Andy Warhol once said that “in the future, everyone will be famous for 15 min”; the truth is, every day, someone is famous for 15 seconds.
There was a time not too long ago when in order to be a cultural maven on any subject, you would actually have to dedicate a good portion of your day or night to research on a specified topic (e.g., music, arts, film, fashion, etc.) College students would spend weekends checking new bands, and retailers wanders would scour the East Village for new designers and uses of the “Hello Kitty” trademark. Only a few in a circle of friends could be trusted to be trend extenders.
The Internet has provided us with the largest published trend library in history. With just a few clicks, you can instantly discover the hottest band and the hippest fashions. Not only is this information accessible, it is easily disseminated. Today, we are connected through a network of instant communication. Whether it is email, bloggs, text messaging or Web surfing, consumers today are spreading the “word” about what is hot and what is not. No longer do we look to magazines to find out what new music is out there. We are trading information and the music itself with like-minded peers looking for new experiences. You can establish your position as alpha trend extender in you peer set and stay on top with a few dedicated minutes of surfing a day. In the course of one day, I routinely receive emails from my peers about upcoming shows, new music, the latest marketing trends and next season-fashions.
As cell phones become more advanced and Internet communities even more robust, people are going to have more and more ways to discover and spread trends and ideas.
Michael Kosowicz
Senior Partner