Trendwatching Shorts

Prepared for Iconoculture.com

 

 

Have OnStar Will Travel

OnStar at Home will enable remote monitoring of home devices.

  Key Insights:

-          OnStar plans to launch an enhanced Virtual Advisor allowing consumers to control home operations via phone, Internet, or wireless device.

-          The system will provide peace of mind for those at work or on the road.

  Soon the question of “Uh-oh, did I leave the garage door open?” will no longer plague the minds of commuters navigating morning traffic, or those in mid-flight on their way for that long overdue vacation.  Internet Home Alliance is planning to launch an enhanced version of its OnStar Virtual Advisor that integrates cross-industry technologies to monitor and control systems such as temperature, lighting, and home security.  In short, users can open or close the garage door – or control a variety of other devices - from any location.  The service will be accessible from a variety of hands-free and/or voice-activated methods, including standard or cell phones, wireless PDAs, or a private web site.  With a web camera, users can also see what’s going on in the home while they’re away – an attractive feature for working parents leaving their child with a caretaker, or those leaving teens to hold down the fort.

  Resources:

 -          Peek at the OnStar at Home Pilot Program: http://www.internethomealliance.com

  Applications:

  Product/Brand:  Promote products and bundle services via partnerships and co-branding.

  Promotion/Event:  Invite homeowners to test-drive your products in a virtual setting.

  Consumer Values: 

-          Security

-          Empowerment

-          Convenience

 

 

 

It's All in the Tea Leaves

Move over Starbucks.  An upscale tea bar is coming to town.

  Key Insights: 

-          Baby boomers are developing a taste for tea bars offering reduced or non-caffeine beverage alternatives.

-          Tea aficionados now have a US source of more than 100 varieties of pure and organic tea from around the globe.

  Tealuxe, Inc. is brewing up some rivalry for coffee houses in the US.  Offering what seems to be all the tea in China and more  - from spicy Masala Chai to eye-opening Blue Flower Earl Grey (flavored with bergamot and blue mallow blossoms) – the Massachusetts-based company caters to Americans concerned about their caffeine consumption and who are becoming increasingly aware that tea may offer nutritional benefits that coffee does not, such as antioxidants.  According to The Tea Council of the US, Americans currently brew more than 2.2 billion gallons of tea each year – more than twice that of five years ago.  And this hot trend isn’t cooling down.  The number of tea bars in the US is expected to double in 2004, including 13 more bars for Tealuxe.  Consumers may now be ready to declare that java simply isn’t their cup of tea anymore.

  References:

  2nd International Symposium on Tea and Human Health, held in Washington DC, September 1998

  Resources: 

-          Locations:

o        Zero Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA (617) 441-0077

o        108 Newbury Street, Boston, MA (617) 927-0400

o        231 Thayer Street, Providence RI (401) 453-4832

-          Can’t visit a Tealuxe Tea Bar and Café?  Shop online.  http://www.tealuxe.com

-          What are the health benefits of drinking tea?  http://www.teausa.com/

  Applications:

  Promotion/Event:  Many companies are retiring “power lunches” and serving up “tea persuasions” as a means to interactively conduct business.

  Product/Brand:  With franchising and tea “hardware” merchandise available, it’s easy to stir up some partnership and co-branding opportunities.

  Positioning:  Offer “Being Spaces” where consumer and business clients can meet with friends and/or colleagues in an informal setting.

  Consumer Values: 

Health Conscious

Socializing

Relaxation

Facilitation

 

  

From Hi-Fi to Wi-Fi

Who says you can't get wireless Internet access from your RV?

  Key Insights: 

- Hughes Electronics Corp. answers the RV traveler’s need for broadband Internet access while on the road.

- The key driver in rising RV ownership is the baby boomer segment reaching maturity.

RVs may come equipped with the latest in high fidelity but, these days, Wi-fi fever is catching.  And thanks to the broadband subsidiary of Hughes Electronics Corp., the one in twelve RV-owning households in the US will soon be able to access the Internet at high speed without breaking into a sweat or even leaving their motor home.  Currently, most RV travelers can only access the Internet through dial up connections in park common facilities.  But Hughes’ package will provide broadband access with national coverage via satellite and allow parks to share the connection through Wi-Fi access points.  Fees, if any, are charged by the RV park.  With baby boomers entering their prime RV-buying years over the next decade, RV-owning households will increase 15%.  Having reliable, high speed Internet access like this, that percentage translates to nearly eight million happy campers.

Resources:

-          Baby Boomers Boost RV Ownership to Record Levels:  http://www.rvia.org/media/newsreleases/breakingnews/p0206.htm

-          Hughes Network Systems:  http://www.hns.com/

  Applications:

Positioning:  Position yourself as a leader in the RV market who understands the travelers need to stay connected.

Promotion/Event:  Attract park membership by advertising your wireless services.

Product/Brand:  Offer products or services specific to this market that will enhance their RV experience.

Consumer Values:

Family

Socializing

Travel

Convenience

Technology