••• trends research
Prediction: consumers to grow evermore involved with brands
It’s a new year and brands are again charged with the task of understanding and catering to changing consumer attitudes. What does the future hold? Here are trendwatching.com’s 10 crucial consumer trends for 2013.
Presumers and custowners. As consumers embrace participating in the funding, launch and growth of (new) products and brands that they love, expect pre-ordering, crowdfunding and consumer equity to compete with traditional consumption.
Emerging². Instead of developed markets catering to emerging ones and emerging markets catering to developed ones, get ready for an explosion in offerings from emerging markets for emerging markets.
Mobile moments. Consumers will look to their mobile devices to maximize and multi-if-not-hyper-task absolutely every moment.
New life inside. Rather than being discarded or even recycled, eco-focused products can be given back to nature to grow something new.
Appscriptions. Expect consumers to turn to the medical profession and medical institutions to certify and curate health apps and technologies or to “prescribe” them, much as they prescribe medicines as part of a course of treatment.
Celebration nation. Symbols, lifestyles and traditions that were previously downplayed, if not denied, by consumers in emerging markets will be a source of pride for them and objects of interest to global consumers.
Data myning. Expect savvy shoppers to take charge of their lifestyle data and turn to brands that use this data to offer them help and advice on how to improve their behavior and/or save money.
Again made here. Factors from consumers’ lust for instant gratification, newism and niches; ongoing eco-concerns; the desire for more interesting stories; and new local manufacturing technologies will trigger a resurgence in domestic manufacturing in established markets.
Full frontal. Brands must move from having nothing to hide to proactively showing and proving they have nothing to hide.
Demanding brands. 2013 will see brands that are moving toward a more sustainable and socially-responsible future demanding that their customers also contribute.
••• employee research
Big city, big paycheck? Not for marketers!
In late 2012, CNNMoney.com named “market research analyst” seventh on its list of top-10 best jobs in America. As it turns out, marketers don’t have it so bad either – and they don’t need to move to New York or California to find satisfaction or a competitive salary.
According to a survey conducted by Aquent and the American Marketing Association, the highest salaries in marketing jobs do not come from top markets like New York, Silicon Valley and Boston. Instead, based on the adjusted cost of living, marketers in Dallas, St. Louis and Atlanta are making more than their big-city counterparts. While Silicon Valley tops the list with the highest average marketing salary of $107,802, when adjusted for cost of living, it adds up to $48,034. Dallas marketing professionals take home the biggest paycheck at $82,418, or $89,707 when adjusted for cost of living.
Two-thirds of marketers anticipate salary increases in 2013, with one-fifth expecting an increase of 10 percent of more, showing optimism compared to recent years.
The happiest marketers were in Phoenix, Indianapolis and Houston. Professionals working in public relations, Web analytics and strategic planning were found to be most happy with their jobs.