If the answer is Room 101, then what's the question?

“If the world was merely seductive it would be easy. If it were merely challenging that would be a problem but I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day” E.B.White.

Well, that’s (almost) the year that was, Here in Scotland the spring passed in eager anticipation, the summer in  wellies and the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness  in a hazy blur of research, projects, workshops, proposals, industry funding applications and meetings.  Lots of them.  And now in winter I get to thinking, has 2011 been all it’s cracked up to be?  Are we deeper, further, higher, and faster as a result? Have audiences grown? Have we grown? And if not, what should I be doing about it? 

‘Plus ça change (plus c'est la même chose)’ as the French would muse. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Yet I’m less convinced; it feels real change is in the wind. Innovative ways to get people interested and engaged. Greater visibility for how art can change people’s lives and communities for the better. Accordingly, I’m averting my gaze outwards to examining the changes others are predicting, contemplating which trends to ignore and which to explore.  How should I be responding to the main consumer trends shaping lives ‘outside’ the arts? Do I have enough insight about them to make a compelling argument, either to entice people to give the arts a shot or to believe it’s an investment worth making?

I’m curious.  Is the focus on changes in our industry and our survival making us more or less blind to observing what's happening to the people we need to connect with most? Whether the major, the minor, the mainstream or the fringe; are we responding in ways that mean anything?  Do I have the capacity to understand the behaviour and language of people who are already living these trends if not why not? Is there something important that’s changing people’s expectations of the arts?  The people who have different interests and experiences from mine intrigue me because I have a sense they may reject, ignore or experience arts and culture in many ways but, if they can do it best without us, I need to understand how or why.

So I’m not going to reject anything too quickly. Many of today's great artists or ideas have often been widely dismissed, questioned, and ridiculed from the day they were imagined, announced or conceived. But conceived they were by someone not just thinking things differently, but by doing things differently – with other people, in different relationships. So that’ why I’m not just looking at trends but new business models too -  practical ways to structure how to work together better, raise revenues and accelerate the unique advantage offered by the ‘Cloud’, Smartphone, tablet  and the breakthrough applications, that are not just close to our hearts, but now welded to our palms.

No doubt like others, I’m also searching for inspiration amidst the pervasive doom and gloom; things that make me smile or wonder; perhaps a tantalising concept, programme idea or entirely new venture. Something that could help me to reach out, shape new practice, productivity and engagement or to navigate through the information overload. With a much broader view of people’s lives, those tiny things I witness every day begin to make sense. They don’t just get me thinking creatively, they might just offer a more robust mandate to help persuade the sceptics, the doubters and the cynics to the possibility that’s there’s very much more to having a cultural life than meets the eye. If only they knew where to look.

Do any answers lay in the future trends?

Apparently, I’m not the only one seeking answers. Over 2 million searches on Google are performed each month and alongside that, 4.1 billion SMS messages are sent daily[1]. There are LOTS of trends[2] emerging all the time but what does some of the chatter hint at now and in 2012 ?[3]  Here’s a few that give me something to think about…

1.     EMERGING MATURIALISM
While cultural differences continue to shape consumer desires, middle-class and/or younger consumers in (almost) every market will embrace brands that push the boundaries. Expect frank, risqué or non-corporate products, services and campaigns from emerging markets to be on the rise in 2012. (What’s my voice in the debate? Have I got anything to offer?) More >>>

2.   FLAWSOME
Why brands that behave more humanly, including exposing their flaws, will be awesome. (Our story is more than good enough. It’s truly authentic) More >>>

3.   PLANNED SPONTANEITY

With lifestyles having become fragmented, with dense urban environments offering consumers any number of instantly available options, and with cell/smart phones having created a generation who have little experience of making (or sticking to) rigid plans, this new year will see full-on PLANNED SPONTANEITY...  (Can our systems and people really accommodate, last minute? ) More »

4.     POINT & KNOW
Consumers are used to being able to find out just about anything that’s online or text-based, but 2012 will see instant visual information gratification brought into the real and visual world with objects and even people. (What information do people need from me, when and where, how often and in what form?) More >>>

5.     BOTTOM OF THE URBAN PYRAMID
The majority of consumerism is urban, yet in much of the world city life is chaotic, cramped and often none too pleasant. Nevertheless, the creativity and vibrancy of these aspiring consumers means that the opportunities for brands which cater to them are unprecedented. (How does my programme personally connect with people and communities?)  More >>>

6.   SCREEN CULTURE
Thanks to the continued explosion of touch screen smart phones, tablets, and the 'cloud', 2012 will see a SCREEN CULTURE that is not only more pervasive, but more personal, more immersive and more interactive than ever. (Is there an infrastructure and capacity in my organisation to take advantage of this opportunity? ) More >>>

7.     PRICING PANDEMONIUM

Flash sales, group buying, GPS-driven deals: this year, pricing strategy will be more important than ever... (Do I have the right pricing strategy to drive revenues? )More »

And finally, my personal favourite….’RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS’ –  monitoring consumers' public moods and acting upon them with random acts of kindness... (relationships may never be the same ;-) More »

Time to share more of our own unique brand of irreverence, ‘compassion and charisma’ around? Then, here’s to the future. Wishing everyone, everywhere a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Julie L Tait, Director, Culture Sparks.