Happy (trendy) 2008

The World Association of Newspapers asked 8 leading newspaper executives to predict trends. Here are a few of particular note:

* The fields of public relations and marketing will continue to merge in recognition of the importance of editorial content.

* Content will both become deeper with increased “analytic journalist” and shallow with the proliferation of “news snacks”.

* Citizen participation will continue to explode in importance, ranging from citizen journalism to “prosumption”, the citizen creation and distribution of commercial messages. This supports the notion that the desire for authenticity will take center stage.

* The demand will increase for visual communication, 24/7 access, and minute-by-minute coverage of events. This complex and fast-paced environment will also spark an increased desire for measures that simplify life.

So how will we keep up? Wired predicted the top technology trends for 2008, which includes an explosion of business applications on social networking sites, Wi-Fi on airplanes, and advertising on mobile devices.

Here are the top five fashion trends as predicted by Fortune magazine. It really has no relationship to non-profit PR, but here’s the list anyway: fashion-forward sneakers, see through clothing, clothing boutiques that are also coffee shops, industrial fabrics, and the scarf. Whew, the scarf. Finally, a window of opportunity for me to be trendy in 2008.