Watching, Seeking, Sharing Trends

October 15, 2008

By Han Sang-hee

Staff Reporter

Trends can be found everywhere: in movies, dramas, music, businesses and our daily lives. One important contributor in spreading these trends worldwide is the Internet, and an Amsterdam-based Web site and trend firm has been at the forefront of seeking, finding and sharing them.

Reinier Evers, the founder of trendwatching.com, came to Seoul to meet with local trendsetters and those simply interested in the next best thing last week.

``(Trendwatching.com) started in a very casual way. I already worked as a consultant for business strategies, so I was always interested in new things, especially (in) the online world. So (when) I took a trip around the world to look for new business ideas, I thought why don't I start a business collecting all these ideas and sell it somehow to somebody who needs it?'' Evers told The Korea Times during an interview.

The ambitious trendwatcher collected ideas and sent them to friends, and three months later there were ten thousand people subscribing to the catchy material.

After seeking ideas of how to bring more to the table, the people behind the project started making annual reports which offered numerous concepts and ideas that were flourishing somewhere in the world, waiting to be noticed.

``It started out as a test by basically asking people who liked it `what should we do next?' That's what we would do,'' he said.

Now, more than 8,000 spotters from 100 countries send email day and night with thoughtful and interesting ideas, with more than 3,000 subscribers in Korea.

Trends have now not only changed consumption patterns, but also the overall perspective in appreciating and approaching certain products, even intangible ones such as music.

``Now people will pay hundred of euros or dollars or even hundreds of thousands of won for a concert, which is totally a non-physical experience. We saw it happening with music a few years ago. We saw a whole generation grow up with neither LPs or CD-roms who refused to legally download (music) because the thought of paying money to get something virtual was (different from) getting something physical. So it's quite a shift that people would actually want to spend so much money,'' he said.

Despite the ongoing demand for these ideas, there are still people who do not understand, let alone join, which will soon lead to deterioration.

``Gaming is very interesting, but personally it plays no role in my life. As a trend watcher I know about it, and I can see how it's going to have a huge impact. But I personally didn't grow up with it, so it doesn't fit in with me. Now what we see with businesses, which are just people in the end, is that they run companies and ignore all kinds of new developments because personally, they just don't see it. In the worst case they hate it, they resist it, and in most common scenarios, they just really don't track it. They don't hate it, they don't resist it, it's just not on their radar and that's how you miss opportunities. That's how you miss trends,'' he said.

So what is a trend that people like and want universally, if there is any?

``I think it's transparency. It works everywhere; it doesn't matter where you are. Transparency is what everybody gets and everybody loves, often because professionals, and also consumers, no longer have to believe what others are telling (them) or find out what's good or what's not. The transparency trend is something that people can relate to,'' said Evers.

With Korea trying to bring itself as one of the major cities in the world, Evers advised that it is important to understand what to achieve, and realize what to do in order to step up to that level.

``I would say the only reason New York and other big cities are hubs is because of the mix of people. You can forever build your amazing airports but the only thing that sets cities and businesses apart in this world, where everything is global, is ideas and the people who come out with them,'' he said.

However, the search of these creative thinkers seems a bit behind here than other countries, according to Evers.

``In our field, business, where are the Korean business thinkers who come up with the creative concepts that appeal to the rest of the world? Where are the Asian speakers at seminars? And it's not a language issue. (Thinkers) believe in themselves, they believe that the world is waiting for their message and dare to think in unorthodox ways. I think it's important to know what you are trying to brand and why and if you really are hoping to be a global hub, then you'd better realize and look at what makes other global hubs,'' he said.

Major conglomerates like LG and Samsung may have done their share, but for the rest of Korea, there is still a long way to go, but the future is bright, said Evers.

``For the rest of the world, when they look into Korea, what they see is North Korea and future projects (with it). It's a big thing, but it can also keep you busy for a long time. The thing that many Koreans don't really know is that `Made in Korea' has become, somehow, a sign of approval. It wasn't like that and it's not at the level of `Made in Japan,' but if you think about 30 years ago `Made in Japan' was not that big. If you want to put money in brands you have to influence perceptions,'' said Evers.

And that is where enthusiastic trend watchers, like Evers, need to jump in with colorful concepts and innovative ideas.

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