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Stuck in a ‘trend' economy? Here's how you can break free from it
Stuck in a ‘trend' economy? Here's how you can break free from it

Fast Company

time2 days ago

  • Business
  • Fast Company

Stuck in a ‘trend' economy? Here's how you can break free from it

It's never felt more impossible to keep up with the trend cycle. Trends feel harder to predict, too fast to respond to, and even harder to get in front of. In many instances, it appears to be all reactive rather than proactive. 'Micro-trends' are fleeting and elusive. By the time you read this, the Labubu boom might be over. Don't know what that is? Exactly. We're inundated with trends that are so low-level, so born from 'the internet,' that it makes it hard for anyone to zoom out and see the big picture. There's no time to ask questions like what's driving this change? What's the human trend behind the micro-trend? However, there are always ways to distinguish the fleeting happenings of the day from insights that actually matter. Doing this successfully does require time and effort. A recent MIT study revealed that the use of ChatGPT is atrophying critical thinking skills. This is a bitter (but likely not shocking) pill, but critical thinking is exactly what we need more of. Sure, tools like ChatGPT can help you move quickly, collating info or top-line snapshots, but they can't replace the time and thinking that you need to unlock relevance. There are core tenets of trend forecasting that can help us with this. They allow us to sort the relevant and useful from the overblown and noisy. But like I said, they require a little effort. Build your bibliography First, breaking free from your self-perpetuating, algorithmic bubble requires significant work. Some platforms may allow you to reset your algorithm, but there's no substitute for building your own bibliography. If you haven't already, try to build one that actively takes you away from your typical sources of news and information. Look in places you might not naturally gravitate towards, but show you what's happening outside your sphere. If you're a telehealth brand trying to move from transactional to aspirational, look at what's emerging in high-end hospitality. If you're a fitness brand looking to help your consumers build habits and stay with you, consider reading about the mechanics of the gaming industry. Look outside of your business to get new points of view. Say you're a beauty or a wellness brand right now. It's easy to think 'clean girl' is the key micro-trend influencing the globe, and you should lean in. But if you look around your meeting table and see only slick-haired, twenty-to-thirtysomethings with Rhode lip gloss phone cases, it might just be your surroundings. Businesses have to learn to think forward. Consider the driving factors Once you've uncovered an insight that feels meaningful, it's time for some critical evaluation. Speed and convenience are everything right now, so it's easy to slip into the 'just get it done' mindset. But when you're trying to speak to deep human truths, you do need to get it right. That means sitting with things and letting them percolate. A classic trends tool is STEEP factors. These help us remember the drivers of trends. They are social, technological, environmental, economic, or political forces that feed into major movements or attitudinal shifts. For example, do you know what a borg (blackout rage gallon) is? A favorite of college students the last several years, they're gallon jugs filled with alcohol and usually have a fun, borg-centric play on pop culture written on them. The average person looks at this and thinks, 'Wow, college kids are drinking more than ever. That's insane.' A marketer may look at it and think, 'Cool, we can sell borg-sized products to young people now.' Cultural strategists and trend forecasters might ask, 'Well, what's in it?' If you unpack Gen Z's borgs, they're made up of alcohol, water, flavor, and electrolytes. That's because they're a generation that grew up firmly steeped in wellness culture. You realize borgs aren't just about silly names and colorful alcohol, they reflect an attitude of a generation who considers their health differently than those before them. Manifestation versus cultural moment Bear in mind as you uncover new ideas and topics, too, that one example doesn't make a trend. Yes, we can use data from fast-moving content, but we need to assess it thoroughly. That's when you notice what's beneath the surface of a seemingly quick-churn micro trend. Remember, we're looking for cultural signposts. That means different, multi-category, multi-industry spanning examples. I wouldn't call the sustainability movement a trend necessarily, but when it began to explode, we saw its impact everywhere. In fashion, we saw Patagonia encouraging us to buy less. In food, we saw Impossible Foods and Oatly become consumer favorites. Beauty brands began to offer refillable packaging. When you see cross-category adoption, you know something is sticking. Crafting relevance Isn't this the goal of every business leader? To uncover insights that meaningfully shape your business and its future. Some relentlessly chase relevance, jumping on every viral trend, while others strive for resonance and longevity. You need to strike a balance between the two, but it's also important to be intentional in how you pursue the former. To be honest, I struggle to think of an example of a trend that's established itself as truly resonant in recent years. Something impactful doesn't get lost in the endless flood of content. Yet, consumers are increasingly looking for something more enduring. A definition of 'insight' is the capacity to gain an accurate and deep, intuitive understanding of a person or thing. If we're so overloaded with content, we no longer have that capacity. Those who succeed will be the ones taking the time to uncover the enduring, shaping not just their businesses, but the culture around them.

