('’)
Share

At the beginning of 2009, Natural Marketing Institute (NMI) released its annual trends report for the coming year. For 2009, they found the overarching theme for 2009 is what they call "Recalibration." The report goes on to say that consumers are desiring "The Middle Way" or in other words revising lifestyles to reflect "comfort, safety, sustainability and moderation."

For the next few months I'm choosing one or more of the 10 trends outlined in NMI's initial report, go into more depth and explore how they effect change with customers and how we do business. Last month I talked about people participating in their communities. This month I'm combining two ideas: Being Here. Now. and Clean Sweep By JP Collins

In my last newsletter, I talked about how people are looking to engage more in their communities in a variety of ways from crafting or cooking classes to knitting or reworking old machines into new things. The trend of affiliation crosses into the trend of being here now, with consumers looking to slow down and engage in the world through more meaningful relationships and practices. This trend is about the need to explore, experience and learn, and is driven by the over-abundance and over-indulgence of multitasking; constantly being wired to text messages or online communities. Although these consumers are continuing to use tools like texting or Facebook, there is a general feeling that these things rob us of being in the present moment and are being used more purposefully.

To counteract hyper connectivity and hyper-doing, consumers are turning to spiritual practices: meditation, yoga, or are moving more towards eco-tourism, slow cooking and experiential consumerism (engaging physically, mentally, emotionnally, socially or spiritually in the consumption of the product or service). Along the same lines consumers are ridding their homes and lives of anything toxic. In a trend I'm labeling (for this article) as the "Clean Sweep" people are seeking ways to live cleaner, healthier lives by taking a close look at the cleaning products, food, and household items they eat or drink from.

These two trends dovetail through consumers paying attention to what they are buying, eating, wearing and how these choices effect their immediate lives and the world around them. By slowing down, eschewing toxic products and acting more responsibly; consumers feel they can have a positive effect on the world through their actions and consumption.

On the market(ing) side, what you need to know

Marketers looking to engage in this trend are cautioned to not just use interests or activities such as yoga or bicycling as backdrops or imagery to sell the same products these consumers are moving away from. Deceptive marketing or greenwashing attempts such as these will backfire. Instead, businesses selling products and services that engage directly with the responsible consumer in mind, who understand the underlying reasons consumers are taking these actions in their lives will succeed.

Old products like Bon Ami have dropped their never had it, never will approach and are actually using the term "eco-friendly." In most cases this would be a mistake because such terms are easy to use and don't always hold up to scrutiny. However, because the company can point to its history of not using harsh, toxic ingredients, they have a little more latitude and can reach a broader audience–the growing number of consumers beginning to embrace sustainability and responsibility and not just the LOHAS consumers who normally embrace non-toxic cleaning products.

New products like Klean Canteen or Earth Lust water bottles fit into both of these trends. These products speak to consumers paying attention to both waste and water issues, and provides a means to address both issues with one product.

As with most of the trends I'm discussing in this series of articles, authenticity is important but in this case talking about and demonstrating the values behind these two trends is the key to succeeding in this market.

__________________________________________

JP Collins is the owner and principal of Pylon Studios, a San Francisco creative agency that provides graphic design and creative marketing services for clients in the LOHAS, green building, and renewable energy markets. JP has over 12 years of experience in graphic design and internet marketing, and has consulted for companies like Great Place To Work Institute Inc., HarperOne (Harper Collins San Francisco), CNET, Apple Inc., Barclays Global Investors and the San Francisco Small Business Development Center.