There are two trends that I've seen most recently. The one described here you will see much more, I can guarantee it to you; by the time you see a commercial on television that uses it, you'll know it's on it's way out - I think there is already a sitcom using it - but it needs to be played out, then it will fizzle fast. Marketing did this 'turn & burn' to itself...but let's stay on one point.
The second, markets tradition (you're part of something much bigger - buy our product for inclusion) I will share/write about that trend (and further the hilarity that it's accepted while older traditions are seen as faulty, i.e. religion) when I have more time...or make time for it. Very quickly let me say however the core of this push of tradition is 'inclusion' - a core desire for most.
The following is assurance; the same reason palm readers and psychics and books on sexual astrology and compatibility are popular - we are inclined to want to know what's coming. We want to figure a person out easily, get their angle; and this reaches even farther to the core - safety.
For instance, if you met a new man/woman; to have the knowledge before you meet them what role in your life they will play. The Lover, or The Heartbreaker...the villain or the saint; this is at our core and we fight against its tide constantly. However now, the magic that is marketing can even give us some assurance.
This is a trend you will not be able to miss in the coming year - thereafter it will probably fade if not within the next 8 months.
Magic Marketing: Character Titles.
The idea of titles is already overused. The word "THE" to denote something as THE one. Exclusivity (the negative of inclusion and therefore in the same vein). This was used in movie titles a lot a few years back, now it looks like it's transitioned to the cast.
Here are three examples of this trend.
INCEPTION
GUARDIANS OF GA 'HOOLE
DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS
Each character in the supporting cast has a role to play, and you know their driving force going in.
In the end, I think the idea of safety is far from the mind when seeing this marketing - however, I postulate its embedded effectiveness for that reason. To remind us we know their role, and then see how they play it out.
On a more surface level, the level that the marketing more overtly engages us on, they are selling us on things we have already bought - let me explain - identifying with the characters becomes easier because we already have an emotional response to the title they hold; we're in their story before ever stepping in the theater.
Another example: "he's the class clown", "he's the most likely to succeed", "she has the best smile", "he's the boss", "he's the mind reader", "he's the warrior", etc. - our emotional response is already engaged with titles.
There are a host of other things happening, but those are different aspects of the marketing. The look in the eyes of "The Warrior" or "The Mind Reader" or "The Extractor" - The dress, the choice of print and specific polish. The deconstruction of modern day movie trailers (especially juxtaposed with those of 40 years ago) is another great area, replete with interest and an undercurrent echoing the voice of the culture at that time.
If one can begin catching the trends, or the waves in marketing, and further, learn to go surfing on them, then one has a great opportunity to understand the mood of a culture as a whole - from fear to desire - and respond accordingly. And isn't that sentence marketing in and of itself? The promise to have secret knowledge? And alas, we come full circle, as the leviathan of capitalism with it's jaws of marketing in whose soil we are bred and breathe chews up all that is false and authentic to one single pulp without leaving any traditional knowledge of how to discern one from another, or leaving any foundation to make a critique...though I'm sure it will sell us a new foundation soon - most probably a repeat of the one it's been selling us since the idea of marketing began...but alas, I digress.
Karan
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