2013
‘LEARN FROM YESTERDAY, LIVE FOR TODAY, HOPE FOR TOMORROW’ ALBERT EINSTIEN
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Think Positive As a trend consultancy, L’espoir stands for positive thinking about the future. We thrive in an environment where the core values revolve around enriching every aspect of a consumer’s lifestyle. We believe in learning from mistakes rather than dwelling upon them, and that there is an answer and a solution to every obstacle. L’espoir is a dedicated consultancy providing the most up-to-date and inspirational trend analysis; keeping all our clients in the forefront of modern culture. We examine the past and present with an objective stance, beginning our creative process in predicting the future of trends. These inevitably expand, into devising the most exciting brands, rejuvenating existing brands, and creating new waves within any industry. We not only nurture up and coming businesses but also thrive on the challenge of developing those that are already prestigious. When you hope for tomorrow... ‘think positive’.
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Manifesto of Trends
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Experience Positive
Educate Positive
• Justifiable spending
• Commitment and loyalty
• Technological development
• Career development
• Brand immersion
• Traditional values
Eat Positive
Live Positive
• Healthy convenience
• A new responsiblity
• Local sourcing
• Technology as an aid
• Affordable quality
• A concious effort
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“... FOCUSING ON THE LUXURY ITEM WITH QUALITY, VALUE AND RESILIENCE” Business of Luxury summit report, WGSN, 2010
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Experience Positive: A New Age of Value Currently, consumer’s spending habits are more about investment buying and justifying their purchases. This has been forced upon consumers during an economic downturn and it seems to have become obscene to spend a lot of money on non-essential products. From this current spending trend, retailers have begun to offer an improved space that not only serves a purpose for shopping but also allows the customer to experience the whole brand without feeling pressured to buy. This evolution is already apparent in shops such as Nike Town and the Apple store, in particular the Apple store on 5th Avenue in New York which has set itself apart from other retailers: “Each new retail space seems to overshadow the last… A 32 foot tall glass cube that beckons consumers down a glass staircase to a subterranean computer heaven.” businessweek.com, 2006 With the evolution of the 3D and moving image, retail experiences can be taken to a whole new level offering interaction and further immersion into the brand itself. This can also be used as a more powerful approach to advertising, which inevitably results in subconscious spending. This spending is not solely limited to shopping, but extends to every leisure activity. Due to the recession consumers have been feeling the need to cut back on spending excessive amounts and are only purchasing the bare essentials. However attitudes will move towards the feeling that customers deserve something that they don’t necessarily need, but simply desire.
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PANTONE Cool Gray 8 C
PANTONE Black C
PANTONE 618 C
A NEW AGE OF VALUE
Trend Futures • To justify spending money on non-essentials. • Technological advances will develop the experiences to exceed current expectations. • Becoming immersed within a brand. The trend Experience Positive demonstrates a new era. Consumers will receive not only more than simply what they have purchased, but a memorable experience as well. Consumers will feel the necessity to reward themselves more often, and get their money’s worth, whether it be purchasing a new perfume or spending a night in a hotel. However people will no longer measure happiness against a price tag. Instead, the involvement and the experience acquired will become the pinnacle. Branding will no longer be restricted just to print. Instead, the narrative of the brand will take on a physical state for the consumer to experience. Consumers will want more than the purchase itself, and along with that they will expect a little something extra that makes the experience a memorable one. Packaging will also develop into something more exceptional to inject even more excitement into the consumer’s shopping experience. Consumers of 2013 will discover a new feeling of satisfaction, not only when shopping but within all leisure activities.
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“JOB HUNTERS OFTEN CITE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT AS ONE OF THEIR KEY CONSIDERATIONS” Drapers, 2010
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Educate Positive: A New Age of Tradition After the recommendation by Lord Browne in his recent education review, in 2012 universities will have free reign to charge students whatever they choose. With the current academic pressures students already face to gain access onto their desired courses, they will soon have another reason, in the shape of up to £100,000 debt for some courses, to avoid formal education. Many companies are now recognising the opportunities they have to mould their staff into their blueprint employee, prime examples being with the Harrods BA Honours degree in Sales, the Marks and Spencer ‘Lead to Succeed’ scheme and the Siemens Commercial Academy, all of which ensure that staff are able to further their career within the company. The option to gain a degree while working for a company holds not only many solutions to the problems students face within the higher education system currently and in the future, but also many benefits for them: “In four years time I will have a degree, three years work experience in many different departments and I will have no debt… This will set me miles apart from others.” Yasmin Bond, a student of the Siemens Commercial Academy, 2010 However it is not just future students that will begin to feel this way about their education and training. Levels of unemployment in the United Kingdom will have peaked at 2.8 million according to the Chartered Institute of Personal Development, and therefore any job has become of increased value to the employee.
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PANTONE 1085 C
PANTONE 527 C
PANTONE 660 C
A NEW AGE OF TRADITION
Trend Futures • The opportunity to grow within one company. • Committing to a profession from early on in a career. • Returning to traditional values of pride and commitment. By 2013 students and young people will have to overcome many more challenges to gain entry to university. Students will still feel the need to gain a formal qualification but as university becomes less accessible the demand for an alternative will be prominent. Furthermore, not only will this be a benefit for young people, but as consumers become more demanding of the service and experience offered by companies, employers will in turn increase their expectations of their staff. Companies will come to realise that they need to build a strong foundation for their future. By taking on young people they will have the opportunity to mould them before any other company has had the chance to instil their brand values in them. The benefits of such training schemes will go both ways, as the employee or student, however the company chooses to view them, will be earning money, have job security and become qualified in their chosen profession. The aforementioned changes to the way people view education will ultimately create a change in the way any job or profession is valued. A sense of pride will result from this, as these choices will have been made with a clear sense of direction for the future.
