Pink also believes companies will need to speak the language of
meaning to customers. Using a car ad as an example, he says, "It
will be less about external matters (a flashy car taking curves at
high speed) and more about internal matters - having meaningful
family discussions within the quiet of the car."
BOTTOM LINE: Pink says companies should think "substance
over style" in what they produce and how they market. The savviest
managers will also reduce brain drain by creating work environments
that help employees maintain both professional and personal
lives.
BEYOND COCOONING WITH FAITH POPCORN
For nearly a decade, says
Faith Popcorn, an internationally
recognized trend predictor and
author of the business bestseller
Clicking: 17 Trends That Drive Your Business and Your Life, a
national nervousness about our well-being has been gaining steam.
That anxiety, which she calls AtmosFear, has been further fueled by
the events of September 11, she says. "We're threatened by the air
we breathe, the water we drink, antibiotic-resistant viruses,
commuters with road rage, E. coli in our fast
food, cancer-causing
chemicals all around us. ..."
On an individual level, "people will push to work at home and to
keep a closer eye on their family," she says. "Home and office will
merge more vigorously than ever."
On a corporate level, Popcorn says this trend will have executives
reconsidering where they conduct business. Some companies will
weigh the lures of small communities that offer easy access to
major cities. Think suburbs versus inner city, low-rise office on
campus versus downtown skyscraper.
Meanwhile, goods and services that address society's concerns have
a growing market. Companies that focus on home decorating or home
entertaining already saw boosts in sales in the early fall.
Shoppers flocked to
Home Depot,
Pier 1 Imports, and other
home-related retailers. They also picked up home
electronics in
greater numbers, while overall retail sales trended downward. Stock
analysts think the nesting trend will continue, and so does
Popcorn.