1. Small-scale food production using membership models
The past year or two saw a huge increase in innovative, upscale mobile
food purveyors working from trucks and selling everything from premium
ice-cream to Korean BBQ tacos. Requiring an even lower investment, the
next wave could be small-scale culinary subscription services, which
allow fledgling entrepreneurs to get a foothold in the food business,
and create a steady income and a loyal client base for future business
activities.
Milk Made » — Dulcinea »
2. Low impact advertising
Realising that green concerns are here to stay, British media agency
Curb offers nothing but low-impact advertising. Its first service used
rainwater to clean logos into grubby pavements, and was quickly
followed by other techniques that use sand, sea water, grass,
glow-in-the-dark funghi and more to broadcast their clients’ messages
in an earth-friendly manner.
Curb »
3. Health tracking devices
From wireless headbands that track sleep patterns to wearable gadgets
that track every move, an increasing number of options is available
for people who want to track their own health-related behaviour.
Recording and relaying detailed information that was previously only
available through medical monitoring, most of these devices aren’t yet
available worldwide, which creates a host of opportunities for
distributors and localized versions.
Zeo » — Fitbit » — DirectLife » — TheCarrot.com » — Bedpost »
4. Sample stores, cafes & vending machines
Sophisticated sampling—dubbed tryvertising by trendwatching.com—isn’t
new. On the rise, however, are dedicated spaces that facilitate
sampling by a variety of brands, attracting consumers through the
irresistible offer of free goods. Following sampling stores in Spain,
sampling cafes in Tokyo and sample vending machines in Belgium, we
suspect this concept will spread even further in 2010.
Esloúltimo » — L CAFE » — Boobox »
5. Discreet rooftop solar panels and wind turbines
While most homeowners would in theory like to generate their own wind
or solar power, many are put off not just by cost, but by the
aesthetic impact of wind turbines and solar panels. Aiming to resolve
that problem are smart engineers who are creating new options that
blend in with their environment. Two promising examples: rooftop wind
turbines that almost disappear along the apex of a sloping roof, and
solar panels shaped like traditional clay roof tiles. Plenty of
opportunities here over the next decade, both in distribution and in
the development of similar products.
Solé Power Tile » — Ridgeblade »
6. Rotating retail at airports and in malls
Pop-up, temporary retail is still going strong, but a new alternative
has entered the game: rotating retail. Two spottings: opening soon in
Glasgow Airport is Planeshop, a permanent store that brands will take
over for a limited time, including changing the shop’s exterior
graphics to match their identity. And in the Netherlands, BrandNew
Stores aims to turn those fleeting pop-up shops into a chain concept,
creating fixed spaces where brands can temporarily present themselves
in a regular retail environment.
Planeshop » — BrandNew Stores »
7. Remote farming for consumers
According to Wikipedia, farm simulation game FarmVille has become the
most popular game application on Facebook with 73.8 million active
users in January 2010. Offering consumers a way to remotely control a
patch of land that will actually provide them with an edible harvest
is a new Italian start-up: Le Verdure Del Mio Orto, which lets anyone
build an organic garden right from their web browser. As the produce
grows, it’s picked and delivered to the customer’s door within 24
hours. Weekly deliveries are part of the package.
Le Verdure Del Mio Orto »
8. Connecting creative consumers with local fabricators
A partnership between New Zealand-based Ponoko and North
Carolina-based ShopBot Tools, 100kGarages is a community of workshops
distributed around the world that are equipped with the digital
fabrication tools needed to precisely cut, machine, drill or sculpt
the components of virtually any creative project. The network allows
designers or consumers turn their ideas into physical products, and
creates new business for small workshops.
100kGarages »
9. Paying consumers to promote products they use and love
As our sister-site trendwatching.com pointed out in its sellsumers
briefing, selling is the new saving: a recession-induced need for cash
plus an ever-growing infrastructure are fueling concepts that help
ordinary consumers make money instead of spending it. One of the
easiest ways to do so is by taking on the role of marketeer for
products they already use and love: from promoting concerts by their
favourite bands, to helping small companies launch new products.
Hollrr » — People’s Music Store » — Posse » — Looklet »
10. Single-use toilet bag turns human waste into fertilizer
While this is a numbered list, we love all of these ideas equally. So,
last but not least, a potential solution to a problem that 2.6 billion
people have to deal with: no access to a toilet. Designed for use
sitting, squatting or standing, the single-use, biodegradable plastic
Peepoo bag is lined with a urea-coated gauze layer that disinfects all
waste. Used bags are odour-free for at least 24 hours and are safe for
burial underground. Within two to four weeks after use, their contents
are converted to high-quality fertiliser—something that’s also rare in
many areas and could become a source of income and further enrichment
for individuals or villages.
Peepoo bag »
