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100 THINGS TO WATCH

IN 2010

JANUARY 2010
WHAT WE’LL COVER

Background
Our Track Record
100 Things to Watch in 2010 (in alphabetical order)
BACKGROUND
• As part of our annual forecast, JWT presents 100 Things to Watch in 2010.

• Many of the items on our list reflect broader shifts we’ve been following:
– Growing awareness and action around health and wellness and the environment
– Warp-speed developments in technology
– Accelerating demographic, political and economic political power shifts
– Industries redefining or reinventing themselves to survive or to fully leverage these power
shifts

• This year, many of our Things to Watch reflect repercussions of the Great
Recession, from ―energy dieting‖ to ―luxury goes East‖ to ―trip
bundling.‖

• While some of our Things to Watch may not yet reflect a broader trend,
we believe they eventually will ladder up to one.

• The people on our list—from pop culture, sports, politics and other
sectors—have the potential to drive or shape trends in the near future.
OUR TRACK RECORD
• In the past few years, we’ve been spot-on about what to watch.

• To name just a few Things to Watch from last year:


– Credit Card Dieting (As unemployment rose and as credit card companies added fees and
hiked interest rates, consumers were more likely to pay cash or sign up for the growing
number of layaway programs. On Dec. 9, MSNBC.com reported that ―Revolving debt, which
is made up almost entirely of credit card debt, has been falling steadily as people pay down
their credit card debt and limit their use of plastic. Outstanding debt has fallen for 13
straight months.‖)

– Freebies (We saw marketers of all stripes deploy the ―f‖ word this year, from Harley-
Davidson’s free-for-a-year offer to Stop & Shop’s free generic drugs promotion to restaurant
chains like IHOP offering a free kid’s meal with purchase of a regular entree.)

– Lady Gaga (This headline-grabbing performer, whose debut album was released in August
2008, was one of Barbara Walters’ ―10 Most Fascinating People of 2009.‖ Her album, The
Fame, will be in Billboard’s Top 10 for 2009, and she is Last.fm’s biggest artist for online
listening this year.)
OUR TRACK RECORD (CONT’D.)
• To name just a few Things to Watch from last year (cont’d.):
– Lala.com (We forecast that this music site, which lets users store and share music libraries,
would ―rise up the radar as a serious rival to iTunes.‖ In the end, Apple bought Lala.com
for an undisclosed sum.)

– Michelle Obama (Barbara Walters named the First Lady the Most Fascinating Person of
2009. Michelle O. has lived up to expectations that she would become a style icon—
Women’s Wear Daily dubbed her the First Fashion Plate—while bringing a breeze of fresh
air (and fresh vegetables) into the White House.)

– Netbooks (―Netbook computers, virtually a novelty alternative to notebook PCs only a year
ago, are the rising stars of the computer industry,‖ reported The New York Times in June.
According to Information Week, netbooks will account for 22 percent of all laptop,
notebook and netbook shipments this year, compared with just 5.6 percent in 2008.)

– No “Paper” in Newspapers (We said more newspapers would follow The Christian Science
Monitor and abandon daily print editions, and in March the Seattle Post-Intelligencer shut
down its print operations, becoming the largest daily paper in the U.S. to go online-only.
Now publishers are racing to find ways to better monetize their online content—watch for
novel ideas to proliferate in 2010.)
OUR TRACK RECORD (CONT’D.)
• To name just a few Things to Watch from last year (cont’d.):
– Microfinancing’s Second Wave (We forecast that microfinancing would gain a greater
foothold in developed nations, and in mid-2009, U.S.-based Kiva.org—a middleman
between people willing to loan small amounts and entrepreneurs in emerging markets—
responded to Americans’ difficulty with securing credit by expanding to include small,
struggling businesses on its home turf.)

– Other Things to Watch that came to the fore this year included Home as Castle (―Home
owners will be investing in their living spaces as they anticipate spending more weekends
within those walls‖), Affordable Nutrition (―While cheaper, junkier and more calorically
dense food will creep back onto grocery lists, consumers will also be seeking nutritious
options that fit their budgets‖), More Under One Roof (―Households will get larger as
people look to pool resources‖) and Incognito Luxury (―Consumers will be more discreet
about flaunting wealth ... logos will become more subtle and less gaudy‖).
OUR TRACK RECORD (CONT’D.)
• In 2008, we listed French President Nicolas Sarkozy (a runner-up for Time’s
2008 Person of the year); ―radical transparency‖; and the ―staycation.‖

• In 2007, we were right about Barack Obama, Amy Winehouse, Jennifer


Hudson, companies going green and age shuffling.

• Check out the following slides to see what you’ll be hearing more about in
2010. Or to see the interactive version of our 100 Things to Watch in 2010,
go to the ―2010 and beyond‖ section of JWTIntelligence.com.
100 THINGS TO WATCH
IN 2010

IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
1. 3D AT HOME
3D is the new HD. Having successfully
invaded the big screen, it’s on its way to
the small screen: James Cameron,
director of the new 3D film Avatar, will
promote Panasonic’s 3D sets, out next
year, which will compete with versions
from Sony and Samsung. British Sky
Broadcasting is planning to debut a 3D
satellite channel in the U.K. in 2010.

