Posted in Advertising, Business as Unusual, Futurist, Retail/Marketing
Late last year, I released my annual list of predictions for the coming year. In my first prediction, I said facial recognition technology will “be used to change in-store advertising based on the age, gender, racial make-up or mood of the consumer in closest proximity to the display.” The Wall Street Journal is now reporting…
Posted in Advertising, Behavior, Beliefs
We like to believe we assess the truthfulness of information according to objective standards. According to new research, this isn’t so. People, it seems, can be influenced by something as simple as a headline or a decorative photo. (For an example, see this old post.) In other words, while a picture may be worth a…
Posted in Advertising, Economy, Future, Futurist, Retail/Marketing
(Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from my forthcoming book, 20/20 Foresight: A Futurist Looks Ahead to the Ten Trends That Will Shape the World of 2020, that I am writing with the able assistance of fellow futurist Simon Anderson. This chapter takes a look at the future of retail.) In the summer of 2011, Tesco,…
Posted in Advertising, Future, Futurist, Politics, Retail/Marketing, The Tomorrow Times
Posted in Advertising, Business, Data Mining, Future, Futurist, Politics, Predictions, Retail/Marketing
Late last year, I released my annual list of predictions for 2012. In Trend #3 on “Augmented Political Reality” I wrote: “a new wave of social media political consultants will monitor live Twitter streams and use the feedback to adjust candidates’ teleprompter speeches in real time.” To this end, this article (Why Viewers Could Soon…
Posted in Advertising, Business, Business Models, Example, Hospitals, Retail, The Way We See the Problem
I recently had the pleasure of going to Paris on vacation and happened to use the city's fine subway system on a daily basis. One of the things that struck me as odd was the large number of advertising posters for Martin Lawrence's new "Big Mamma" movie. Now, to be honest, I can't imagine why…
Posted in Advertising, Analogy, Books, Business, Creativity, Humor, New Cards, Problems into Opportunities, The Way We See the Problem, Visual unlearning, Web 2.0
Yesterday, after delivering the opening keynote (on future trends) at Beyond 2010 in Edmonton, I had the pleasure of also delivering the closing remarks. Not surprisingly, I discussed the importance of unlearning. In between, however, I had the immense pleasure of listening to a wonderful speaker, Peter Hinssen, who is the author of a new…
Posted in Advertising, Automobile, Behavior, Change, Government, Unlearn Strategy
Once we learn something it is hard to unlearn it. This is especially true if we learned it in our youth. To this end, ever since I began driving in the early 1980's, I was told to change the oil in my car every 3000 miles. While I haven't been a stickler about the rule,…
Posted in Advertising, Assumptions, Drugs, Education, Health Care, Marketing, Mental Health, See What Isn't There, Way We See the Problem
Like many people, I consumed my fair share of alcohol in college. Now that I'm a parent and my own kids are approaching high school age, I have a decidedly more conservative perspective on the consumption of "adult beverages." The one thing I am convinced won't work is relentless lecturing about the many risks associated…
Posted in Advertising, Ambiguity, Architecture, Business, Creativity, Culture, Innovation, Marketing, Paradox, Unlearning Curve
Take a look at the image to the right. It is a visual display of Everett Roger's famous model of diffusion. I, however, want you to look at it differently. Consider it, instead, "an unlearning curve." Conventional wisdom tells us that it is safe in the middle. Advertising and marketers frequently target their message toward…
