In the advertising, marketing and graphic design industries, we are inundated with promises of “the next big thing,” a “great new idea,” “another new technology”…but a lot of these tend to be fads that don’t catch on. They fizzle-out just as fast as they appeared. So, how do you know if a trend will stay around for a while? Step inside the minds of 4 top creatives as they give their industry forecast.

 

Marketing Trend: Storytelling

John Mulder, President, 3 Seed Marketing & Design Studio

Marketers have been telling brand stories for years, but the art of story telling is what really drives a successful campaign. Sure, we may watch the Olympics to see if the USA wins gold, but it’s the stories of the athletes that really draws us in — the hardship, the struggle, their road to one of the biggest moments of their lives — their story. The ultimate creation of a character, through story telling, that the audience will love and root for. That’s what sets the Olympics apart from your average, run-of-the-mill sports broadcast. And, we love it…in fact, America can’t get enough of it. Marketing has embraced “storytelling” in 2013, and there’s no sign of it stopping.¹ There’s a trend with traction.

 

Design Trend: Cross-pollination

Carrie Madigan, Senior Designer, Grafik

Break the boundaries of different design disciplines by intermingling graphic design and interior design with product design and textile design. Implement a non-traditional, creative thinking process though a multidisciplinary approach, drawing inspiration from related design industries. Graphic design inspired by interior design. Packaging design inspired by textile design. When disciplines are cross-pollinated, you can achieve a greater depth of concept and visual.

Piggy-backing on that thought, another related trend is the democratization of design, where everyone has a chance to contribute. With the explosion of Pinterest and graphic-driven blog sites, more people are appreciating beauty and design. This is very positive for the advertising industry.

 

Advertising Trend: Throwback

David Wassell, Senior Vice President & Creative Director, MGH

You’ve heard it before…”Print is dead.” But, is it? Not if David has anything to do with it. He predicts a throwback to print. A return of the original and popular medium. Online, there is way too much noise, and eventually it is going to become a loud, unsorted mess…especially for those who do not distinguish their brand voice. With the accessibility and overuse of the online channels, the quality of print has seen a decline, so there is a great opportunity and marketing advantage here — with print, great print. David believes that print allows the consumer to slow down, go back, digest, and learn.

 

Industry Trend: A Tactile Approach

Colleen M. Stubbs, Creative Director, Altman-Hall Associates

Something that you can touch and feel ignites certain senses that online channels simply cannot. Colleen believes that print is very much alive. Social media is getting busy. It will become harder and harder to reach your audience through social channels. There is just no replacement for what you can pickup, hold in your hands, and interact with on an intimate level. Consumers are more engaged when reading printed material, unlike websites, which are often skimmed in as little as a 15 second visit.²

 

So, what do you think? Which of these trends have sticking power. We are excited to see what happens in 2014, and beyond.