Photo credit: MarkWallace


2. AIRLINE
SUBSCRIPTIONS
United’s new $249 annual fee for
checked luggage locks in flyers and
streamlines the check-in procedure.
With profits down across the industry,
expect other airlines to follow suit.
Lounges, food and concierge services
could all become subscription benefits.

Photo credit: blmurch


3. ALTERNATIVE MEASURES
OF PROSPERITY
France’s Joie de Vivre Index,
initiated by President Nicolas
Sarkozy, is intended to provide a
better assessment of well-being than
the classic measure of economic
health, the GDP (e.g., it considers
indicators such as health care and
family relationships). Sarkozy has
urged other G20 leaders to adopt
new indices too. Look for more
countries or companies to embrace
alternative measures of prosperity,
such as the Triple Bottom Line of
people, profits and planet.
Photo credit: rolands.lakis
4. ALTERNATIVE METALS
IN JEWELRY
With gold prices volatile in recent years,
Asian jewelry makers are turning instead to
precious metals like palladium and titanium.
China’s imports of palladium, which is
cheap, durable and lightweight, have been
rising steadily; look for more jewelry
manufacturers to choose it over gold.

Photo credit: Somma


5. ASIA’S WIDENING
INCOME GAP
The already wide Asian income gap
will explode as inflation runs
rampant: Asia’s rich are fairly
unscathed, and because interest
rates remain paltry, they’re using
their cash to pick up more assets,
like property and commodities; the
poor will only get poorer as the price
of basic necessities skyrockets. More
social unrest could result, especially
in politically volatile countries such
as Thailand, the Philippines, India
and China.

Photo credit: A y A n
6. AUGMENTED REALITY
Augmented reality (AR), the superimposing of
digital information over physical reality, will
make its way into the hands of mass
audiences. AR smartphone apps can show
where subway entrances are located, reveal
prices of nearby homes or label landmarks for
tourists. Marketers are getting in on the act,
including GE and HP, whose AR game Roku’s
Reward has players chase virtual images
layered over reality on a phone’s screen.

Photo credit: Johann Chiang


7. BACON
EVERYWHERE
The humble BLT is getting upstaged: Bacon
is being spotted in everything from cocktails
(made with bacon-infused liquor or the new
Bakon Vodka) to desserts, including bacon-
and-egg ice cream at the famous Fat Duck
in the U.K., a bacon chocolate bar from
Vosges Haut-Chocolat and Lollyphile’s
maple-bacon lollipop.

Photo credit: clevercupcakes


8. BIO-BASED
AIRPLANE FUEL
After three years of trials, carriers
including Continental, Japan Airlines,
Virgin Atlantic and Air New Zealand
are pushing for the use of biofuels in
commercial jets. Mexican carrier
Interjet and U.S.-based JetBlue will
run more flight tests in early 2010.
According to Boeing, a partner in the
initial trials, several plant-based fuels
may get certified for commercial use
by late 2010.

Photo credit: Micah Sittig


9. BOEING 787
DREAMLINER
Boeing’s first all-new jetliner since
the 777 is expected to use 20
percent less fuel than similarly sized
planes, in part because of a reliance
on lightweight plastic composite
materials. Delivery, originally
scheduled for May 2008, is now set
for Q4 2010; 840 orders had already
been placed as of November.

Photo credit: markjhandel


10. BOGOTÁ
With civil conflict in Colombia on
the wane, Bogotá is becoming a
vibrant capital. Colonial-era La
Candelaria, once a guerilla
battleground, now hosts hotels,
cafes and galleries. Chefs and
restaurateurs from around Latin
America, drawn by low rents, are
setting up camp in the Gourmet
Zone (Zona G). Bogotá also flaunts a
newly potent nightlife, driven by its
gay-friendly status and recent
legalization of same-sex unions.

Photo credit: lornapips


11. BRIGHTER
COLORS
Saturated carnival colors—blues, oranges,
greens and yellows—will replace 2009’s paler
palette; think Cirque du Soleil and Alice in
Wonderland. We’ll also see more pink and
orange, a perky antidote to the collective
funk and a combo that designers Blumarine,
Isabel Marant and even Christian Dior
showed for the spring. Brightly colored
accessories and single pieces will help
shoppers spruce up neutral wardrobes
without breaking the bank.

Photo credit: ldhren


12. BUYCOTTING
The opposite of a boycott, a buycott
is supported by consumers who make
a conscious effort to buy from
companies whose environmental and
social policies they support.
Examples: Canadian supporters of
Israel prompted a buycott of Israeli
products; people who agreed with
Whole Foods CEO John Mackey’s
ideas on health care countered a
boycott of the store with a buycott
last summer.

Photo credit: House of Sims


13. CAREY
MULLIGAN
This 24-year-old British actress follows up
her Golden Globe-nominated turn in An
Education with 2010 roles in Wall Street II:
Money Never Sleeps and Never Let Me Go
with Keira Knightley.

Photo credit: canmark


14. COCONUT
WATER
As spring water sales continue to
cool, beverage marketers are
looking for the next big thing. Sales
of coconut water—which is low in
calories and high in potassium—have
doubled this year to roughly $20
million, according to Beverage
Marketing Corp. In September, Coca-
Cola bought a minority stake in
coconut water brand Zico.

