Info-Currents May Issue: Innovation Stems from Emerging Markets, TV Cord Cutters on the Rise, Temporary Social Media

Emerging trend: Innovation in technology, communication and other media-related fields will come from abroad. Latest Nielsen research shows that 31 percent of the world’s innovation (e.g., new product development) came from developing markets, up from 25 percent in 2008.

Implication: Silicon Valley will continue to push for increased quota on work visas to draw talent. Meanwhile, multi-nationals will need smart and fast approaches to apply emerging ideas from Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe to additional markets. 

Action: Stay abreast of emerging ideas from around the world by following PSFK and Springwise’s global network of idea curators. To answer ‘what’s next’, hold global brainstorms and invest in technologies that connect employees from different regions.

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Emerging trend: TV cord-cutters are outpacing the number of TV subscribers. According to Convergence Consulting TV cord-cutters surpassed 1 million people in 2012, while only 31,000 people subscribed to TV in the US.

Implication: TV cord cutters will extend movies’ lifetime by increasing demand for DVDs and digital on-demand viewing.

Action: Build creative, engaging experiences online that accompany the movies and TV series viewers watch on demand.

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Emerging trend: Temporary social media – posts that self-destruct after a designated time as in Snapchat -- provide relief to those embarrassed by their past Facebook status updates.

           

Implication: Vanishing social media posts can reduce the value of digital/mobile content and change content marketing dynamics.

Action: Pay close attention to engagement levels and content shared on temporary social media platforms.  Do people post more frequently and share more freely? What do people choose to post temporarily and what do they save and index? The answers to these questions can provide tips for marketers who need to drive participation in social media programs. 

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