SURVIVAL OF THE FASTEST
by Cheryl Swanson
The biggest cultural influence on marketing in 2005 and beyond is "Time and Technology," the perception that we do not ever have enough of time because we have increased the pace of our lives, and we have lost touch with our biological rhythms because we are living at the speed of technology. This influence can be called "Survival of the Fastest," which began as a lifestyle trend in 1998 and has grown into a macro-cultural shift that affects all aspects of society. It is a direct result of our reliance on technology in everyday life, and the fact that technology enables us to do things faster and faster. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 1986 the ratio of food to technology expenditures was 300:1; in 2006 that ratio is projected to be at parity, which underscores our complete reliance on technology. Technology has become sustenance in a very short period of time, and it has dramatically changed how we live our lives and how marketers need to address us.
What This Means to Marketers/Advertisers
To fit in everything, or because of anxieties that result from living at the speed of technology, consumers are sleep deprived. Two-third of Americans and growing exhibit illnesses such as A.D.D. and stress-related issues. 90% of doctor visits in the U.S. are the result of stress. We have created more information between 2000 and now than throughout the whole of human history, and as a survival tactic we edit out at least 85% of the information that comes our way. To address this consumer base, marketers must communicate with clarity and simplicity, and do it consistently across a range of media and product offerings. Humans are a sight-driven species. 80% of what we learn about the world comes through our eyes. Consequently, the most powerful marketing messages are distilled to a compelling visual/symbolic representation.
The Biggest Mistakes
Companies tend to communicate their marketing messages with lots of words that "tell the consumer," rather than communicating symbolically in a manner that compels consumers and ignites their interest. In the hierarchy of visual memory (we're all primarily visual), color is first, symbols second, numbers are third and words... last. Marketers need to understand the essence of their brands, the one thing that they stand for, and then communicate symbolically to reach consumers, all of us who are struggling to process the information load that comes our way on a daily basis. Keep it simple, sensory (sensorial experiences reunite us with our biological rhythms), empathetic (understand our time-pressed needs) and optimistic (give us small moments of joy as we go about our day).
Cheryl Swanson founded Toniq, along with Kyla Lange Hart, in 1999 to specialize in strategic imagery, product design and positioning programs for Fortune 500 packaged goods companies. Previously, she was senior vice president at Wallace Church Associates, where she created a proprietary Brand Effervescence Visual Exploratory Process, based of her background in cultural anthropology, consumer trends, marketing, design and independent study of the psychology of symbolism and color. Toniq clients have included Lycos, Kraft Foods, Gillette, Campbell's Soup, Kellogg's, Cadbury Schweppes, Ralph Lauren, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sears, Taylor Made Golf and Godvia. Swanson started her career with futurist Faith Popcorn after graduating with a degree in anthropology and sociology from Skidmore College. She has traveled extensively, studying cultures around the world, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Russia and Africa.
Color Trends
"Survival of the Fastest" is comprised of two overriding macro-trends - "Forced Evolution," and its opposite, "Human" or "Humanization." These two forces impact all aspects of our daily lives, shaping our hopes, fears and aspirations. Forced Evolution is a response to our ever-accelerating lifestyles, riddled with fast addictions, fast therapies, an increasing dependency on body engineering techniques, (re)energizing strategies and an escalating hyper-tasking lifestyle. In opposition, the Human trend seeks to regain a sense of balance through a go-slower, go-backwards emphasis on a homey world in our likeness, in personal creativity, in the new luxury, pursuit of religion and in a growing acceptance of greater cultural diversity. Together, these trends literally color our physical world and enable shrewd marketers to use the most powerful communications tool to reach our emotional core instantly, induce a selected mood and reinforce our desire to possess.
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