Photo credit: Rodrigo_Soldon


15. COMPOSTING
This green habit has been gradually
picking up adherents; in 2010, watch
for widening adoption by both
households and municipalities as
people grow more aware of its
benefits (keeping organic materials
out of landfills, where they release
methane) and are won over by new
devices that make composting easier
and less offputting.

Photo credit: hoyasmeg


16. CONTEMPORARY
INDIAN ART
While contemporary Chinese art has
enjoyed a high profile in the art
world in recent years, works from
that other Asian behemoth have
attracted mostly domestic interest.
That’s changing, especially among
buyers from elsewhere in Asia.
Shanghai’s Museum of Contemporary
Art had an ―India Now‖ exhibition
last summer, and the Saatchi Gallery
in London is spotlighting Indian
artists in a show starting in January.

Photo credit: Random House


17. CORDLESS
POWER
Goodbye, power cords and
disposable batteries. Using magnetic
resonance, a company called
WiTricity is developing a way for
electricity to travel several feet
through the air; products using its
technology could be out by late
2010. Wireless charging is already
here, with companies like Powermat
marketing pads that use magnetic
induction technology to charge
electronic devices.

Photo credit: hamron


18. CUSTOMIZED
PHARMACEUTICALS
Researchers will soon be able to
create drugs customized to the
patient’s DNA. Recent breakthroughs
in cancer research make it clear that
―one size fits all‖ drugs are not the
best approach. Customized medicine
is a map-over from customization in
other sectors, especially food and
nutrition (customized diets, for
example).

Photo credit: Dvortygirl


19. DEFICIT
NEUTRAL
This term—meaning bills that pay for
themselves over a certain budget
period—has become a buzzword in the
debate over President Obama’s health
care proposals; watch for it to become
a mainstay of political debate in these
budget-challenged times.

Photo credit: *_Abhi_*


20. DONALD
GLOVER
The 26-year-old writer, actor, director,
comic and musician, best known for his
work as a writer on 30 Rock, is co-
starring in NBC’s new sitcom Community.
Glover started out with the online
comedy group Derrick Comedy, which
was responsible for this fall’s quirky film
comedy Mystery Team.

Photo credit: Donald Glover


21. DRY
SHAMPOO
Women are discovering dry shampoo—which removes
oil and build-up from hair sans water—as an on-the-
go solution for busy schedules, after-work refreshing
and anytime between regular washes. Exposure is
spreading through new Sephora distributions,
celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe and reality TV star Heidi
Montag, who has a product line in the works.

Photo credit: BitchBuzz


22. EAST AFRICA
WIRED
Getting online in East Africa is slow
and expensive, but that’s changing
as high-speed Internet access finally
arrives. Two undersea cables were
completed this year, and one more
will go online in 2010. Kenya, the
region’s largest economy, can
potentially develop emerging
industries such as call centers and
technology businesses. Rwanda’s
nascent tech industry will also gain.

Photo credit: oneVillage Initiative


23. ELECTRIC CAR
NETWORKS
Networks of charging and battery-
switching stations—where drivers
can quickly replace dead batteries—
are sprouting in countries such as
Denmark and Israel that are moving
toward mass adoption of electric
cars. Five U.S. cities will serve as
test markets for networks developed
by ECOtality, which plans to install
12,750 charge stations in urban
areas and key highway locations.

Photo Credit: frankh


24. ELECTRIC
CARS
GM is set to launch the Chevy Volt in
the U.S., while Nissan will debut the
Leaf in the U.S., Europe and Japan.
Mitsubishi will extend the i MiEV into
more markets; partner Peugeot will
launch it in Europe under the name
iOn. Chinese newcomer BYD will sell
the e6 in the U.S., and Australian
automaker Energetique will
introduce the evMe in Europe.

Photo credit: visnup


25. ELECTRONIC
LIBRARIES
Digital books are fast becoming
available to the public for free:
Libraries are starting to lend e-books
and downloadable audio books that
patrons can access from home;
Google is working with authorities on
its controversial plan to create the
world’s biggest digital library; and
the EU’s i2010 initiative includes a
digital libraries program to make
Europe’s ―cultural resources and
scientific records‖ electronically
accessible.

Photo credit: schex


26. ELLEN ON
IDOL
When the ninth season of American
Idol premieres in January, fans and
skeptics alike will be watching to
see how comedian and TV show host
Ellen DeGeneres fares in the ―nice
judge‖ role vacated by Paula Abdul.

Photo Credit: Alan Light


27. ENERGY
DIETING
The recession has prompted more
businesses and consumers to put
themselves on an ―energy diet‖
(buying more energy-efficient
machines, keeping lights off longer,
etc.). As they rack up savings—and
come to think of themselves as more
green—this practice will become
habit.

Photo credit: avlxyz


28. ETHICAL
FASHION
As upmarket shoppers reject flashy
fashions, they’re increasingly
interested in feel-good luxury,
especially as ethical clothing expands
beyond casual wear. More affordable
options will also proliferate; Walmart,
H&M and American Apparel already
offer organic cotton lines. In the U.K.,
the ethical fashion market has more
than quadrupled in the last five years,
reaching £175 million, according to
Mintel.

