This Week's Herman Trend Alert Purpose Emerging as Important Driver of Engagement

The Herman Trend Alert September 21, 1999 Experience Junkies 101 days until January 1, 2000 We are becoming experience junkies. We seek new experiences everywhere and anywhere. Boredom is our enemy, and we will go to great lengths and pay our hard-earned money to avoid it. We seek exciting foods. Have you noticed that foods have become spicier lately? There are two reasons for this trend: first, as we age, our taste buds wear out, too; it takes more spice to affect them. Aging Boomers are a major food consumption group. Second, those who like spicy foods are demanding their victuals ever spicier. In fact, there are some restaurants where chili powder rules. Practically everything on their menus is spicy. We seek excitement in our entertainment. Comedy has become more risqué; movies have become more violent and action-packed. Sitcoms have to be funnier than ever before or they won't survive. Even television commercials are now mini-experiences It's no accident that newspapers are now printed in color. We seem to want to fill up every waking moment with experience. Witness the new DVD players available for in-flight rental. No, this innovation is not being promoted by the airlines, but rather a new company called InMotion Pictures. We found them in the Philadelphia airport recently. For only $10 per day, you rent the player with headphones and one movie. Choose from almost 200 movies rated from G to R. Though InMotion is currently available only on a limited basis, the company will be expanding into more cities soon. We seek experience in our shopping as well. Our local back care store offers lectures for taking care of bad backs. The mega-bookstores have discovered that they sell more books when they offer seminars and book-signings. Retailers that will succeed will add value by offering customers information, social opportunities, free gifts, and other reasons to shop there. What will this trend do for the labor market? We'll see a new job title: Experience Designer. Performance artists are good candidates: they understand the value of experiences and know how to create interesting and exciting ones. Their emergence in retailing will establish an intriguing connection between the arts and retailing. © Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." WHO SENDS OUT YOUR NEWSLETTERS? We are convinced there is no better choice than ours! We have happily used DataBack Systems to deliver The Herman Trend Alert for over 10 years and. Visit their website (http://www.databack.com) or call Byron directly at 503.941.0427. You'll be glad you did. IS YOUR EMPLOYER AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE®? Our effective, onsite seminars, workshops, and consulting can help you get there. We offer 1-, 2-, 3-hour, and full-day programs to help you communicate what it takes to become an Employer of Choice® and inspire your folks to get it done. In the future, being an Employer of Choice® will not be optional. Call Carol at 336-210-3547 to arrange a no-obligation conference call. Or order the electronic version of the Employer of Choice book on your desktop for only $17.80 @ http://hermangroup.com/store/books_all.html#2. STRUGGLING TO FIND THE PEOPLE YOU NEED? VETJOBS CAN HELP! Recently, hundreds of thousands of jobs remain unfilled due to a lack of capable people. If you are looking for qualified candidates, you need to hire a veteran using VFW-sponsored VetJobs, the largest military employment site on the Internet. Thousands of returning veterans are looking for good jobs now. Mention this ad in The Herman Trend Alert and receive a 10% discount on job postings. Call Ted Daywalt at 877-838-5627 or inquire at info@VetJobs.com. Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. There is no charge for this public service. The Herman Trend Alert is received by over 30,000 subscribers in 78 countries, in addition to other websites and printed magazines. Do you enjoy receiving this weekly e-mail update? Contact us about our co-branded Trend Alert service. Click here to sign up for the Herman Trend Alert. Subscribe or Unsubscribe to weekly Herman Trend Alert View this week's Herman Trend Alert Archived Weekly Herman Trend Alerts

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