Trends, Networks,

and CriticalThinking
in the 21st Century
TRENDS HUMSS 12-A
Introduction
Trends and Fads

By The end of this lesson, the class

will learn to:
• Define a trend
• Explain the process on how to spota trend
• Differentiate a trend from a fad
• Describe the different
• characteristics of a trend
• Identify parts of a whole
• Identify emerging patterns
• See, discover and differentiate
• relationships between causes and
• consequences

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TRENDS AND
FADS

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What is a Trend?

• According to Brannon (2000), a trend is a”look [that] has the appeal of “newness”
because it has been missing or scarce in the marketplace.”
• It occurs when there is a building of awareness on this new idea and its presence
produces an increasing demand or need for that particular new idea among
consumers (Brannon 2000)
• A pattern or a conceptualized idea that has the prospect of providing or having a
continuing influence for a longer period of time due to its increasing and sustained
presence and effect or even demand among its consumers in the case of a product.
•

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What is a Fad?

• Often interchanged with Trend because many consider them synonymous.

• A fad however is a more short-lived idea or temporary event that is usually called as “a
flash in the pan” because the popularity and reception of consumers is relatively small
as well.
• To put it simply, a fad has a shorter staying power in the market. When a fad reaches a
certain point of its popularity, it declines and eventually disappears in the market.

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Characteristics of a Fad
Fads involve a lesser number of people and has a shorter duration of time. Below are some characteristics of a fad

• Fad is confined to particular segments in society

• Fad is trivial because of its short life expectancy. It is prone to being outmoded.
• Fad is not created but it is just revived from a style that existed all along in the lives of
some subgroup (Meyersohn and Katz 1957 as cited by Brannon 2000)

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Process of Identifying a Trend
According to Samuel (as cited by Brannon 2000), a look becomes a trend if it undergoes the following stages:

1. Fringe Stage
In this stage, an innovative idea, whether in the form of a new product, service, or in other
forms, develops into the market or becomes known to trendiest consumers. In this stage,
entrepreneurial and business firms participate to develop and innovate ideas.

2. Trendy
In this stage, consumer and public awareness of the trend grows as the early adopters
participate together with the innovators to increase the perceptibility of the trend. During this
stage, “the most fashion-forward brands and retailers” assess the viability of the concept. They
usually conduct test-market researches
3. Mainstream
The “conservative consumers” join the trend. The idea’s popularity and acceptance continues
to increase, and the corporations and company brands exploit the growing demand for that
idea. In this stage, the trend becomes a mainstream product or service
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Process of Identifying a Trend

...When it happens, the following can occur:

• The trend can fade away once majority of the consumers tested the product or idea. They
could either accept or reject the idea. If the idea’s acceptance or rejection ocured over a short
period of time and its appeal was limited to a small number of consumers, the trend is
reduced into a fad.
• When consumers buy or support the trend by doing multiple purchases, the trend reaches a
plateau level of acceptance and stays at that same level. If the trend persists or stays for a long
period of time, the trend is called

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Process of Identifying a Trend

...When it happens, the following can occur:

• When consumers buy or support the trend by doing multiple purchases, the trend reaches a
plateau level of acceptance and stays at that same level. If the trend persists or stays for a long
period of time, the trend is called a classic.
• A classic refers to a look or trend that is always present in some form that is appropriate across
diverse occasions and accepted by diverging consumer groups.

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Process of Identifying a Trend

...When it happens, the following can occur:

• Another possibility is the fragmentation of a trend. A trend fragmentation or microtrend

happens when there is a recent development in the trend or a reinvention which leads to the
fringe of stage of a trend.

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Elements and Characteristics of a Trend
A trend has different elements that differentiate it from a fad. By analyzing the different elements of a trend, you can
determine its difference from a fad. Below are some of the elements of a trend”

1. Duration of time
Trends have longer staying power and enjoy a longer period of popularity. The lifespan of
products or ideas that become trends do not disappear quickly as opposed to a fad.
2. Acceptability
Trends are popularly accepted by many industries and people. Trends tend to stay longer
because they receive popular support from consumers and companies who believe on these
trends as accepted ideas or patterns that can endure time.