Photo credit: DaveBleasdale


29. EUROPEAN
FREE SPEECH
What Dutch newspapers are calling the
―trial of the century‖ will turn the focus of
the debate over Muslim assimilation in
Europe to free speech when it kicks off in
January. Right-wing Dutch parliamentarian
Geert Wilders is being prosecuted for hate
speech crimes for his provocative
opposition to Islam. The trial will add fuel
to a fire stoked recently by the Swiss vote
to ban minarets and French president
Nicolas Sarkozy's opposition to the burqa.

Photo credit: sjgibbs80


30. EXOTIC BERRY
FLAVORS
Watch for several varieties of
hitherto unheard-of antioxidant-rich
berries—among them aronia,
yumberry and maqui berry—to
become the next acai berry: the
must-eat superfood that pops up in
everything from juices and teas to
cereal and energy bars.

Photo credit: joe calhoun


31. FERMENTATION

This age-old, inexpensive process of


preserving vegetables is coming back into
fashion. Cleaner and safer than canning, the
process also produces the healthful bacteria
known as probiotics. Root vegetables,
cabbage and fruits are all well-suited for
fermentation.

Photo credit: igb


32. FERNANDO
TORRES
Spanish football striker Torres, who hit the
top of his game in the 2009 English Premier
League while playing for Liverpool, will don
his national team’s jersey for the 2010 World
Cup. ―El Niño,‖ who at 25 has clocked a
record 60 games for his national side, is sure
to command headlines.

Photo credit: Nigel Wilson


33. FOURSQUARE
Foursquare is a mobile gaming app that uses
geo-tagging technology to help users find and
share new bars, restaurants and other venues
with friends. Available for several dozen
cities worldwide so far, it will expand its
reach in 2010, and gain new users and venues
in existing locales. Foursquare is a leading
player in the emerging category of games
that leverage the convergence of
smartphones, GPS and the social Web.

Photo credit: cote


34. GAMBLING IN
SINGAPORE
Singapore will get its first casinos,
projects that follow the
government’s 2005 legalization of
casino gaming in a bid to boost the
city-state’s allure. Two mega-
casinos—Resorts World, on the
holiday island of Sentosa, and the
Marina Bay Sands—will attract the
attention of holidaymakers (and
gamblers) from the region and
beyond.

Photo credit: conorwithonen


35. GAMING
SOFTWARE
With the rise of cheap apps, gaming is shifting
from a focus around hardware to a software-
centric industry. Watch for console sales to slip
and the number of game titles accessible
through the cloud or as apps to explode. And
as companies scramble to adapt games for
handhelds, expect fewer sophisticated releases
designed for home platforms.

Photo credit: tvol


36. GREEN
RETROFITS
The retrofitting of homes and buildings to
make them more energy efficient will ramp
up. In the U.S., tax credits and stimulus
money for this purpose will help drive
change; California has allocated as much as
$3.1 billion to cut residential power needs,
including retrofitting programs. Changes in
regulations are also helping to motivate
commercial landlords and developers, plus
green buildings can command higher prices
and tend to move faster.

Photo credit: Center for Neighborhood Technology


37. GREENING
THE PALATE
People will become increasingly aware of
the impact their food choices make on the
environment, well beyond local sourcing
issues. Some foods (notably red meat) have
a much bigger carbon footprint than
others; some choices are better in terms of
water consumption; and foods with palm
oil are being linked to rainforest
destruction. In Sweden, which is
formulating dietary guidelines that take
emissions into account, some restaurants
and food manufacturers are already listing
emissions information.

Photo credit: paPisc


38. HAND-ME-UPS

More people will start ―handing up‖ their


cell phones, digital cameras, computers
and other electronic gadgets to their
parents when they want to upgrade. The
older items are often easier to master for
those interested only in these tools’ basic
functions.

Photo credit: sergis blog


39. HANDWRITING
Many children today can’t write quickly
and clearly by hand, and their elders
aren’t much better. The art of
handwriting will make a return as an
offshoot of both the slow and traditionalist
movements.

Photo credit: a.drian


40. HARRY POTTER
IN ORLANDO
Another year, another Potter
phenomenon: This time it’s the
Wizarding World of Harry Potter at
Universal Orlando’s Islands of
Adventure park, opening in spring
2010. Expect hordes of Potterites to
descend on the attractions, shops
and restaurants of Hogsmeade
Village.

Photo credit: ffg


41. HAUTE FASHION
ON EBAY
High-profile designers have been
doing ―masstige‖ collections for
H&M, Target and other budget
retailers for a while, but look for the
lines between high and low to blur
even further in a post-recession
economy. Narciso Rodriguez, most
famous for Michelle Obama’s
election night dress, will sell a sub-
$350 line exclusively through eBay
this spring.

Photo credit: liewcf


42. HYBRID
BOATS
Hybrid boats are a challenge to
engineer, given the power needed to
overcome water resistance, but a
few are already on the market, and
more are expected as stricter
standards for marine engines go into
effect. The Epic 23e, the first hybrid
sport boat, shipped in September;
other manufacturers offer a hybrid
pleasure boat, a yacht and a
catamaran-style speedboat.

Photo credit: Port of San Diego


43. IMPACT OF THE
U.K. GENERAL ELECTION
While opinion polls suggest the
Conservative Party has double-digit
leads over Gordon Brown’s Labour
Party, six months is a lifetime in
politics. The result of the elections
will help shape global politics for the
near future.

