Trends Night was organised by the Stichting Marketing and brought together marketing specialists and students. This was a very informative event during which participants were given a presentation about the trends for 2011 and an opportunity to share experiences.

The digital marketing Trends Night gave us:

1. Predictions for digital media in 2011 by Netlash
2. “Dreamotion” by Trend Wolves
3. Debate on digital media

Predictions for digital media in 2011
The first part was presented by Netlash, a company that has been specialising in the development of new websites since 2006.
It carried out market research among 35 online specialists in order to obtain a clearer picture of the digital media trends we will see in 2011.

The main topics they highlighted were the following:

• Mobiles: the rise of smartphones and internet via mobile phones. Everything must fit into mobile devices in order to meet demand from the largest market segment. It is a fact that Belgium does not go far enough with its connection offers but we cannot ignore the demand to be able to surf everywhere.
• Social has become a digital-related adjective. Everything is now linked to social aspects (social media, social commerce, social CRM, etc.)
• iPad. Or when desire becomes more important than need. The iPad is so easy to use that it is now reaching all generations for the first time. Everyone wants to have an iPad.
• “Application”: everything with embedded software virtualises into applications.
• Html5, the latest as yet unfinished version of html.
• Mobile first. When digital media first appeared, the first applications to be developed were for PCs. Today, the trend has changed and websites are now designed for interaction on touch devices first.
• Quantified self. Sensors are everywhere (runkeeper, sleep cycle…) there is an increase in the desire to outsource this.
• QR Codes for androids are dead; they didn’t even make it to a launch.

“Dreamotion”

TrendWolves is a full-service research and marketing agency that focuses exclusively on trends among young people. This section discusses the “Dreamotion” concept, that is made up of a contraction of two words - dreams + slow motion. It explains what drives young people in the digital media consumer market. The belief that everything was possible expressed at the time of the 1958 World Trade Fair is long dead and buried. Today we live in an Al Gore generation that is realistic and not very optimistic. The need to control is growing. Un-friending on Facebook or “suicide machines” to erase its online presence are becoming really common. The generation with the highest sales potential is looking for dreams and slow motion, for quality and no longer for quantity. People are ready to pay for things that add value like privacy.

Debate on digital media

A debate was held at the end of the event between students and marketing professionals during which the gaps between their perceptions of digital media became apparent. For example iPads or smartphones are must-haves for students. This is consistent with their need to stay connected to the outer world all day long. Retired marketing specialists just need an ordinary mobile phone so that their relatives can reach them. Facebook is the place where young people share experiences, pictures, etc. while older people use it in the main to stay in touch with relatives.