TRENDSPOTTING 2004

They say that the only thing constant is change. Fact is, even as we heave a sigh, changes are happening in every facet of our lives – what and how we eat, how we eat out, how we dress up, how we communicate and express ourselves, how we study, how we work, how we keep fit, how we play (and, yes, even how we pray), how we entertain or get entertained, how we travel, how we live life.

So, what changes can consumers expect in the year 2004? For one, manufacturers/service providers are now targeting a new breed of consumers in developing mega economies like China, India, Mexico, Brazil, and the Philippines. Now, they’re serving up their products/services in affordable portions, sachets or sizes. It’s what’s called "sachet marketing," where the manufacturers/service providers can still make a huge profit even if they sell in smaller sizes because of sheer overall volume or more buyers. Thinking small in enormous volumes is the big idea behind sachet marketing.

Think mass-class consumerism. More mass-class spending power means more travelers, more bulk transport, etc. By 2006, huge, double-decker Airbuses 380, capable of seating 550 to 800 passengers per flight, will have taken air travel to new heights. Then, too, you’ll never see our seas the same way again, what with mega companies like Samsung Heavy Industries building their giant container craft, which can hold up to 8,000 containers (vis-a-vis 5,000-6,000 containers carried by previous mega vessels). Global container freight will increase at a rate of 10 percent per year up to 2010, so goes the fearless forecast of shipping industry sources. (For more trends, log on to www.trendwatching.com.)

And here’s one toothsome development: Finally, diabetic consumers (whose number has been increasing at an alarming rate in different parts of the world, particularly in the US) are in for some sweet treats. New foods are being whipped up especially for diabetics. These contain ingredients that work in conjunction with drugs to help control blood glucose levels efficiently. Who says you have to give up fudge brownies just because you have type 2 diabetes? Now, there’s a diabetic mouthwash, a diabetic tea, and a diabetic yogurt. We can’t think of a sweeter beginning to 2004 than this.

The beauty of it all, according to the Euro RSCG Worldwide, is that there is a rise in the demand for cosmeceuticals and customized beauty products. For instance, now you can buy lipsticks that contain sunblock.

Changes are happening quite fast, too , in the fitness industry. Trendspotters report that experts predict "faster-quicker workouts and exercise programs that incorporate mind and body techniques" (for instance, trainers will integrate Pilates and yoga) as among the top fitness trends in 2004. They add that these trends "will help people squeeze more exercise into a shorter period of time and eliminate excuses like ‘I have no time to exercise.’" Why, now, you can exercise in your own home or office using readily available tools like chairs, steps, walls, etc.! Fitness equipment will get smarter and more fitness clubs will offer pay-as-you-go (or work out) pricing over one-year or lifetime membership.

Read on for more trends. Happy trend-watching!

BEN CHAN Retail giant

Celebrate the year 2004 with Fifties-inspired cuts, prints and fabric. The femininity of the post-war years is revived with his year’s use of mesh cotton and satin fabric. Rummage through your mother’s or grandmother’s closet and check for any vintage find. Vintage-inspired accessories will complement the 2004 look.

The burst of colors over fleshy and neutral tones brings energy to an ensemble. 2004 is all about combining unexpected colors and accents. Bright or heavy-contrast spreaders (colored stitching) highlight a simple top.

In men’s fashion, the year 2004 will work around colors as deep masculine tones, like black and brown, complement the femininity of women’s fashion. To accent the deep tones, red and orange work together as a highlight.

For casual wear, expect to see a lot of geometric prints with retro colors and bootleg pants. Textured-print tees with Eastern and sporty elements, cartoons, dolls, and vintage logos give life to a classic and safe tee. Casual and functional clothing inspired by an active lifestyle will dominate the year not just for day wear but for evening affairs as well. Corduroy pants will still keep us company in this Fifties-inspired year.

* * *

Mon Isberto Smart Communications Inc. Public affairs head

Some things old, some things new. That’s what you can expect from the world of wireless services this year.

What’s new?

First, data services will improve as cellular networks become faster. That means, for example, that you will be able to video-stream with your cell phone. You will be able to see moving images being transmitted to your mobile handset. Also, existing multi-media services such as picture messaging and mapping will be faster and thus provide a more satisfactory user experience. These improvements will become possible when the country’s GSM operators upgrade their networks to EDGE. EDGE is short for Enhanced Data Rate for Global Evolution. It is a packet data transmission technology that runs roughly three times faster than the existing system called GPRS.

Smart’s network is already EDGE-capable. But switching to EDGE may take a little time. The constraint here will be the availability of EDGE-capable handsets and of content designed for EDGE. As of now, there is only one such handset being sold here. Manufacturers say more sophisticated EDGE-capable phones will be offered later in 2004. As such phones enter the market in greater quantities, we will see more wireless services being developed for or adopted to run on EDGE.

