The New Year is the perfect time to start thinking about trends and technologies that will build momentum in the coming year. We tapped our Creative and Strategic planning team here at DeVries, and asked what trends they think will shape the digital and creative landscape in 2012:
Timeline in the Spotlight
The cottage industry forming around Facebook Timeline will continue to evolve, creating fertile new territory for brands and organizations. Timeline already serves as inspiration for a chilling drug awareness PSA, clever business card offering and several profile customization services. Expect to see Timeline-fueled creativity explode in 2012, for brands and individuals alike.
–Stephanie Smirnov, President and Chief Creative Officer
Unplugging and Technology Breaks
We are seeing a movement towards unplugging and taking necessary breaks from some of the social media overload and technology that has consumed people over the past few years. No longer are we dying to be connected 24/7. Hotels are offering “breaks from technology” as a coveted feature to entice travelers to book retreats at their properties. Groups of friends going out to dinner are stacking their phones on the table throughout the meal, with the person who checks their phone first to be punished by paying the entire tab. Scaling back, simplifying, and getting back to basics is going to be big in 2012.
–Amy Schoenberger, Social Media Specialist
The Facebook Slump
Although the number of Facebook users continues to grow, I predict that in 2012 younger, influential consumers will spend less time there, flocking to social media sites that let them share their content and experiences seamlessly and more creatively. With almost 12 million users on Instagram, Foursquare at 10 million strong and networks like Pinterest attracting 31 million views per month, there is growing proof that consumers are yearning for social experiences outside of Facebook. With the well documented unplugging trend that Amy notes, consumers are not likely just adding these networks to their repertoire of platforms, they will actually start replacing their Facebook time with them.
–Adrianna Giuliani, SVP, Creative and Strategic Planning
Creativity Explosion
2012 is the year that we will witness new heights of creativity on the web. After seeing so much growth in user generated content, we are now going to witness a shift from people creating their own, to simply curating what they find to be interesting. And because it’s so hard to get noticed, only those really dedicated to creativity and those with talent will continue to create and innovate. That’s why tools like tumblr and pinterest have been so popular lately. They help us sift through hoards of fascinating content, images, art, photos etc and simply share what we like. As a result so much creativity will bubble up to the top!
–Andy Amendola, Director of Digital
Email to Snail Mail
We send so many emails each day that people are craving a more personalized way to connect with friends and family. This year we have seen an explosion of branded campaigns and services that turn digital products into physical mail—from the Heinz personalized Get Well Soup Cans to Postcardly, a service that turns emails into real postcards and mails them out for you. I think, in 2012, we will continue to see the desire for physical mail and personalized products surge.
–Cassie Boorn, Social Media Coordinator
Now that we have shared our predictions, what do you foresee happening in 2012?
