It has been a roller coaster of an economy, and that unpredictability has had an impact. New Year's resolutions will have consumers looking for more fun. They'll want to play games. Be entertained.

Consumers will want something that enhances their product or service experience - but at a discount. They are savvier than ever before and are making informed choices by researching untold numbers of social networking and user review sites. The daily deal industry, which became an industry almost overnight, has shaped the way they shop. These changing values and consumption habits are driving how we do business.

All of this combined with a rapidly changing environment means that brands will have to constantly innovate. As fashion designer Josie Natori said to us recently, "If you think you're ahead of the game. you're already behind."

Here are eight emerging trends, which we see shaping marketing strategies as 2012 approaches...

THE HUNT FOR VALUE: ENGAGING AND ENTERTAINING

Affluents search for value was first a perceived necessity borne of a weak economy. Then it became a status symbol, the mark of being a smart consumer.

Now it’s also about the search itself: deal hunting needs to amuse, to be fun. Look for more gamification as brands will have to engage and entertain to build brand loyalty.
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A NEW LANGUAGE OF LUXURY

Luxury buzzwords over the past few years have been authentic, artisanal, vintage, and heirloom. Expect these to continue to resonate in 2012. Travel surveys we conducted this year, from spa media to wedding planners, indicate that the affluent still crave products and experiences that are authentic and offer a sense of place, in everything from food and décor to destination offerings and entertainment.
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DIFFERENTIATION BY LIFESTYLE IMMERSION

Online shopping has finally overtaken traditional shopping according to a new study by American Express Publishing and Harrison Group, and 2012 will be the year of reaffirming traditional retail. To be able to draw shoppers from online retail back into the real world, brands must up their game. Quite simply, people want to experience more.
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THE NOW FRONTIER – CONTENT MARKETING

Content curation was last year. 2012 is for content marketing.
The essence of content strategy is that instead of pitching products or services, you deliver consistent, ongoing valuable information to buyers, making them more intelligent. You also engage, reward and entertain them with the overall business goals of customer conversion and customer loyalty/retention, thus creating passionate subscribers.
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MARKETING FUNCTIONS CONVERGE, TRANSFORM

Social media: is this a function of PR? Ecommerce? Advertising? Management? It's part of all the above. And as digital marketing and e-commerce are converging, Facebook can be both a marketing AND a distribution channel with "f-commerce" capabilities on fan pages.
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ADAPTABILITY – THE NEW COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Boston Consulting Group recently released “Adaptability: The New Competitive Advantage”, a white paper about the blurring of industries and constant need for recalibration strategies to meet changing market needs. It cited the desirability of a non-hierarchical corporate model with modular units that change depending upon the project.
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MINI INDULGENCES, VIP FOR A FEE

The Spanish tapas concept – meaning “little plates” – has boomed and is now being adopted across industries. The appeal? It affords product and service sampling, there’s a social aspect of sharing, and of course the price. No need to go with the full tasting menu: choose what you want, customize it, and pay less.
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THE RENTER ECONOMY

It’s been a growing trend over the last few years: the desire for less responsibility and the growth of fractional ownership in everything from real estate to jets, even olive groves. Consumers have been reluctant to commit money and responsibility in the recent economic environment, but they’re still looking to collect as many experiences as possible.
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For over 30 years, first in New York City and now in Miami, KWE Partners has been an award-winning strategic marketing and public relations firm that specializes in luxury travel, lifestyle and real estate.

As thought leaders in the travel industry, we go to great lengths to identify emerging trends so clients can benefit from changes in the marketplace. We deliver the latest travel industry analysis and forecasts through our internationally syndicated Luxury Travel & Lifestyle Trends newsletter and blog.

Agency President & Chief Strategist, Karen Weiner Escalera is a sought after speaker and member of the Luxury Marketing Council’s International Advisory Board.

A leader in travel and lifestyle marketing for over 30 years, KWE Partners has developed

innovative marketing, public relations and social media campaigns for a "who's who" of luxury brands: from global hotel brands, boutique hotels, spas and resort developments, to destinations, cruise lines and travel technologies. We approach PR as a branding tool, with sales-oriented thinking and ROI. Our relationships secure clients top-tier media placements and our award-winning social marketing campaigns leverage influencer and consumer engagement to exponentially increase clients' visibility and online reach.

Our innovative uses of social media won the top 2 social media awards in travel & hospitality: Travel + Leisure's 2012 SMITTY

(Social Media in Travel + Tourism Award) & HOTELS 2012 SOHO (Social Hotels Award). In addition, agency President & Chief Strategist, Karen Weiner Escalera was named by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) as one of the "Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds" in hotel sales and marketing.

As thought leaders in the travel industry, we go to great lengths to identify emerging

trends so clients can benefit from changes in the marketplace. We deliver the latest travel industry analysis and forecasts through our internationally syndicated Luxury Travel & Lifestyle Trends newsletter and blog.

Karen Weiner Escalera
+1 305-476-5424
KWE