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“3 IN 5 PEOPLE BUY THEM [READY MEALS] WHEN TOO TIRED OR BUSY T0 COOK.” Mintel, 2010
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Eat Positive: A New Age of Convenience Lifestyles are busier today than ever before, and consequently other areas such as healthy eating are forfeited. Due to this shift in lifestyle, the UK has seen a rise in the popularity of the ready meal. Consumers demand food that is fast, easy and convenient. This area is a huge market today, and it is likely that it will continue to grow over the coming years. Media hype, such as celebrity chefs, cookery television shows and newspaper articles have brought to the public’s attention that needing to know where their food is coming from is important: “Many have also enjoyed a return to The Good Life inspired by celebrity chefs such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Jamie Oliver, who have championed home-grown produce.” Daily Telegraph, 2010 Consumers are resorting back to growing their own food, simply so they know where their food is coming from and how it has been produced. Aside from growing their own vegetables, which is relatively low cost, purchasing organically and locally produced food is expensive. For this to be available on the mass market price would have to be re evaluated, because healthy and organic foods should not solely be available for those who can afford it, but be available for all budgets. An excellent example of how to tackle these costs is The People’s Supermarket, the creation of chef Arthur Potts Dawson.
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PANTONE 129 C
PANTONE 179 C
PANTONE 7489 C
A NEW AGE OF CONVENIENCE
Trend Futures • Convenience food can now be known for its healthy values. • Price will no longer be an issue when purchasing organically or locally produced food. • Being healthy is no longer a chore. The Eat Positive trend has developed from strong evidence suggesting a continuation in the need for convenience food. Consumers still want and need the convenience of ready meals, but with a much fresher and healthier approach. These will be widely available due to supermarkets realising the need to cater for the more health conscious customer, however devoting enough time to preparing a meal will never be their top priority. The 2012 Olympics will be another factor within this trend; the UK will be bombarded with information about health and fitness, and therefore will undoubtedly be at the forefront of our minds. This will result in another influx of demand for healthier options when it comes to our ready meals. Consumers will be more educated about what is in their food due to having the opportunity to purchase a ready meal that consists of ingredients; they simply have to cook them according to instructions. The consumer attitudes of 2013 will prove convenience foods can consistently be a healthy part of a daily routine. People will feel a sense of achievement and satisfaction from the new healthier aspect of their lifestyle, especially because nothing else has been sacrificed for this.
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“9 OUT OF 10 BUYERS SAY THAT THEY WOULD CHOOSE ONE [A GREEN HOME]” Homes and Property, 2010
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Live Positive: A New Age of Survival Live positive stems from the recurring subject of needing to be environmentally friendly in all aspects of life. Environmental issues are a relatively new phenomenon; however it’s relevance within our lifestyles can no longer be ignored. Drastic effects of our modern lifestyles have changed the world we live in for the worse. All the issues that were once predicted for the future are now taking place, potentially destroying our present. The London Olympics will have taken place in 2012 and be an event to pleasantly look back on as a mark of achievement. Furthermore, an ancient myth states that the world will come to an end in 2012; so come 2013 this will create a feeling of a fresh start with our apparent survival of a predicted tragedy. The government have recently formed the ‘Green Deal’, which is a compilation of targets to be reached for injecting an eco lifestyle into the general public. With this current programme already put in place, the future of the public’s involvement has already been planned with the end in sight. A new take on the idea of going ‘green’ and ‘ecofriendly’ will be something of pride and enjoyment. For the general public the idea of running an eco-friendly lifestyle is very daunting. However technology has now become second nature in our everyday lives and this can be tool used to ease people into the transition. For example, the iPhone offers an app to advise how to run an eco-friendly household.
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PANTONE 1255 C
PANTONE 298 C
PANTONE 7488 C
A NEW AGE OF SURVIVAL
Trend Futures • Society will take a genuine interest in responsible living. • A conscious effort to incorporate ‘eco’ habits into everyday life. • Using technology to help adapt to a better lifestyle. The topic of the environment has increased in relevance but ignorance by the general public of this has taken on a new form of realisation. The key areas for predicting change will mostly be noticed within the home. Many architects are beginning to acknowledge eco friendly design however in the immediate past and in the present it has been an after thought with additions made to the interior and exterior. In 2013 architects will be designing with these at top priority with the demand being much greater. With solar panels creating heat from the sun, light bulbs set to last at least five years or more, electricity generated through turbine structures, bills and the cost of living will drastically decrease, making a this way of living much more sought after and attractive. Eco-friendly living is not just confined to the home, it can also be extended to other areas of everyday life such as fashion, transport and technology.
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Conclusion All four trends covered in this book originate from our approach to thinking positively. Across all disciplines L’espoir predicts 2013 to be the time for a fresh start in all aspects of lifestyle. We have consciously developed these ideas to include everything from eating, retailing and living to educating positively. All four trends have been devised to be able to integrate with each other, and thus make for a better grounding for new ideas. Technology is developing at an extremely fast rate that cannot be ignored. Although it is not fundamental to all of our trends, it is key in the realisation of them. Within our trend futures we have the foresight to progress these from hypothetical predictions and transform them into successful brand concepts.
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www.lespoir.com info@lespoir.com L’espoir 39 Butlers Wharf Shad Thames London SE1 2YE Tel: +44 (0) 20 7123 4567 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7123 4568
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© L’espoir 2010