Trend or just hype? Interview with trend researcher Corinna Mühlhausen
How does a trend coach work?
As a trend coach, I coach companies and brands that want to know what their customers are really interested in and why their marketing is good or bad. HR departments advise on their employees: How do people tick? What do different generations have for needs in the workplace?
How did the trend research come about?
Trend research comes from the English-speaking world and began in the early nineties. One tries to make forecasts and to develop visions. Because anyone who wants to bring a new product on the market or just wants to change the communication or brand must know if he is on the right path? Trend and future research is important for this.
And what exactly is a trend?
I have developed a system that captures the wealth of trend terms because it bothered me that every week a new? Trend? was proclaimed. It is important to distinguish between a small hype, industry trend and a real mega-trend. Megatrends are slow, affect society as a whole and do not change significantly. Based on human needs, such megatrends arise. Individualisation is currently a megatrend, which we also address thematically on the ChroniquesDuVasteMonde Academy Balance Day.
How can you narrow trends by topic?
I've come to realize that there are four axes of basic human needs and then develop the trend coach trend grid. If you imagine these four axes in a cross, the ego is on the left and the us on the right. Culture and technology are at the top of the Y axis and nature and sustainability below. If you then take the trend of digitalisation as an example, it will be placed at the top left between the ego and the technology. But you can see that the trend is moving back in the opposite direction and is turning into us and nature.
What are the latest trends in the future?
Quite noticeable right now is the end of mindfulness, as we have understood the concept so far. The misconception that self-optimization is only for egocentric? Higher-quick-next-types? is, ends. It's not just about myself anymore. Rather, it's about taking care of yourself, having more power and time for other people. So you're less online and it does not all hang out so much on social media channels. For example, we enjoy reading a printed book again.
Another important trend is the flight back to nature. In the Index of Values, a social media analysis that determines people's most important values, nature jumped from fourth to first place. For years, the subject of health was number one, which has slipped to second place. So while everyone is talking about digitization, we are longing for a counterpoint. Urbanization also plays a part, because if we all live in urban areas, we need nature as compensation. Small signs for it are natural cosmetics, the own harvest of herbs in the supermarket and many other aspects.
At the ChroniquesDuVasteMonde Academy Balance Day, they want to talk about self-coaching, among other things. What is the difference between self-optimization and self-coaching?
Actually, self coaching is just a linguistic synonym for self-optimization. However, the concept of self-optimization is strongly influenced by the fact that it is always about the maximum optimum. Through the shift to personal optimum, which can be achieved more slowly, less and to a more appropriate, it needed a new term and self coaching is to express this new optimum.
You coined the term healthstyle? what do you mean by that?
The term Healthstyle is intended to bring the new understanding of and health to a common denominator and is synonymous with a sporty, health and enjoyment-oriented lifestyle. This reflects various facets of health, such as personal fitness and performance in the job and also in the sporting field, but also the beauty or the healthy look.
Thanks for the interview, Corinna.
