Never Conform

Book excerpt: Through a deep dive into the hard-to-reach-but-desirable universe of trend-setters, this in-depth research paper will trace the crossover journey of their ahead-of-the-curve ideas from underground towards the mainstream to unlock the new Early Adopter – dubbed the ‘Trans Human Consumer’. Market research professionals, design and advertising professionals, trend spotters, you will find this research a valuable decision-making resource to reduce the uncertainties associated with future-planning. By pin-pointing small signs of big change early on, this piece unlocks robust insights into behaviours, preferences and attitudes of the minority, who are shaping the mainstream consumption patterns, to help you develop and fine-tune your business strategies. In parallel, it will reveal a plethora of emerging visual codes to inspire you and ensure your upcoming campaigns resonate with future needs. Those working in cultural programming across the hospitality and arts sectors, if cool is your currency, read on. This is where it’s at. Grounded in the-first-to-know, the robust cultural framework inspired by Everett Rogers’ seminal ‘innovations diffusion’, with its novelty focus on the Innovator (the type preceding the Early Adopter), the period (2024 – 2026) signals the beginning of the downward curve. With paradigm shifts in consumption being cyclical, as the mainstream is getting saturated by ideas led by the previous cool cycle, en route to overkill, Never Conform captures the new movement as it is happening. Its focal point are Alphas, the notoriously difficult to reach type of Innovators, who are the style leaders. Fresh, seemingly weird, ideas from the underground, perhaps even appearing threatening for brands, are maturing. Carrying new authentic claims, they provide an alternative. Covering the period of its underground formation and maturity (2017 - 2024), it projects into 2025 – 2027 and beyond. At the heart of the-first-to-know proposition is the concept of hip or cool (used interchangeably). A running theme is that cool is a paradox. It is simultaneously a way to rebel against consumerism and the lifeblood of consumer society. In commercial terms, it is about being ahead of the consuming crowd. This ability to influence commands a premium price. From the nature of tapping into the heart of the zeitgeist, cool is a tool to create hype. As such, it is an essential resource in communication strategy. Although Mavericks, the other type of Innovator, are outside the scope of this research piece, a good researcher should be able to identify those, by applying the-first-to-know model. Having been introduced to the new Alphas, it is about joining the dots between the seemingly unconnected to unlock new, robust opportunities. The model in full is outlined in The 2.5%: small group, big influence (2021), which you can also find here on Google Play. Hunches for the model were first outlined in The First to Know: how hipsters and mavericks shape the zeitgeist (2011), now a ‘classic’. This is a high-quality paperback book (sustainably made and printed in the UK) that you can order via Central Books independent distributor based in the UK or online book selling platforms.