www.thecoolhunter.net and www.trendhunter.com , without question two of my favourite websites and simultaneously builders, followers, shapers and reflectors of trends across everything from architecture to advertising, fashion to food. These sites don’t preach, they collate, watch, solicit and reflect the collective opinions, views and ideas of its followers.
In the olden days the flow of information whether delivered from the lips of the local ruler, from the pulpit on a Sunday or more recently via newspapers, magazines, TV or radio was generally uni-directional. The few talked, the masses followed. Of course there was the letters page of The Daily Telegraph to which one could air ones grievances should one be a tad disgruntled with the status quo, however, generally opportunities to participate were few and far between. In more recent years interaction has increased, but in most cases the only time that ‘normal’ mortals could participate in the media was either as an interviewee on the news following a disaster of some kind in their street or as a frantically waving, grinning buffoon on a TV game show.
Organisations, companies and institutions could to a greater extent control the flow of information delivered to the masses and in doing so, control the collective opinions, fads, fashions and trends. For marketers life was much simpler.
But that all changed with the dang-fangled internet-thingumy. Suddenly every John, Jean or Jane in the street could enter into a two way dialog with every other Johan, Giovanni or Jan. One to many had become many to many.
The proximity of every connected individual on the planet to the hippest, hottest, latest, coolest is but a mouse click and because of the two directional flow, everyone in turn can help shape what is hip, hot, cool or new.
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