Trend Watching: 10 major trends of 2013. Part 2

We continue to publish a selection of probably one of the most unusual trends. Earlier, you could already familiarize yourself with the first part of the article in which we tried to present our vision of the 2013 trend review prepared by Trend watching . As you know, all these ideas can become new multi-million dollar businesses (or failures) in the next 12 months, so read and be inspired!

It's time to talk about ecology, fashion and medicine:

4. Return debts to nature

Now we will talk about environmental trends of 2013: for example, the iconic phenomenon of products and services that literally “contain a new life”.
Instead of being recycled or recycled, these products can organically “return” to the natural environment to give life to something new, the same “eco” in status.

Of course, the products of the “new life” will not solve many environmental problems, but, as never before, 2013 is a symbol of creating something fundamentally new, a product friendly to nature.

Correctly positioning your values ​​can resonate with your users. Especially if your words imply serious intentions to take informed and environmentally sound actions.

"To Be Nature" chopsticks :change of mind in favor of the plant
Korean designer Gyeongwan Koo created “To Be Nature” chopsticks as an alternative to disposable chopsticks. One of the sticks is equipped with a cap in which the seeds of the plant are located. After the owner of such sticks ceases to use them, they can be placed with the tip in the soil, where the seeds will germinate and give life to a new tree. The second stick (without nozzle) can be used as a support along which growth will pass.

Sprout : a pencil that wants to become a plant
Sprout is a pencil that can grow in the long run! When the pencil becomes too short and inconvenient to use, it can be planted in the ground: on the tip of the pencil, again, is a capsule that dissolves in contact with water, which allows the seeds to germinate inside. At the time the fundraising process stopped in September 2012, the project raised $ 35,000 from more than 2,000 “expectants” supporting it.

Tierra Patagonia Hotel & Spa : Watched Seeds.
Tierra Patagonia Hotel & Spa in Chile has launched a program under which each guest receives a “virtual” tree seed. The guest himself can choose a place in a specially designated area where he wants his tree to be planted. After landing, the guest receives a link to Google Maps with reference to the terrain, where you can follow "your" tree.

Molson Canadian : seed coasters
As part of a special project for the natural restoration of the forest, the Red Leaf Project, Canadian beer brand Molson Canadian's launched beer chicken coasters made from seed that sprouted in the soil. Since June 2012, one million coasters has been distributed across bars and along with beer bottle crates.

5. Digital medicine

Digital technology is a new word in medicine. Given the fact that the App store today has more than 13,000 medical applications, the question is not what to find such applications, but to choose the best, and also - given the fact that the question relates to human health - the most accurate and safe ones.

In 2013, it is expected that users will contact doctors and various medical institutes and institutions to confirm the certification of medical applications and other technologies, or to be advised by doctors of such applications for treatment (to the same extent as drugs) . Professional therapists, in turn, see in medical applications real helpers in their work, designed to help achieve even greater success and progress in treating patients.

Applications will reduce costs and expenses for treatment, because they make their users more likely to think about their own state of health, increase their level of consciousness when undergoing treatment, and also allow you to recognize alarm signals at an early stage in the monitoring process.

Even if you are not part of the healthcare industry and think that digital medicine is not for you, we are sure that the time spent studying this trend, as well as the trend underlying the process, is the transition to the mass use of mobile services - can open for you a lot of insights that promise profit.

mRX : App Store for Health
Professionals Happtique (a division of the Greater New York Hospital Association) is an app store for medical applications created by professionals for professionals. In August 2012, Happtique launched a pilot program in which doctors recommended proven applications to their patients, and then made sure that each one of them downloaded the prescribed one.

Antibiotics reminder
In June 2012, an Australian government-sponsored National Prescribing Service launched the Antibiotics Reminder project. The free downloadable application is a kind of “reminder” for taking medications: it helps to make sure that medications are taken, and also keep a kind of “diary” to track progress. The purpose of the application is to help users take medications on time, thereby enhancing the positive effect of treatment.

Proteus Digital Health : approved by the Medicines and Nutrient Control Commission swallowed tracking sensor.
In July 2012, the Food & Drug Administration in the United States sponsored Proteus Digital Health to develop and test a “swallowed” sensor that should monitor whether the patient is taking the prescribed drugs or not. The device is activated when gastric juice enters on it, and then collects data on the patient’s condition, sending them to a mobile application that allows you to signal if the medicine was not taken by the patient on time.

6. The triumph of national culture

In 2012, the cultural component of globalization will continue to self-destruct in the same way as its financial dimension. Where it leads? Emerging markets will successfully export and distribute their “cultural heritage” in the next 12 months. Symbols, lifestyles and traditions, the importance of which was previously underestimated (if not rejected), will become an object of pride and mass consumption for buyers in the domestic market, as well as arouse interest in the global market.

In the event that you still do not take into account the triumph of national cultures, it is a good time for you to develop relations with leading brands in emerging markets, which will help bring their flavor to your business, as well as to your products for customers. However, even if you are already working in any of these markets, do not miss the selection of trends and do not forget that you must always respect the local culture:

NE-TIGER : Luxury Fashion from China to the Global Market
The first Chinese luxury- NE-TIGER brand, known for its ethnic design at the junction of East and West. In September 2012, Zhang Zhifeng, the founder of the company, delivered a speech entitled “China to the World” before the presentation of his new collection in Milan.

House of Masaba: Pop Art Saree
Fashion Design House (luxury style) from Mumbai Masaba Gupta's House of Masaba rethought the traditional Indian women's sari outfit and added eccentric, modern colors and motifs, as well as Pop Art prints - an action aimed at attracting young female customers, fashionistas. Released in spring 2012, the black and white sari collection was recognized by many celebrities in India, as well as the animal print version. Prices ranged from 8 to 10 thousand Indian rupees (approximately $ 150-200).

Studio Tsimáni : Mexican Style
In April 2012, Studio Tsimáni joined the Destination Mexico initiative at the MoMA Design Store in New York. The studio draws inspiration from traditional Mexican culture and creates modern furniture and other household utensils that embody people's desire for self-identification in their native country.

tvN: K-Pop Star Hunt
In July 2012, the second season of tvN's K-Pop Star Hunt, which aims to find a new pop star in Asia, was launched. Searches are conducted in 8 Asian countries, including South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. Korean music is now, of course, at the peak of popularity, especially after the triumph of the hit 'Gangnam Style' by PSY on the international stage.

Sulwhasoo : Korean cosmetics in the US market
In 2013, the popularity of Korean cosmetic products that has been talked about for so long is expected to rise. For example, already in October 2012, buyers of Neiman Marcus stores in San Francisco ordered products from the Korean cosmetic brand Sulwhasoo. This product stands out for its special packaging design, which resembles a ceramic product, as well as the properties of a product developed on the basis of Korean medicinal herbs, including ginseng and white peony root.

What did you notice for yourself? Which direction, in your opinion, is the most promising?

To be continued…