The Trends of 2010... As We See Them
January 2010

It’s 2010. The media, both social and traditional, is deluged with lists of best and worst of 2009. Communicor has decided (as usual) not to follow the pack. As business types struggle with the latest applications needed to navigate the digital tsunami created by twitter folk re-circulating other people’s ideas, we thought we would distribute some ideas we have generated ourselves. Ponder, debate, discuss and of course “socially mediate” on the following thoughts from the team at Communicor. Happy New Year and please support the people of Haiti at www.redcross.ca

PR Industry Consolidations - We’ll likely see more acquisitions this year. The economic climate certainly beat up a host of people in the communications industry, which likely translated into lower 2009 revenues and, by extension, lower selling prices. It’s also likely the recent downturn may have many seeing safety in size and be more amenable to diluting their positions to be part of something bigger. Put these two things together and you have an appetizing year for those with cash on hand and clear vision for the future.

PR Specialization - If you’re not thinking of selling or merging, you’re likely thinking about greater specialization in 2010. From both a growth and differentiation perspective it makes a lot of sense. Some time ago we reframed what we do and turned to a specialization in stakeholder communications and management. Expect others to follow suit. Hopefully this will help prospective clients navigate through a dense landscape of options, though it may be difficult to identify the true specialists rather than those merely making superficial changes.

Junk Science and the Celebrity - The only thing worse than junk science - those uncorroborated, so-called facts or findings about pretty much anything - is when a celebrity uses their fame to endorse said junk science. Thanks to these celebrities, and in the age of immediacy that is social media, it takes only a few minutes before half of the connected planet thinks Nutra Sweet causes global warming. It’s worse than people making serious decisions based on what they read on Wikipedia. Our hope is it stops in 2010. Given that it likely won’t stop, our prediction is that we figure out a way to use this phenomenon to our clients’ advantage.

Social Media - In 2009 alone, twitter grew over 1,200% with 18 million users and counting in the US alone. It’s safe to say social media is a way of life for most businesses. In 2010, moving forward, a social media strategy will become the norm for all business. There’s a good chance most companies will have a department devoted specifically to social media (if they don’t already). If you’re not up on the latest twitter updates, blog trends and facebook groups, you’ll be left floating around in the twitterverse.

Food for Thought - In 2010 we predict the rise of allergy friendly foods. The top four food allergies, in no particular order, are eggs, dairy, gluten (wheat) and nuts. In 2009, gluten allergies received the most attention and this will continue in 2010. Moreover, as the evidence continues to grow about the health benefits of a gluten-free diet, more people will voluntarily switch to a gluten-free diet. This surge in popularity will lead to greater availability of gluten-free products – from baking mixes to beer, pastas to breads – though it remains to be seen who will capitalize on this niche market.

Tiger Woods – The new bad boy? This self professed role model for minority youth and the American dream has turned out to be just another talented athlete with a locker room morality. So what will 2010 hold for Tiger? Who cares! Watch the Olympics for real heroes. What will be interesting to follow is the strategy his handler, IMG’s Mark Steinberg, has for Woods. He will definitely have his work cut out for him. Oh and we think Will Smith will play the lead in the movie.

The Toronto Scene – While the country reels as the Federal Government chooses whether or not it would like to be publicly accountable, Torontonians generally shrug it off as we’ve lived with Mayor David Miller’s lock on the city’s government for years. In the coming election we hope candidates present platforms that provide a positive environment for a broad cross section of future-focused industries that could thrive in Toronto.