Mini is dealing with fake campaign phenomenon in an online series of videos! (international)

Fake viral campaigns have increased on the internet for the
past two years.
Mini’s latest campaign promoting the new Clubman is laughing
at this new phenomenon in an online series of videos. Mini
Clubman viral ads give a surreal interpretation of what is
actually not a standard type of viral adverts. In this online ad It
takes a few minutes for the actors and the internet users to
realize that they are not in a fake campaign but in a viral add, until
one of the actor, driving the car; delivers the video purpose saying” I
got it, it is fake, we’re in an viral video!!!!”
This imaginative ad dealing with a real issue has been viewed
more than 55 000 times since March 25, 2009.

"INNOVATION JUBILATION" 50+ new business ideas that defy doom and gloom

By now, virtually everyone has chimed in on how innovation is the only way out of the recession. So instead of adding more theory, let’s have a look at actual B2C innovations from recession-defying entrepreneurs and brands around the world.

Yes, we all agree that innovation is the only way out of the current mess that both mature and not-so-mature consumer societies find themselves in. We’re talking basically anything that will get consumers spending again, and preferably the kind of spending that involves sustainable goods, services and experiences.

There will never be a shortage of smart new ventures, brands, goods and services that deliver on consumers’ wants and needs. And if those wants and needs currently revolve around practicality, efficiency and responsibility, and less about traditional luxury, splurging and upgrading, then that’s what brands should deliver on.

"SELLSUMERS" If saving is the New Spending, then Selling is the New Saving

A recession-induced need for cash, and an ever-growing infrastructure enabling individuals to act as (part-time) entrepreneurs, are fueling concepts that help ordinary consumers make money instead of just spending it.

Whether it’s selling their insights to corporations, hawking their creative output to fellow consumers, or renting out unused assets, consumers will increasingly become SELLSUMERS, too. Made possible by the online revolution’s great democratization of demand and supply, and further fueled by a global recession that leaves consumers strapped for cash, the SELLSUMERS phenomenon is yet another manifestation of the mega-trend that is 'consumer participation'.

Ikea Leko is Car Sharing not Car Making

Fast Company reported today that the mysterious cloth draped car called the ‘Ikea Leko’ is actually a car sharing program in conjunction with Comuto, the French ride-sharing company behind Covoiturage.fr, for 26 IKEA locations in France. The service will be similar to the Ikea/zipcar program in the US pictured above.
While we’re bummed that the reveal won’t be either a real car or a clever April fools internet hoax, it is nice to see the retailer expanding this service to more locations.

Trendwatching: Eco-Bounty

While financial woes may hold back some green initiatives, the future has never looked greener. Mainly because creating a more sustainable economy is not an option, but a necessity. And we all know that necessity is the mother of invention. Which is why this month, amidst crumbling banks, G20 meetings and stimulus plans, Ttrendwatching highlights 12 eco sub-trends that any marketer or entrepreneur can act on today.

Click HERE for the full report

Trendwatching: Generation G

The February Trendwatching report is now available HERE.

Has there ever been more urgency for corporations to ditch the greed and embrace generosity? It's something that countless individuals have already started doing, of course: giving is the new taking, and sharing is the new giving. And yes, we do realize that this month's Trend Briefing is massive, but in this business climate, can you really afford not to spend some time figuring out how to get a little closer to your customers?

Hertz launches global car sharing business

Launched late last month, Connect by Hertz now offers car sharing in London, Paris and New York City. In New York, for example, members of the service can choose from among three plans, depending on how often they drive. All three give consumers 180 free miles per day and free gas; costs range from USD 50 per year with a rate of USD 10 per hour, to USD 125 per month with an hourly rate of USD 8.50. Insurance, roadside assistance, maintenance and cleaning are all among the benefits included. Similar plans are available in London—priced at GBP 50 per year with hourly rates starting at GBP 3.95, including congestion charges and 30 free miles per day—and Paris, where the annual fee is EUR 120, with hourly rates beginning at EUR 4. Three low-emissions cars featuring iPod connectivity are available in each location—including the Mini Cooper—and are kept in designated parking bays. Members can reserve them by internet or phone, and entry is via a smart chip-enabled Connect Card. More cities will be added to Connect by Hertz in 2009—as well as select university locations, the New Jersey-based company says—and members will benefit from reciprocal membership at any location beginning early next year.
Given that each car-sharing vehicle in New York eliminates up to 14 traditional passenger cars from the road, according to Hertz—with similar statistics in other locations—the environmental benefits of car sharing are clear. Now, with the economy a shambles and the U.S. auto industry in ruins, it's a better bet than ever that more and more consumers will be eager to throw off the shackles of car ownership and become transumers instead. One to emulate in cities around the globe!

Half a dozen consumer trends for 2009

Despite a global downturn, there are still plenty of trends out there that are begging to be applied profitably. In 2009, ensure you make the most of NICHETRIBUTES, LUXYOURY, FEEDBACK 3.0, ECONCIERGE, MAPMANIA and HAPPY ENDING...


Click HERE for full pdf report

Top 15 Trend Questions

Find the answers to 15 pressing trend questions you’re facing, from how to spot and apply trends, to where to find the best trend resources, to how to make the most of the current turbulence in markets around the world.

Click HERE for pdf report

Car Stickers

Allowing consumers to design their own decals would mesh even better with the customer-made trend.

Well ... San Francisco-based Infectious, which launched earlier this year, offers a range of car stickers designed by artists from around the world, but it also lets consumers submit their own designs. Those interested can first get an informal critique from the community on the site. Once they're happy with their design, they can submit it either through Infectious's open submission process, or through one of its themed contests. (The first contest, which just ended, sought submissions on the theme of Barack Obama.) Designs are then posted for voting on the site. Creators of those voted into production get USD 100 and 5 percent of net sales; the Infectious team's favourite of the month also gets an additional USD 400 and up to USD 400 in Infectious product. Infectious Car Art is designed to last 12 to 24 months. Prices range from roughly USD 35 for an icon to USD 389 for a full kit.

There's no stopping Generation C(ontent) and its content-producing proclivities, and increasingly these creative consumers are demanding rewards for their efforts. Generation C(ash) is here to stay--now that's a trend that will stick! ;-)
Website: http://www.infectious.com/ Contact: info@infectious.com