Photo credit: World Economic Forum


44. IRONIC
SPORTS
Disenchanted with the regulated
uniformity of traditional team
sports, athletes in cities worldwide
are inventing their own, generally a
combo of team and urban sports
that appeal to the players’ sense of
individuality. Sports like bicycle
polo, beach tennis and roller derby
will continue to gain momentum.

Photo credit: TurtleBayResort


45. JAPAN ON
THE SIDELINES
China will bump Japan from its
position as the world’s second
biggest economy. The recession, the
rising unemployment rate and
Japan’s aging population are helping
to push the former powerhouse to
the sidelines. While China’s
economy has grown about 10
percent a year for the last decade,
Japan’s per-capita GDP has fallen to
19th in the world.

Photo credit: artemuestra


46. JAPAN’S
FIRST LADY
While Japan’s first spouses tend to
stay out of the spotlight, Miyuki
Hatoyama promises to be different.
She’s already made a name for
herself—as a musical actress and
―tarento‖ (talent) on the talk show
circuit, a cookbook author and a
self-described UFO passenger—and
her colorful personality is unlikely to
stay in the shadows now that
Japan’s old guard is out.

Photo credit: Lawrence Jackson, White House photographer


47. JAY
CHOU
One of Asia’s biggest pop stars, Taiwanese
singer/actor Chou will make his Hollywood
debut as Kato—a role originally made
famous by Bruce Lee—in Michel Gondry’s
Green Hornet, due out Christmas 2010. In
Hong Kong, Chou has been the best-selling
Mandarin artist for the past four years.

Photo credit: buncheduptv


48. KINDLE
RIVALS
The e-reader market is finally giving
Amazon’s Kindle some competition:
There’s Sony’s Reader Daily Edition,
which has a few advantages over the
Kindle, along with Barnes & Noble’s
recently released Nook. Plastic Logic
is launching the Que, Samsung is
entering the market, and Apple’s
upcoming tablet reportedly will also
compete in this space. Amazon
recently dropped the Kindle’s price
to better compete.

Photo credit: richardmasoner


49. LED
BULBS
CFLs are rapidly replacing
incandescents, but LED bulbs use
even less energy, last longer (up to
50,000 hours) and don’t contain
mercury. The catch is their price tag
(roughly $40 to $100-plus per bulb),
but new breakthroughs are likely to
bring costs down. The U.S.
Department of Energy is testing the
first entry for its L Prize, a contest
to create a better LED-based
alternative to a 60-watt bulb, from
Philips.

Photo credit: trenttsd


50. LI
NING
The Nike of China, named for the
country’s Olympic medalist hero, is
cautiously expanding globally,
thanks to a massive rebranding. Li
Ning products are based on the
Chinese concept of sport as a
person’s overall movement—active
moments integrated into everyday
life—rather than a formal,
categorized activity.

Photo credit: www.lining.com


51. LIFESTREAMING

Online sharing will accelerate with


the emergence of lifestreaming:
aggregating one’s social media
channels via applications like
Posterous and Tumblr, resulting in a
centralized stream of text, images,
videos and links. This new
communication channel bridges old-
school blogs and Twitter. AOL has a
lifestreaming platform, and Yahoo!
is said to have one in the works.

Photo credit: fbueno.net


52. LIONEL
MESSI
This increasingly prolific 22-year-old
Argentinean will be a player to
watch during the 2010 World Cup. A
star for Barcelona, Messi is being
touted as the greatest left-footer
since Maradona, who has called him
the world’s best player; Messi has
already won the Ballon d’Or and
FIFA World Player of the Year
nominations, as well as Olympic
Gold.

Photo credit: prettyfriendship


53. LITTLE
BOOTS
This British electro-pop artist has both
pop-star potential (with comparisons to
Lady Gaga and Kylie Minogue) and an indie
music following. She’s building momentum
among American and Japanese fans of
―smart pop,‖ who love her DIY vibe and
homemade YouTube videos, in which she
plays the Tenori-on, a ―beat visualizer‖
from Japan.

Photo credit: DesheBoard


54. LOCAL, NONPROFIT
ONLINE NEWSPAPERS
Watch for more so-called public
media organizations that emulate
the Voice of San Diego, MinnPost in
the Twin Cities, the new Texas
Tribune and a well-funded upcoming
San Francisco venture, among
others. Meanwhile, legislation
before the U.S. Congress would help
existing newspapers gain nonprofit
status.

Photo credit: alex-s


55. LOST
SERIES FINALE
In 2007, ABC announced that Lost
would end its run in May 2010.
Expect Seinfeld-level buzz to
surround the sixth-season conclusion
to the complex thriller.

Photo credit: hairlichkeit


56. LUXURY
GOES EAST
With developed-world consumers
eschewing conspicuous consumption
and China now home to more high-
net-worth individuals than the U.K.,
the high-end luxury market is
moving East. Record-breaking sales
in fine wine, antique diamonds and
art at Sotheby’s auctions in Hong
Kong point to an upper class that’s
looking to amass tangible assets,
flaunt their success and stand out
from the crowd. This is likely to
influence product development as
well as business models.

Photo credit: Hong Kong dear Edward


57. MARINA
SILVA
Some are comparing this Brazilian
politician and environmentalist to
President Obama: She’s black,
charismatic and from a poor family.
Earlier this year she was awarded
the Sophie Prize, an environment
and development award. Although a
long shot, she’s expected to run in
the 2010 presidential election.