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Elements and Characteristics of a Trend
A trend has different elements that differentiate it from a fad. By analyzing the different elements of a trend, you can
determine its difference from a fad. Below are some of the elements of a trend”

3. Cultural Basis
A trend is rooted on the people’s cultural
traditions and beliefs, and values. A trend
persists and continues because people have
seen it as a part of their society’s culture.
Because a trend has a form of connection with
a society’s culture, it does not have a short
period of popularity.
for example. Buffet restaurants in the
Philippines

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Elements and Characteristics of a Trend
A trend has different elements that differentiate it from a fad. By analyzing the different elements of a trend, you can
determine its difference from a fad. Below are some of the elements of a trend”

4. Transitory increase or decrease

A trend shows a transitory increase or decrease of a particular idea, event, or phenomenon
(Brannon 2000). There are trends that have lasted longer period of time, like population
growth or rise in HIV cases in the Philippines. But all trends have the potential to eventually
slow down and decline.

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Differences of Trends and Fads

1. Duration of time
2. Number of industries affected
3. Industry acceptance
4. Consumer adoption and perception of overall quality
5. Reason for rise
6. Incubation period and life span
7. Scope
8. Cultural Roots

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Duration of time
Differences of Trends and Fads

• A fad product enjoys a few months of unexpected popularity, but disappears just as
quickly as it appears. The lifespan of most fads is notoriously short, but if a fad item
becomes a trend, it can remain popular for decades. 29
Number of industries affected
Differences of Trends and Fads

• A fad often appears in a single industry and rarely crosses over into others.

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Industry acceptance
Differences of Trends and Fads

• Investing in a fad item can be risky for companies known for setting trends. It can be
very difficult to tell the difference between one and the other before the
product/service reaches the buying public.
• Smaller companies often have the flexibility necessary to promote the faddish item,
while larger companies tend to wait until the initial smoke clears and a trend can be
determine.

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Consumer adoption and perception of
overall quality
Differences of Trends and Fads

• Fad items are rarely expected to stand for a longer period of time, but trends tend to
survive the decade in which they were created. This can be attributed to the overall
quality of the trend introduced.
• Trends are items introduced in the market that have greater consumer adoption due
to their effectiveness.
• Some fads that eventually lose following are products of false advertising so they
eventually die after a few months or years.

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Reasons of rise
Differences of Trends and Fads

• Trends generally have identifiable and explainable increases caused by the consumers’
needs and in consonance with other consumer lifestyle trends.
• On the other hand, fads are determined by an emotional need to purchase, based on
publicity and fervent product opinions.
• The benefits are ill-conceived or not assured, and most of the time they do not
necessarily deliver what was promised to the consumers.

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Incubation period and life span
Differences of Trends and Fads

• Trends develop slowly while fads increase, decrease, and eventually die out quickly.

• Trends have longer staying power. They take longer to build and their effects may be
felt for years and sometimes even decades.

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Scope
Differences of Trends and Fads

• A trend usually includes several brands or products that are applicable to diverse
consumer segments, while a fad normally includes only a single brand or product and
has limited appeal outside of one narrow segment.
• A trend possesses some agility and consumers have granted it permission to expand
beyond its current platform while maintaining authenticity.
• A fad experiences rapid acceptance among consumers with a weak level of
commitment to the idea or concept because may consumers hop onto the “craze”
only to find later that the product or experience was more difficult or less useful/
beneficial than they thought it would be.

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Cultural roots
Differences of Trends and Fads

• Trends have deeper cultural roots than fads because the latter cross borders easily.
• Trends do not cross cultural borders as easily as fads do. Trends have cultural
attachments to the society in which it is introduced.
• If a fad has no cultural connection with the people, its popularity and acceptability is
short-lived

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