03 January 2009

Landor’s 2009 Trends Forecast
Nokia & BlackBerry Will Challenge Apple's iPhone

Research firm Landor Associates has released its second annual trends outlook, a prediction for this year, says consumers will spend less. The troubled economy is on everyone’s minds these days. It’s affecting companies and consumers around the globe—and, by extension, brands.

How will brands fare next year? Which will stand strong? Which will fail? And how will this impact our lives? Will we eat healthier foods, travel to India for medical treatment, choose more sustainable products?

Brands will have to make their messages simple, honest and clear, says Landor Associates analyst Susan Nelson. "Non-essential product features that encourage consumers to trade up will be even less successful than usual," she predicts.

On the technology front, Landor analyst Luke Mansfield writes that 2009 will not see as seismic a shift in user-friendly tech as the current year. He writes that the economy will force companies to look for margin enhancement. "Overall, we'll see much less new-product development than in 2008," he writes. He predicts that Nokia and BlackBerry will challenge Apple's iPhone--the latter with the new Storm, which he says could win over corporate users.

"If you look back eight years ago, the iPod emerged after the economy last hit the skids; it was an example of an inventive product that had something to offer in a compact mode and was a hit," says Roth.

"So I'm a big believer that in times like these both tried-and-true brands that stick to their knitting and don't get thrown off course, and brands that emerge with a better idea will fare well.

"What we are saying is that brands can't get thrown off the track. If you have done your homework on your brand, are clear about who your customers are, are determined to deliver on that brand promise and don't cut corners on brand fundamentals, you will stay the course. You may have to reduce margins and some services but the core brand promise you cannot walk away from," says Roth.