Photo credit: Egeu Laus


58. MIA
WASIKOWSKA
2010’s biggest new ingénue may be Mia
Wasikowska, who plays the title role in
Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, due
in March. She’ll also co-star in The Kids
Are All Right with Annette Bening and
Julianne Moore. The 20-year-old
Australian is so far best known for her
role as Sophie in HBO’s In Treatment.

Photo credit: Loren Javier


59. MICHAEL JACKSON
TRIBUTE CONCERT
A mega-concert to honor Jackson,
originally slated for September 2009
in Vienna, will take place at
London’s Wembley Stadium in June,
a year after the King of Pop’s death.
Expect more hyped-up global
coverage.

Photo credit: ricardodiaz11


60. MOBILE
MONEY
Increasingly, people will be able to
send money via their mobile phones
as quickly as they would a text
message. In the developing world,
this helps entrepreneurs overcome
infrastructure issues, and allows
banks and retailers to reach people
in remote rural areas; in the
developed world, it may breathe
new life into retail markets.

Photo credit: Asim Bijarani


61. MOBILE
TICKETING
Flashing cell phones at airports and
event venues will replace paper
tickets. Traditional boarding passes
are becoming passé, with some
major airports using scanners to
read bar-coded passes and several
airlines shifting to paperless check-
in. Ticketmaster started large-scale
mobile ticketing in the U.S. in April;
Bollywood fans don’t need tickets
torn at Indian cinemas; and a new
service from ticket operator Paylogic
and Mobiqa, an innovator in mobile
ticketing, is rolling out in the
Netherlands.
Photo credit: kawanet
62. MORE VIRTUAL
CURRENCIES
Watch for peer-to-peer virtual
currencies to expand beyond the
realms of online gaming and Second
Life. Hub Culture, for example, is a
global network of people who trade
goods, services and knowledge using
a digital currency called Ven. Social
networks with built-in trust and
reputation factors will help drive
this trend. Some are rallying around
Craig Newmark to create a digital
currency around Craigslist.

Photo credit: Ivan Walsh


63. NEW PORTRAIT OF
HISPANIC AMERICA
For the first time, English-Spanish
Census forms will be distributed to
13 million households in high-density
Hispanic areas. The 2010 Census will
also define Hispanic as an ethnicity,
separate from race, potentially
boosting the number of Hispanics
counted.

Photo credit: Adrian Miles ©


64. “NUTRITION-WASHING”

Watch for a backlash from


government authorities and experts
against the proliferation of health and
nutrition claims from food and
beverage brands. Much as
―greenwashing‖ has made consumers
skeptical about brands’ environmental
claims, shoppers will increasingly take
health messaging with a grain of salt.

Photo credit: Dan4th


65. OBESOGENS

Watch for policies on environment


pollutants to be spurred by a
growing body of research on
obesogens, chemical compounds in
the environment—notably from
plastics—that can turn developing
cells into fat cells. These stay with a
child for life, making weight loss
difficult.

Photo credit: everyone’s idle


66. ORGANIC
FAST FOOD
Organic is the new hook in quick-service
eateries, with chains such as Organic to
Go and O!Burger popping up around the
U.S. The wave is hitting Europe too. Look
for more chains in more regions.

Photo credit: kyz


67. PANDEMIC
FATALISM
SARS, avian flu, swine flu ... we’ve
been bombarded with so many
candidates for a global pandemic
and so much media hyperventilation
that, for better or worse, we’ll soon
start to tune out.

Photo credit: Y
68. PAYING FOR
ONLINE CONTENT
Content providers will attempt to engineer
a paradigm shift from free to fee. Five
major magazine and newspaper publishers
in the U.S. recently launched a venture
that would create an iTunes-like digital
store for their content. In the U.K., about
70 percent of respondents to an annual
survey by the Association of Online
Publishers said they plan to start charging
for content or already do so.

Photo credit: stevendepolo


69. THE
PIRATE PARTY
While critics dismiss them as just a
bunch of kids proclaiming their
right to free file-sharing, this
grassroots movement is broadening
to embrace issues of the digital
age: censorship, privacy rights and
civil liberties on the Web. The
Pirate Party, active in 28 countries
in Europe and North America, is
already the third-largest in Sweden
(home of Pirate Bay, the
controversial file-sharing site),
where one member was elected to
the European Parliament last June
and another, last November.
Photo credit: theimpressionist.co.uk
70. PLAYSTATION 3
MOTION CONTROLLER
In spring 2010, Sony will challenge
Nintendo’s Wii with a motion
controller that, when used in
combination with the PlayStation
Eye camera, can also detect a
player’s voice, body motion and face
and show the player’s image on the
TV screen.

Photo credit: włodi


71. POST-LULA
BRAZIL
Called ―the most popular politician on
earth‖ by President Obama, Brazilian
president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has ably
guided his nation through the downturn.
But Lula’s term expires next year, and
everyone in Latin America will be
watching to see how Brazil defines its
future come the October elections.

Photo credit: World Economic Forum


72. PRO
MODDING
Video game ―modding‖—modifying
software to create new content—
has thus far been strictly amateur,
but in 2010 several titles will allow
users to modify or add content and
sell their version through the
developer’s distribution network.
Modders will receive a share of
profits. For example, musicians can
sell their tracks in the Rock Band
virtual store (subject to peer
review) at prices they set
themselves.

