Whitespace: Eleven micro-trends for 2011

Issue 69: January 2011

In less than a month 2011 has already reinforced the value of taking nothing for granted, but that's not to say that some things can't be anticipated.

To help your organisation stay ahead of the curve the first Whitespace for 2011 delivers 11 micro-trends featuring emerging ideas in the key areas of consumer behaviour, workplace productivity and green business.

One
Retail therapy via Facebook: Retailers have their eyes firmly fixed on Facebook's 600 million users; Amazon has proved a trailblazer in this area by launching stores in Facebook that sell beauty products and nappies. Next on the agenda: friend recommendations that link through to online stores.

Two
Online shoppers unite: The success of the deal-of-the-day website Groupon has not gone unnoticed. The site, which offers a price reduction when a certain number of buyers is reached, has spawn a dozen or so me-too versions in Australia; individual retailers are sure to follow.

Three
Mobile wallets: Serial innovator Google is trialling near field communication (NFC) technology that allows smartphone users to pay for products with one a swipe of their device. NFC isn't just about payments, swiping hi-tech stickers in retail environments can deliver a wealth of product information to a user's smartphone.

Four
Mobile healthcare: App use is set grow in just about every industry, but expect a flurry of activity in smartphone facilitated health care. In four year's time its predicted 500 million people will be using smartphone apps to self-measure health indicators like blood pressure and glucose levels.

Five
Desperate simplification: As social media continues to grow in size and complexity so too does the feeling of information overload. In response expect to see new technologies that limit rather than expand digital content; an example is Path, a social network that limits friends to just 50 people.

Six
Focusing on the BRICs: Emerging consumer cultures in Brazil, Russia, India and China (the BRICs) don't just want Western products, they want Western products that are all about them. Levis offer an example of successful BRIC market entry with a hip jeans label made solely for slimmer Asian body types.

Seven
The paperless green office: Late last year the World Wide Fund for Nature launched a document file format – the .wwf – that cannot be printed. This breakthrough 'think before you print' idea could be the start of a wider tree-saving movement that is embedded into other document types in 2011.

Eight
Eco mini-vations at home: Tube-free toilet paper might not seem like such a big deal, but when you consider the amount of cardboard the idea could save it makes you wonder why this innovation has taken so long. Kimberly-Clark is currently trialling the product across the northeast US.

Nine
Rise the locovore: A 2010 study has found 33 per cent of Australians buy locally produced food either 'most of the time' or 'all of the time'. Prepare yourself for more farmers' markets and green grocers: critical mass is around the corner for local foods with a lower carbon footprint.

Ten
RIP the good old CV: Say goodbye to the resume and hello to digital portfolios. Innovative job hunters are standing out from the pack by not emailing a Word resume but instead directing potential employers to a digital portfolio with links to audio visual material, case studies and employer websites.

Eleven
Artificial intelligence at work: An array of business automation tools are on the drawing board. Gmail is adding a tool that intuitively sorts email in terms of the user's priorities, accounting software Quickbooks will soon predict future earnings, and documents that can be directed to write their own content appear to be a possibility.

In the mood for more new ideas? This slideshow of 100 innovations for the year ahead prepared by JWT Intelligence is worth a look.

Whitespace is published monthly by the Australian Institute of Management - Qld & NT. Sign up to have a copy sent direct to your mailbox.