"Nowism": trend of the times

Trendwatching.com has identified a new mega trend, "Nowism." The desire to have it "now," has always been a key need, but technology makes it possible to have it real-time. People are embracing the now as never before. The lust to collect experiences and share them immediately is one manifestation of the trend at work (hello Facebook. hello my blog)

Mega Trend Defined:
NOWISM “Consumers’ ingrained lust for instant gratification is being satisfied by a host of novel, important (offline and online) real-time products, services and experiences.

Urban Dictionary takes a slight different approach to the phenomenon:
"The present, what you are feeling at this exact moment. A life style as well as outlook on life You are reading this right now. This is Nowism. What you do after this is in the future. This is now."

And the CEO of Radar Networks, Nova Spivack (who also created one of the very first Internet portals), blogged about Nowism this past May.

"I think these are just the beginnings of this movement -- a movement towards a subtle but major shift in the orientation of our civilization's collective attention. This is a shift towards the now, in every dimension of our lives. Our personal lives, professional lives, in business, in government, in technology, and even in religion and spirituality.I have a hypothesis that this philosophy -- this worldview that the "now" is more important than the past or the future, may come to characterize this new century we are embarking on."

Some pretty profound thinking by folk of superior intellect. Gee, that was the motivation for me starting this blog one year ago. I was living the trend, and didn't even k=now it!


http://novaspivack.typepad.com/nova_spivacks_weblog/2009/05/nowism-a-theme-for-the-new-era.html

138 Years Ago Tonight: A New Theory on The Great Chicago Fire

The newest theory on what caused the Great Chicago Fire to start at 9:40 pm on Sunday, October 8th is a meteor shower. Eyewitnesses in the Midwest saw balls of fire falling from the sky that night. A scientist believes a meteor broke up over the vicinity of Lake Michigan, creating the conflagration in Chicago, Peshtigo WI, Port Huron MI and Champagne IL. The Peshtigo fire caused more deaths than any other fire in US history! For a major city, Chicago's casualties (about 200-300) were small in comparison. I like amaze my friends with the ironic fact that the Chicago Firemen Academy is built on the site of the source of the fire, which is the actual address of Mrs. O'Leary's barn (where the meteor fragments hit). One of only five buildings in Chicago to survive the fire is St. Michael's in Old Town (pix). I can see clock tower from my dining room window, which is always a soothing sight.

In those days, this was a big global story. Queen Victoria was moved and donated books to build a new library. IThe spirit of the "city that works," our motto, was clearly exemplified by old man Potter Palmer, the richest man in town. His new hotel that had been opened for a mere 13 days, the Palmer House, burned that night. He quickly rebuilt a new Palmer House, shifting Chicago's commerce section from the old Lake Street district to that great street, "State Street."

Somehow I think the Chicago business community will have the same sprited rebound after the disappointment of losing the Olympic bid.

A New Way to Map the Experience

Something we talk about in meetings all the time--mapping the consumer experience. Lego has developed a simple way to do just that.

The New Way to Exhibit: When Yoko Calls, Answer

This weekend, I saw "Lennon. The New York Years" at the Rock'n Roll Hall of Fame annex in Soho. This engaging, moving and intimate exhibit was created by Yoko, and is one of the most forward-thinking interactive museum experiences I've seen. Yoko's aesthetic imbues the exhibit. Her photo of John's bloody spectacles, shot from their bedroom window high above Central Park, is a chilling reminder of the humanity behind that horrible night. A brown-paper grocery bag containing John's effects, delivered to Yoko weeks after his murder, makes an unforgettable statement about the senselessness of handgun violence. As she wrote in the exhibit, John Lennon was the king of the world, yet he returned to her in this brown paper bag.

As you exit the exhibit, there is a phone with a posting that says if it rings, answer it, it REALLY is Yoko. My friend Sue kept going back and forth past the phone, willing it to ring for her, but it never did. When my friend Nancy passed by the phone, the electronic sensor in her headset began to ring. Nancy then heard a voice that saying, "Allo. Allo, this is Yoko." Nancy thought it was a recording, and didn't respond. We were astonished that she had the opportunity to talk to Yoko, but didn't believe it was real. A missed opportunity (but a great story!)

If you get a chance to see this exhibit in NYC--it's phenomenal. Thank you Yoko for sharing and keeping the things that matter to you and John alive for us to think about and share with others.

New Competition for the Bagel and Pizza

Here's a new concept that is positioning itself as competition to the bagel, but perhaps it's closest competitor is the pizza and the donut. Yesterday in Manhattan, we noticed 5th Ave was shut down to a stream of people decked out in red and white with Polska flags. It duped us. We knew it wasn't Casmir Pulaski Day, or Polish Constitution Day (which falls on my birthday). October is officially Polish American month (who knew?!?)

In my world, Kolache RULE! These fruity babies look a little on the doughy-side, more like the coffee cake my friends call Pizza Kolache, and less like the delicate pastries Grandma Belanski made (I inherited her recipe and secret). But the brilliant twist on this old-world pastry is the savory versions concocted by these CIA-trained chef/proprietors. They're onto something brilliant and they should seriously think about coming to Chi-town, which boasts the largest population of Pole decedents outside Poland.

Look for Kolache Mama just outside Roosevelt Hotel: 45 E 45th St. NYC

One Year Later: The New is Now Anniversary

It was one year ago that I started this blog. Of course, the question is, "what have I learned from the experience?" The answer: it's hard to blog frequently. In fact, nearly impossible if you're working hard and trying to get some z's. I guess that's why some of the bloggers that inspired me most to blog (Russell Davies, planner extrodinaire), have dropped frequent blogging from their lives. The pull of other digital platforms, Facebook, Twitter, Delicious, have all taken hold of me in the past year too, making it harder to find time to write. I'm a walking example of Social media fragmentation at its finest!

When I started writing last October 1st, the world was much more dark and uncertain. The market was tailspinning. The election was a month away. The ad industry was painfully morphing into something--well, does anyone really have a fix on that even today? My inspiration was the tale of Gatsby and the green light at the end of the dock. It was my forward vision, my talisman for a hopeful future.

Is it karmic that I happen to be on my way to Gatsby's NY stomping grounds today? I'd like to think so.

Will this blog continue? Yes! But I know I won't be posting everyday. The secret is that I have another blog that's "just for me." Where I throw up pix and video that are interesting, just for laughs, that I want to archive for the future. If you're interested, check that one out on www.bwaygal.blogspot.com.

A Shot of Joie de Vivre: just what we need

Joy and happiness. We yearn to escape the dark cloud of uncertainty of recession. We strive to fill the void caused by our helplessness with problems facing society. Trendists have been writing about how brands can connect with this emotional territory for several years, but the recession has heightened the need. I suspect the folks at Grand Marnier figured this was fertile territory. These classic French images are the centerpiece of their new digital campaign and special promo package. Love the feeling--Vive La Vie.


Brandweek: Why Grand Marnier Is Pouring More Energy Into Digital Ads, 9/21/09