Photo credit: mark sebastian


73. PUBLIC
BICYCLES
These are becoming common street
furniture in cities worldwide as an
antidote to traffic, pollution and
obesity. Next year Boston and
London will roll out public-use bikes;
Paris and Barcelona both embraced
similar programs in the last two
years. This year, dozens of European
cities pledged in the Charter of
Brussels to boost the number of
commuter trips by bike to 15
percent by 2020. The first global
urban bicycling conference takes
place in June in Copenhagen.
Photo credit: infomatique
74. RECYCLING
GRAY WATER
As water shortages become a growing
problem around the world, watch for more
focus on recycling ―gray water‖—
wastewater from bathing, dishwashing,
etc.—in residential and commercial
buildings. Government regulation is being
loosened to allow its use, primarily for
landscape irrigation and in toilets.

Photo credit: Wonderlane


75. RETAIL AS
THIRD SPACE
Retail spaces will increasingly serve
as a ―third space‖ that’s only partly
about shopping. Cash-strapped
consumers can enjoy free services
and entertainment or just socialize,
while retailers attract more
potential shoppers. Apple stores are
a prime example; now Apple’s Steve
Jobs is leading a revamp of Disney
stores intended to make them more
experiential. In China, IKEA has
become a daytrip destination—
whether or not visitors have any
intention to buy.
Photo credit: Max Braun
76. RETURN OF THE
WATER FOUNTAIN
The water fountain is undergoing a resurgence
and redesign as people seek alternatives to
single-use plastic bottles. New water-refilling
stations charge a small fee for replenishing
reusable bottles. Several so-called HydraChill
stations, installed in London in October,
charge 20 pence, which goes to an
environmental group.

Photo credit: Dan..


77. RUNAWAY
DEMOCRACY
For better or worse, the public will
increasingly expect—and be
granted—a say in matters ranging
from governance (Americans had a
chance to submit ideas to the new
Obama administration) to business
(in 2010, U.K. Walmart subsidiary
Asda will involve customers in
product development and other
business decisions) to entertainment
(concertgoers voting via SMS on a
band’s encore song).

Photo credit: ponchosquealº


78. SILENT DANCE
PARTIES
The idea of dancing to the beat
via headphones—allowing
partyers to pick their preferred
music genre while leaving the
neighbors undisturbed—is
moving beyond music festivals
and alternative venues. In the
U.K., silent discos have been
featured at weddings, Silent
Sound Systems sells home kits,
and several companies are
focused around organizing these
parties.

Photo credit: lu_lu


79. SKI CROSS AT
WINTER OLYMPICS
The Vancouver Olympics will mark the
Winter Games debut of this sport, which
combines freestyle and alpine skills on
rigorous courses and is likely to bring new
excitement to the ski competitions.

Photo credit: Tim in Sydney


80. SLOW
BEVERAGES
There’s ―slow food,‖ and now there
are slow-down beverages—anti-Red
Bulls. Brands including Slow Cow,
Drank, Jones GABA, Mary Jane’s
Relaxing Soda and OmegaChill are
fortified with ingredients such as
chamomile, melatonin and valerian
root that purportedly promote
calming; some take on the energy-
drink category directly by claiming
to also boost mental focus and
concentration.

Photo credit: Francis Bourgouin


81. SLOW
COMMUNICATION
A backlash against today’s
proliferation of speedy and
thoughtless Tweets, status updates
and e-mails, and our always-on,
skim-and-pass-along communication
habits. Watch for more Web-based
products and services like
woofertime.com, a Twitter-parody
site that requires at least 1,400
characters per post, and Email
Addict from Google Labs, which
forces 15-minute e-mail breaks by
freezing the user’s e-mail window.

Photo credit: kafka4prez


82. SPANISH
E-BOOKS
Watch for Spanish-speaking countries to join
the e-book age: In the first big announcement
related to digital books in Spanish, several of
Latin America’s major publishing houses have
joined together to offer a catalog of Spanish
e-books, due in May.

Photo credit: ceslava.com


83. SPIDER-MAN ON
BROADWAY
The classic superhero will make his next
appearance on the Great White Way
come February. The director of
Broadway’s The Lion King will helm
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, while
U2’s Bono and Edge will collaborate on
the music.

Photo credit: shane o mac


84. SPOTIFY

This year-old ad-based and subscription


streaming-music service allows users to
listen to music anytime, anywhere for free.
It’s big in Europe and is expanding to the
U.S. and Canada. A Spotify iPhone app was
recently released, and there’s talk of
building a social network around the service.

Photo credit: cellanr


85. STEPHEN
STRASBURG
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2009
Major League Baseball draft
recently signed a record four-
year, $15.1 million contract with
the Washington Nationals. The
21-year-old rookie’s 2010
Nationals debut is keeping fans in
high anticipation.

Photo credit: MissChatter


86. STEVIA

A year after the U.S. FDA approved this


no-calorie herbal sweetener for use in
food and beverages, an array of stevia-
sweetened products touting ―all natural‖
claims are on their way to market.
Although manufacturers are still working
out taste issues, Mintel expects stevia
sales to jump from $21 million in 2008 to
upward of $2 billion by the end of 2011.

