Future Lab North
To Leaf cafe on Bold Street in Liverpool last Friday for a talk by some chaps from the Future Laboratory, a big-brained brand consultancy in that London.
Future Lab advises consumer brands on spending trends and lifestyle changes across all age groups and demographies across the world. It's heady, fascinating stuff laced with a seemingly endless assortment of made-up words and phrases to describe different demographic groups.
Rurbanite – part of the new middle class – like the benefits of living in a town or city but are on a waiting list for an allotment, a bit dishevelled (several of my friends – I'm looking at you)
Stuffocation – no idea
Anarconomy – something to do with the current air of anarchy and how it is effecting the economy
Betapreneurial – trying out business ideas in public even before you have launched or have a product, asking your friends on Facebook, followers on Twitter what they think
Generation Jones – from keeping up with the Joneses, the idea of not being content with your car, house, wardrobe…
Future Laboratory North was organised by Liverpool Vision and Think Publicity as part of the Global Entrepreneurship Congress and was attended by around 50 people from companies and organisations as diverse as Radisson, Shop Direct, Jones Lang LaSalle, as well as fashion and media lecturers and PR and design consultants. There were a lot of trendy beards and vintage dresses in the room. More of the same please Vision and Think.