Is it a trend or is it a ‘megatrend’?

Posted by: Alex Erasmus

In the media we are always speaking about ‘trends’. Twitter was/is a trend; Google Wave is a trend; apps that drive core business revenue also seem to be an increasing trend (just take a look at the Pizza Hut app )…but what’s a ‘megatrend’? Well, according to Adam Kleinberg , CEO of a Traction, a creative agency out in San Fran, it’s something that transforms society as we know it; “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” and all that malarkey.

Kleinberg emphasises the huge distinction in the trend stakes between “Everyone is on Twitter these days” and the bigger story - "Social media has permanently transformed the way people connect and share information." The first is a ‘trend’, people jumping on the bandwagon, if you will. The second is the ‘megatrend’, not only because it is wider in scope (inclusive of all social media and not just Twitter), but because it goes a step further and links why it is trendworthy.

Kleinberg goes on to give examples and reasoning as to why noticing a megatrend (or even starting it if you are that prophetic), can propel a brand into fast-forward mode incredibly quickly:

“Google caught on to an access-to-information megatrend. Facebook caught on to people connecting. Yet, these megatrends are rarely leveraged by brands.”

As mentioned by Kleinberg, there aren’t many brands that are adept and aware enough to do this. Maybe most brands don’t have the resources, maybe they don’t have the thought leadership; it’s difficult to say.  What I’ve noticed about the best brands is that they are seemingly unconcerned by the so-called risk of putting themselves out there and trying something different. This isn’t specific to the tech sector either. Virgin, for example, have done this on several occasions both in their use of Richard Branson as an irreverent spokesperson doing things most other bosses would baulk at and in terms of actual business decisions like when it first ventured into the old boys club that was commercial airlines.

Kleinberg goes on to list what he believes are the next/current megatrends, but what I’m interested in is why more brands don’t take the lead of the companies at the tip of the trend iceberg and let loose a little more. Maybe the lesson for brands is to not only keep the ears to the ground, but also throw caution to the wind sometimes and try and latch on to the next big thing.