Photo credit: Akajos


87. TACTILE/VISUAL
DESIGN
With the proliferation of touch
screens, watch for more
tactile/visual experiences that
borrow from games to creep
into user interface design—
e.g., users unlock the T-Mobile
G1 phone by drawing specific
patterns on the screen. This
type of contextual pattern
matching is great for easy
recall and makes mundane
actions more fun, interactive
and intuitive.

Photo credit: bpedro


88. TRIP
BUNDLING
Business travelers are saving
money and cutting down their
time away from home by trading
multiple short trips for longer
ones that combine two or three
destinations.

Photo credit: edkohler


89. TV FOR
TWEEN BOYS
TV marketers have many avenues
for reaching tween girls, but boys
are more elusive. Now Cartoon
Network is targeting this
demographic with live-action and
reality shows like Dude, What
Would Happen. Disney’s
rebranded channel Disney XD is
counting on partnerships with
ESPN and the anime series Naruto
Shippuden; its purchase of Marvel
Entertainment also brings icons
like Iron Man and Spider-Man into
the fold.
Photo credit: mobu27
90. TV/WEB
INTEGRATION
At the same time that TV viewers are
migrating in droves to the Web, many
new TV sets are adding Web access
capabilities. As real-time, interactive
TV viewing gains steam, watch for
more live chat and Tweeting to
accompany broadcasts. Watch also for
more futuristic technology, like the
remote control IBM is developing that
automatically blogs or Tweets what
the user is watching.

Photo credit: sarahintampa


91. URBAN FRUIT
GLEANING
Mix the traditional practice of collecting
leftovers from farmers’ fields with social
networking and you’ve got urban fruit
gleaning. Web sites in the U.S., U.K. and
Canada encourage produce proponents to
post about fruit trees in public areas that
can be harvested and surplus goods from
home gardens, and connect people who
want to swap too many tomatoes for a
bumper crop of apples.

Photo credit: MizGingerSnaps


92. U.S.-CUBA
TIES
The Obama administration has
been working to make Cuba more
accessible to U.S. citizens and
businesses. As Congress continues
to debate lifting the trade
embargo, more Americans say it’s
time to establish ties with their
nearby neighbor. The island is a
potential market for everything
from agricultural products to
telecommunications to
automobiles.

Photo credit: futureatlas.com


93. VIDEO

Portable video cameras are in the


hands of more people than ever,
with the addition of video to the
iPhone 3GS and the updated iPod
Nano. Look for video content to
surge, further driving the boom in
online video viewership. And expect
more surreptitiously filmed
surveillance footage. A fitness chain
in Minnesota has already banned
Nanos from locker rooms.

Photo credit: tomsun


94. VIRTUAL
HOUSE CALLS
More doctors are seeing patients
via the Web, whether they are
across town, across the country
or on the other side of the world.
While telemedicine gives people
in remote locations better access
to care, it’s increasingly being
seen as a way for busy patients
everywhere to get attention more
quickly. It could also be a
prescription for reducing health
care costs.

Photo credit: southerntabitha


95. VOLUNTEER
REWARDS
A new model is emerging to encourage
volunteerism: Give something, get
something in return. U.S.-based Sage
Hospitality’s ―Give a Day, Get a Night‖ offer
provides free accommodation at their hotels
to people who donate a day of their time to
charity. In January, Disney kicks off ―Give a
Day, Get a Disney Day,‖ which will reward a
million certified U.S. volunteers with a free
day in a Disney park.

Photo credit: Loren Javier


96. WATER FOOTPRINT
TRACKING
The latest eco-conscious label in the consumer
packaged goods industry tells consumers how
much water was used to produce a product.
Finnish food manufacturer Ravintoraisio is one of
the first companies to adopt the water footprint
indicator.

Photo credit: dumbledad


97. THE WATERLESS
WASHING MACHINE
Using nylon polymer beads, which
pull stains off fabric, this machine
requires just a cup of water. It
saves energy as well: Since the
clothes come out virtually dry,
there’s little need for a dryer. The
washers, developed by U.K.
company Xeros, will initially be
marketed to commercial laundry
operations, beginning in 2010.

Photo credit: Izzard


98. THE
WINE-TAIL
Sangria is old news: Mixing wine
with juices, hard spirits and soda
is going in new directions as
mixologists create various ―wine-
tails.‖ These cocktails come
without the high alcohol
content—appealing in these tone-
it-down times.

Photo credit: biskuit


99. THE
WONDER GIRLS
With their good looks, slick packaging,
infectious pop songs and trend-setting videos,
this South Korean girl group has conquered
Asia and has its sights on the rest of the
world. The Girls, who recently became the
first Korean act to crack the Top 100 Billboard
chart in the U.S., will release their next U.S.
album in February.

Photo credit: amylynne.


100. ZACH
GALIFIANAKIS
Hollywood’s newest lovable, schlubby nerd is a
40-year-old actor and comedian whose breakout
role in 2009’s The Hangover has led to co-
starring roles in Due Date with Robert Downey
Jr. and Dinner for Schmucks with Steve Carell,
both due in 2010.

Photo credit: www.zachgalifianakis.com


THANK YOU

109

Ann M. Mack, Director of Trendspotting, JWT Worldwide, ann.mack@jwt.com

WWW. JWT.COM | WWW.JWTINTELLIGENCE.COM | WWW.ANXIETYINDEX.COM

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