All in Trends

Conference 101: Give the People What They Want

Justice Mitchell
Business, New Business Development, Process, Trends
You’re producing an upcoming conference, and you have a thousand items on the to-do list. Layer on top of that a budget and needs assessment to go along with the thousand tasks. Reality check: You need to sacrifice a few darlings on your list. Prioritize based on the wants and desires of people attending the event. Your main concern should be the owners of the butts that occupy all those folding chairs. They even supersede your the wants and desires of sponsors. This little detail often seems to escape the novice event producer.

Cause Marketing: New Paths For Good Goals

Justice Mitchell
Content, Education, Process, Trends
If you asked Donald Trump to describe his business like a board game, he would probably compare it to Monopoly. Then he would buy your mother and tattoo “Trump” on her forehead in bold, gold letters. You and I are a bit more cerebral about our industry – which is why I compare media relations to chess. It takes strategy, finesse, a little luck and some art. Sadly, I’ll probably never meet your mom, because she won’t be caught dead in the bars where we hang out.

Diary of a Trend Stalker: Gut Shot

Justice Mitchell
Applications, Content, Trends
Now that we've covered the basic methods of identifying topics, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty. This can be tough work, but I don’t mind getting a little messy. I’m like the Mike Rowe of trend hunting – but without the contract to pimp Ford trucks. Maybe you have a gut feeling about something that might be a trend. Before you unleash your mind-dazzling observations on the community, put a little more thought into exactly WHY you think it is a trend. There's a very fine line between a genuine trend and the herd mentality of mass adoption.

Diary of a Trend Stalker: The Weapons

Justice Mitchell
Content, Process, Research, Trends
Where would Bruce Springsteen be without his trusty blonde Telecaster? What would Annie Leibovitz do without her camera? How could Elmer Fudd hunt Bugs Bunny without his shotgun? Whether you are a rock star, a celebrity photographer, a cartoon archenemy … or a trend hunter – you need the right weapon to get the job done. We already established that everyone is a trend hunter to some extent. But your level of success depends on the time, tenacity and tools that you bring to the table.

Diary of a Trend Stalker: Chapter One

Justice Mitchell
Design, Research, Soapbox, Trends
Every day I wake up, look in the mirror and marvel at the gorgeous physical specimen staring back at me. I soak it all in and think about how lucky my wife is to have me. Then I shake off the remnants of that final pre-alarm dream and take another look at the disheveled guy with unruly red locks and badass Jedi boxers. That’s when I see the 40-year-old father of a 4-year-old daughter, a husband, and a friend to what seems to be an endless array of people. I am blessed with innumerable online "F3s" (friends, fans and followers) with whom I feel the need to connect in some way. I also feel hopelessly out of touch.

What Was "Most Contagious" About 2011?

Justice Mitchell
Advertising, Applications, Business, Content, Entertainment, Interactive, Mobile, New Business Development, People, Research, , Trends
Hi. My name is Justice, and I'm FOMO. This means I have a "fear of missing out." This affliction causes me to be “cool hunting” at all times as I try to stay on top of what's breaking in creativity. Think of it like petting the cat in “Dune” to get the serum that will maintain my life. Stupid. Dear Lord, did I really just type that?

Why News, UGC & Social Media Will Be To Blame For All Future Wars

Justice Mitchell
Anarchy, Interactive, Soapbox, , Television, Trends
I was hit with sound clarity in a discussion over the weekend that came to a crystal-clear resolution for me is that the United States of America is going to be in an never-ending conflict with factors beyond our control due to the advancement of social media, it's citizen journalism and the emotional weaknesses of its people. If you have a cell phone you have the power to enact great emotional upheaval. And dependent upon your view of chaos math, that content could even go as far as starting a war. And this does not come on a soapbox claiming innocence of this stance, I will outline thoroughly that I'm as/if not more guilty than you all.
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