Interactive: Twelve ideas for 2012

January 13, 2012

Sharepocalypse Now: Generation Overshare

Mass-sharing in the social-media age is bringing new meaning to the term 'information overload'. Speaking at the Facebook f8 developers' conference last year, Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive of Facebook, said: 'Our development is guided by the principle that every year the amount people want to add, share and express is increasing.'

Digitally savvy consumers are disassociating themselves from the enjoyment of the moment to record it, with huge implications for brands. Dan Hagen, head of planning at Carat, says the trend is fundamentally changing the way in which human need states are met.

'Now the essence of who you are isn't about going to an event and having an experience, but defining yourself through telling and showing others you were there,' he says.

According to Hagen, this trend will only accelerate over the next 12 months, making the 'i-Everything generation' a key audience for marketers.

Henry Mason, head of research and analysis at Trendwatching.com, says that 'frictionless sharing' will continue to be a key consumer trend in 2012. He points to the success brands such as Spotify and The Guardian have had in integrating with Facebook, so consumers can passively share what they are listening to and reading. 'We will see less of consumers actively sharing through functions such as the Like button', adds Mason. In short, social sharing will become the wallpaper of daily life, making content curation and standout increasingly important.

« More articles about trendwatching.com and our trends