The Global Brain

Talking about trends is definitely the trend of the first month of the year. Trends are like rumors, they’re everywhere. Still some attract attention more than others, reason why I’d like to share these links with you… about trends for 2007 - (thanks to Viaspire for spotting them).

First is the “Radar for 2007” top 5 trends from trendwatching.com, an independent and opinionated consumer trends firm, relying on a global network of 8,000 spotters around 120 countries worldwide. They have a more detailed report, but the complete file is, of course, for sale. Now the 5 trends on focus :

1.    Status lifestyles
2.    Transparency tyranny
3.    Web N+1
4.    Trysumers
5.    Global Brain

I invite you to check the detail of these 5 bullet points as I believe they are worth the read. Nevertheless, I can’t resist to pick number 5 and relay its content here. Although this one might seem evident to most of you, the idea that talents and thinkers are getting connected and that there is something big underneath this idea, is tickling me from the beginning of this blogging experience.

"...We’ve spoken about THE GLOBAL BRAIN before: all of the world’s intelligence and experience, fully networked, incorporating not only the usual suspects like gurus, professors and scientists, but the experiences and skills of hundreds of millions of smart consumers as well. With the 'shortage of talent' that every brand on every continent seems to fear in 2007, tapping into THE GLOBAL BRAIN seems a, well, no-brainer. This year, expect many corporations, small and big, to aggressively court the 1% of most creative and experienced individuals roaming the globe."

Whether we’re talking about “Customer made” , “Generation C(ontent) or C(ash)”, or “Innovation Overload”… one trend is clearly established : compared to business and economic models of the past 10 years, we are facing a major (r)-evolution.

 

Revolution or Evolution? What's your take on this?

 

Comments

[Heather D]

Great question, mindblob!!! I believe actually it is both. We are evolving due to a re-energized (and newly funded) technology revolution underway.

I have been thrilled to see the resurgency of technology (creation and adoption) driving much of what is available to consumers today. In the era of Web 2.0, technology capability and availability is truly supporting the "consumer empowerment revolution."

Marketing departments, communication offices, and C-Level business types alike have to truly understand and fully embrace this and no longer resist or hide from this fact.

Consumers have more resources at their disposal to choose, engage, buy (or not) and speak (email, blog, IM, SMS) their mind about the products and services they use.

Look at the big takeaways from CES this week, everything is converging to benefit the anytime, anywhere consumer. It is an amazing "revolution" evolving how we do business and how we create relationships with our customers, partners and other social/business networks. :)

PS - Thanks for the mention in your post. ;)

[David Armano]

Evolution.

But the article caught my eye as well Luc. I was tempted to write about it, though I'm making good on my "taking it slower" promise to myself. Glad you covered it.

:)

[Gavin Heaton]

Hey Luc ... I am going with evolution too. But the business model question is interesting -- with talent aggregating and being attracted to opportunity, new, innovative and more flexible models will need to evolve.

For example, how can we find a way of you, Armano and I working on a project together? Would our bosses allow it? Would that stop it? And what if we wanted to pull CK in too?

Oh better stop ... I am making myself dizzy.

[mindblob]

Heather,
Very sharp view, Heather.
I also beleive it is both.

- Revolution : related to the change companies are facing. New ways to consider consumers, to engage conversation, to communicate obviously. But also new way to organize their work internally (and that's the big deal right now!). Processes need to be adapted and that is a Revolution.

- Evolution : because we are facing a new era of "human communication" linking people together and linking them to updated information. This WILL (imho) lead to new mind sets and so to human evolution in a Dawinian way.

David,
Evolution is what thrills me most and I admit is linked to "Emotion". But isn't Revolution the missing "Logic" link?  ; )

Gavin,
Yes, yes, yes. The models will need to evolve and that is what I refer to as “Revolution”. And boy... I also think about it everyday, really.

“How can we find a way of you, Armano (CK) and I working on a project together?” –besides the fact I would definitely go for it right away- that’s the key, mate! Although I understand you were referring to an existing project coming out of one of the companies we currently work for, allow me to extend it out of this context. There are projects like this already (like The Open Intelligence Agency with Russell Davies in the UK, Emily Reed in Sydney, Jeffre Jackson in Amsterdam, David Nottoli in NY). As a matter of fact, the OIA is more like an open opportunity to grab corporate clients on the net, though.

What about a project to build from scratch and launch on internet? (idea to develop with common brainstorming, strategic planning, complementary talents and visions).

From that perspective, I wouldn’t worry too much about our bosses. A word that could in the near future take an all new and positive meaning. (Sigh)... I'm dizzy too now.   ; )