding
themselves regularly with small everyday affordable luxuries
anchoring:
this term refers to the increasing tendency for people to
seek fulfillment in spiritual values, and looking back to
the past to recapture what was comforting and reassuring
then
egonomics:
this is a reaction against the standardization imposed by
the computer age, which manifests itself in terms of individuals
seeking out various avenues for self-expression and personal
statements
female
think: what this boils down to is that women think and act
differently than men - as women occupy more positions of
power this is reflected in more caring and sharing types
of decision-making approaches, characterized by consensus
(as opposed a hierarchical, male-dominated decision-making
process) - the authors state that women start twice as many
new businesses as do men, so this is a trend to be aware
of
mancipation:
increasingly, men no longer are "strictly business"
- they can now enjoy the freedom to be themselves, not feeling
guilty about participating in child-raising, showing emotion,
etc.
99 lives:
this trend refers to the increasing tendency (brought about
in many cases by necessity) for people to assume multiple
roles in society, specializing in more than one thing in
their lives
cashing
out: increasing numbers of working men and women are choosing
to leave, or are being forced out of, high-profile careers
- they 'cash out', choosing simpler and more fulfilling
life styles
being
alive: this refers to the growing awareness of the concept
of 'wellness', and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle in
terms of a better quality of life, as well as a longer life
overall
down-aging:
this trend refers to the fact that people, especially in
middle age or older, adopt or maintain lifestyles (and,
of course, purchase products) that would normally be associated
with younger people
vigilante
consumerism: increasingly, consumers are manipulating the
marketplace through pressure, protest and politics
icon
toppling: increasingly, say the authors, we are questioning
established institutions as well as individuals who are
'pillars of society'
S.O.S.
(save our society): this refers to the trend towards an
environmental ethic being practiced in business and personal
affairs
The authors make the point early on in the book that for
a new product or service to be successful, it should directly
match four or more of these trends. To help organizations
with this, Popcorn et. al. have built up a large consulting
organization, BrainReserve, offering a variety of trade-marked
products and services (things such as TrendView, BrainJam
and ClickTime).
Clicking is a fascinating and important marketing phenomenon
for two reasons: first , the trends themselves do have some
merit and need to be understood to fully understand consumer
behavior today; and second, the packaging and presentation
of the book (a not to mention the companion audiotape) is
itself an object lesson in self aggrandizement, and business
development through client puffery. A cynic would see the
book as simply a giant advertisement for BrainReserve's
services - but then, as Popcorn admits in the book, she
is in the marketing business.