Second, programmable phones will make possible more customized services. By programmable phones, we refer to handsets like the Smart Amazing Phone, the Nokia 6600, the Sony Ericsson P900, the Blackberry and other such phones that can run software programs and store data in either built-in memories or external memory cards. Small applications (applets) designed for mobile phones range from business applications to games. Some government agencies, for example, are currently testing how Blackberry handsets can be programmed to access information lodged in their data base to better support their field agents. Business organizations like insurance firms can similarly equip their field sales force with such devices that can interact securely with their own data bases. On the lighter side, more colorful and powerful games will be available for downloading into mobile phones.

Handsets will definitely get more high-tech and sexier than they already are: Sharper color displays (65,000 colors will become more common), stereophonic sounds, bigger memories, stereo radio, more PDA-like functions.

Third, there will be more innovations in the field of mobile commerce. Smart launched its world-first phone-to-phone loading service called Smart Load in May 2003. This has overhauled the prepaid cellular business and enabled more people to use mobile phones. Smart Load has also opened the door to more m-commerce innovations in the future. A taste of what is to come is Pasa Load, which we launched the day before Christmas. This new service allows Smart Buddy and Talk N Text subscribers to transfer P10 of their prepaid airtime to a buddy in need by simply sending a formatted text message to a designated service number.

What’s new in the old?

But the most relevant changes that will take place in 2004 will be new services that work even on the oldest, most low-tech GSM handsets. That’s because these services work on SMS that all GSM phones can handle. That makes it possible to offer such services to the widest possible market immediately.

On the fun side, entertainment fare will continue to be the staple for mobile services. Services like the highly successful Star Text will continue to spawn variants as people increasingly convert their handhelds into entertainment devices.

Moreover, there will also be more SMS services designed for the specific needs of various organizations. Using web-based programs such as Smart’s SMS Care, companies, government agencies and other organizations will be able to design and develop their own services that can be used to inform and interact with their constituents and clients using SMS. Wireless services will be developed not just by operators or third-part developers, but also increasingly by users themselves.

* * *

JONES CAMPOS Globe Telecom Public relations head

On new mobile technologies: We will see more innovation in mobile data services like video/music streaming, Internet/WAP browsing, Java games enhanced by better technologies, like EDGE, through more feature-rich phones.

• The deployment of 2.5G networks, such as EDGE, will improve the customer experience for richer data services such as video/audio streaming and browsing. These services will benefit greatly from the higher bandwidth available through these networks.

• Hand in hand with this, the availability of feature-rich phones with better screens and capable of faster data speeds (e.g. camera phones, EDGE-capable phones) over the coming months will be a key ingredient as well. With an increasing base actively using MMS and GPRS services, these will start to become significant contributors to the growth of mobile data usage.

* With more and more phones being Java-capable, Java applications, especially games, will continue to be a success for mobile data and a significant renenue driver.

• The availability of richer WAP content will stimulate more usage of browsing.

On competition: Competition will continue to be intense and the key is to offer relevant products and services targeted against defined market segments.

On consumers: Subscribers will continue to demand better value from their telecom operators to stretch their peso.

On the market: The market will continue to experience good growth as the service becomes more accessible to more segments of the population.

* * *

MARICA CASTILLO Northwest Airlines Public affairs/events coordinator

Where are people traveling to this year? The US remains a very popular destination for family holidays and romantic getaways because of its fantastic tourist destinations, with each city offering a variety of activities and attractions to delight vistors of all ages. Plus there’s the terrific shopping experience that turns every Pinoy into a shopaholic! And of course, it’s always a top destination for Pinoys visting their many relatives and friends.

This year’s favorite travel destinations are bound to be New York, Washington DC, New Orleans, and Chicago on the east coast of the US and San Francisco and Las Vegas on the west coast.

This year, we expect travelers to fly smarter – meaning they will want comfort, convenience, and flexibility when traveling. For instance, travelers will want the best connections from Manila when planning a trip to the US – especially for business trips. Business travelers will want spacious seats, superior in-flight service, and expect an interactive and personalized "on-demand" type of entertainment system. Also, travelers will expect that "seamless" travel experience – from the choice of booking a trip online, choosing one’s seat, to printing one’s own boarding pass from home. And with the advent of technology and self-service devices, shorter qeues at the airport may be something travelers can look forward to.

But is 2004 a good year to travel for Pinoys? Yes. Besides, a lot of those who have postponed their trips in 2003 (because of the SARS epidemic, among other things) will definitely gear up to travel in 2004.