Generosity [The Generation G] could be consider a trend in people as well as in companies. This trend probably is based on the tiredness we have regarding greed and its effects on economy.

Generosity emerges as a trend jointly with this online culture that we are experiencing and from the one we are learning.

In this new environment, companies will need to re-focus themselves, from paying attention to their belly buttons, to sharing passion and receiving recognition.

Trend #2: Generosity drivers

• Disgusted people [now we could add crisis]: People are better informed of what it's going on. So, companies that continue with the idea of non-bi-directional communication and interaction will be out of their radar (actually, they already are)
• Companies that take care: As we are more informed, we are not only paying attention of company external behaviors, but also of how is the relation between companies and their employees. Things are more complex and decisions too. The key is generosity, care, empathy and simpathy. We could consider this need of change also for governments and intitutions.
• New ways of talking and sharing: Deep in our behaviors, the issue is not about anger, it's about passion. We are willing (and in same cases, able) to give, share and collaborate

Also, consider that young people do not differentiate offline from online, and online culture is based on generosity. Companies should learn this from people. It's not a 'nice to have?, it's a must be...

• Generous to people
• Generous to customers
• Generous to employees
• Generous to environment
• Generous to social causes
• Generous... Period!

As it was said by Reinier Evers of Trendwatching, "generosity is more about context and timing than out-of-the-blue insights".

Challenge #2: Brands dialogue

Brands will begin to play their game if companies (and marketers) understand that the one-way advertising is over. Brands are not to sell, they are to assist people in relevant ways...And people will buy...because of authenticity, functionallity, exclusivity... because they are able to talk, to dialogue with the brands. Is your brand ready for this challenge?

Brands will become the key to stay relevant to people who live in this collaborative culture. And for God sake, this goes beyond social responsibility or eco-care departments. It's a change in the ways that the companies use to interact... It's not a process, it's a holistic understanding of relations.

Your thoughts, as always, are welcome!

Some of you, actually only few of you, remember the very beginings of Brand 3.0... The original name of this social network was "Jekyll & Hide on Branding"... It has 3 pages and the third one was the one that talked about trends, and the one who 'wrote' there was Dr. Utterson, the lawyer and loyal friend of Jekyll.

So, going to the point, this is the first post of several which will talk about trends and branding... relation, implications and challenges... Hope you enjoy them!

Trend #1: Status and recognition

When you interact with other people you will discover (it's not so difficult) that almost everything comes back to the need of recognition.

So, in certain way an as a relative concept, status is like a brand driver; however, it looks like during the next months/years (perhaps and in certain way due to the crisis) those brands that behave as traditional status symbols are not going to be the "aspirational desire" that we saw before.

As it was said in TrendWatching 2010, "status is to be attained in many more ways than leading a lifestyle centered on hoarding as many branded, luxury goods as possible"....

In certain societies, financial wealth is becoming something less important... In those cases, luxury goods would lost relevance.

Hence, status could be understood as:

• Green Status: For these people, to drive a Prius would give more status than having a Rolls
• Info Status: For people who have an audience willing to hear what they know... what they have to say
• Experience status: it will be more important the story behind the product than some functional/physical status symbols
• Knowledge status: As more people are becoming masters in the use of the tools, to "know why" will become a status symbol
• Online status: Hmmmm... You know what I'm talking about [however, try avoid the recipes to build your personal brand]
• And... Traditional status will be seen only in emerging middle class people in countries like the ones that belong to the BRIC [Brazil, Russia, India, China] 

Challenge #1: The brand understanding shift

This will not be to re-invent the wheel... If, at leat for a moment, we admit that the trend presented before is true [actually, there is no reason to believe another thing... I'm just telling what it's observed], brands are facing a great inflexion point and companies will need to do something:

• More than ever, brands must behave as an holistic experience considering the brand itself, the communication, but also, the product, the value perceived, its usefulness, availability, related services... And by the way, new issues as interactivity, asynchronism and tailor-made
• The ones who are adquiring online, info and knowledge status are becoming prescriptors... Brands must make that those individuals fall in love with them...
• Luxury brands are facing the end of their golden age. People begin to give more weight to issues that are out of the "economy sphere" to achieve their desired recognition

Actually, it seems like the real issue is not in the brand but in a need of a deep company shift in some encysted beliefs. Dont' you think?

I would like to share with you this presentation about social networks, communities and brand expriences...

Last Tuesday I presented it during a Cosentino's conference (we presented their own social network, Recyecology) at Almería, Spain...