Retail Therapy: The Season's Chicest Pick-Me-Ups, From Pretty Pumps To Ultra-Luxe Pyjamas
Retail Therapy: The Season's Chicest Pick-Me-Ups, From Pretty Pumps To Ultra-Luxe Pyjamas

Harpers Bazaar Arabia

time3 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • Harpers Bazaar Arabia

Retail Therapy: The Season's Chicest Pick-Me-Ups, From Pretty Pumps To Ultra-Luxe Pyjamas

Curate a life less ordinary, one cult treasure at a time… Find The Perfect Flats Carry the right kind of baggage Feel like the cat's pyjamas Sweeten the deal – one lump or two? Indulge in some sparkle Tap into your animal instincts Buy into shell girl summer Enroll yourself in charm school Lead Image from top: Top, Dhs695, John Smedley. Ophidia Pochette Bag, Dhs5,330; Panda-shaped Bag Charm, Dhs1,200; Owl-shaped Bag Charm, Dhs1,650, all Gucci. Hamster Bag, Dhs6,950, Loewe. Hector Shoulder Bag, Dhs7,850, Thom Browne. Penguin Beaded Bag, POA, Jamin Puech. Skirt, POA, Auralee. Gloves, Stylist's own Photography by Masaki Ogawa. Styled by Shizuka Yoshida. Model: Yuki Mine at Number Eight Models. Manicurist: Tomoko Kamiya at Nadine Nails

2 Reasons Behind The Sudden ‘Labubu' Craze, According To A Psychologist
2 Reasons Behind The Sudden ‘Labubu' Craze, According To A Psychologist

Forbes

time6 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • Forbes

2 Reasons Behind The Sudden ‘Labubu' Craze, According To A Psychologist

Some are baffled by how quickly Labubu's have taken the world by storm. But, psychologically, trends ... More like these are anything but surprising. If you've had to Google what a Labubu is in the past few weeks, don't worry: you're not out of touch. These wild-eyed, snaggle-toothed little creatures have taken the world by storm faster than any of us could've predicted. Just a few months ago, Labubu was an obscure cartoon character, created by artist Kasing Lung. Then, once a toy-version was spotted on BLACKPINK's Lisa's backpack, everyone just had to have one. Now, they're dangling from keychains, dominating collectible markets and cropping up in YouTube unboxing videos by the dozens. There are now over 300 different Labubus, each with their own name, style and storyline. However, they're sold in blind boxes — meaning that when you buy one, you have no idea which Labubu you're getting. Some are considered ultra-rare and resell for hundreds, even thousands, of dollars. Others are less so. To the uninitiated, the hype might seem dumbfounding. Why are so many people (including full-grown adults) losing their minds over these ugly-cute little monsters? But from a psychological standpoint, the Labubu craze is anything but surprising. Here are two reasons why. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder 1. 'Labubus' Are A Love Letter To The Weird Toys Of Our Youth Before you judge today's Labubu-lovers too harshly, take a moment to think about your own childhood. Chances are, you too have likely had a deep emotional attachment to something that, in hindsight, was objectively weird-looking. Maybe it was a wiry-haired Troll Doll. Or, maybe, it was a Furby with unpredictable eyes. Or, at the least, it might've been a Cabbage Patch Kid that looked more like a gremlin in a bonnet than a baby. Labubus are merely the latest branch on the tall family tree of 'ugly-cute' obsessions. In fact, this could be one of the many reasons that they're so popular today among adults: because they tap into that very same nostalgia. For decades, nostalgia was viewed by psychologists as a form of cognitive decline: a psychological sickness that kept people stuck in the past. But, as 2013 research from Social and Personality Psychology Compass explains, this is no longer the case. Today, nostalgia is widely accepted to be an invaluable psychological resource. It offers us comforts from bygone eras, while also serving as an effective mood booster. But, most of all, it contributes greatly to our sense of meaning and identity; these benefits become all the more salient in uncertain times, during which the simplicities of our youth seem so alluring yet so out of reach. So, when someone buys a Labubu, they're likely not just chasing a collectible. If anything, it's more plausible to surmise that they're after a feeling. It could be a sense of familiarity, or maybe just some momentary child-like wonder. In either case, it takes us back to the days when life felt simpler and a bit more magical. Sure, they can be pricey. But, for many, any price is small if it buys a ticket back to a time when joy came in the form of plastic toys and imaginary friends. 2. The High Of The 'Blind Box' Of course, there's another layer to the Labubu phenomenon. However, it taps into something a little more primal: the thrill of the unknown. Blind boxes, in many ways, operate similarly to slot machines. You spend money without knowing what you'll get, and the reward system is randomized. Will the Labubu you get be a common one you already have? Or a glittering, rare one worth flipping for hundreds? That little hit of suspense in the moments just before the reveal is what makes them so addictive. This isn't exactly a new trend, either. We've seen the exact same psychology play out in the world of online gaming, where 'loot boxes' have become a mainstay. Countless online games (like FIFA, Overwatch or Counter-Strike) persuade millions of gamers to spend real money on digital 'packs,' in the hopes of unboxing a superstar player or a rare skin. In both the case of loot boxes and Labubus, buyers are being sold a thrill; for many, that feeling becomes hard to resist. And if you think this sounds a lot like actual gambling, you'd be correct. As 2021 research from New Media & Society explains, there is a definitive link between loot box purchasing and gambling-related behaviors — particularly in younger audiences. It's precisely the same variable-ratio reward schedule that makes casinos so insidiously effective: the unpredictability of it keeps us coming back for more. So, while most people can enjoy the occasional Labubu blind box opening without much issue, it's worth noting that the mechanism that underlies these transactions is specifically designed to hook buyers in. Purchasing one or two for fun is one thing, but buying thirty in the hopes of pulling 'that one ultra-rare' item will pull buyers into significantly riskier territories. In other words, what looks like harmless fun could, in the wrong hands, serve as a pipeline into obsession. This risk is only amplified by social media hype and the supposed rarity of certain Labubus. In today's economy, that can spell trouble. Whether you buy one or not, the intention behind your decision carries the most weight. Do you often fall prey to pricey fads? Take this science-backed test to find out if it's worth auditing your spending habits: Financial Management Behavior Scale

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