Everything Old Is New Again (For 2015)…

Since my final blog post in 2014 was all about endings (and bad habits), my first post in 2015 will focus on…beginnings. When I think of things that are new, I think about trends.

What will get us “hot and bothered” in the business world for 2015? How will online and mobile technology continue to evolve and strengthen our indentured servitude to a digital lifestyle this new year?

What ingenious fitness regimens (that aren’t really new) will herd us into the gym or exercise studio like a mad cattle call before the spring flowers bud? Which (centuries-old) vegetable and (ancient) grain will become the new kale and quinoa?

Now you know why I scammed the name of this post from a song-and-dance number in All That Jazz (“Everything Old Is New Again”). It’s pure mathematics: Whenever we travel one revolution (360 degrees) around a circle, we are back where we started. Let’s circumnavigate these Nostradamus-like predictions regarding what will be “new” in 2015.

TopRank Online Marketing Blends Brands and Publishers into One for 2015: I found “21 Digital Marketing Trends & Predictions for 2015” via TopRank Online Marketing’s blog. The article’s author, Lee Odden, interviewed well-known marketing sages such as Ann Handley, Mark Schaefer, and Jay Baer.

He also contacted business executives at companies like Google, IBM, Marketo, and LinkedIn for their predictions regarding what they think will be the hottest digital developments in 2015. Some of these prognostications include:

“My top change/trend for digital marketing in 2015 is the rise and eventual preeminence of mobile data.” (Tom Webster, Edison Research)

“It’s already happening, but 2015 will be the year of paid amplification.” (Jay Baer, Convince & Convert)

“Major change in digital marketing: Those that pitch are becoming ignored… Get cracking folks, it’s time to actually care.” (Mike Stelzner, Social Media Examiner)

(In my honest opinion, none of these digital trends for 2015 seem earth-shatteringly new to me. It’s almost as if I read them a year ago when 2013 morphed into 2014…)

Trendwatching.com Considers Its List of 10 Trends for 2015 As Opportunities: The people at Trendwatching.com are innovative thinkers. They don’t want to bore you with the macro trends you’re already aware of for 2015 (“The Internet of Things… More Smartphones… Aging Populations… More China.” ).

The focus of Trendwatching’s “10 Trends for 2015” article is on how you can tap into consumer trends as opportunities for delighting your current and prospective customers.

The list offers you concepts like “instant skills,” “fast-laning,” “sympathetic pricing”, and “robolove” as mental floss for your consumer-oriented brain to process.

Although this post is visually a bit distracting, it’s a worthy read; click the link and keep scrolling…

Kjaer Global Provides a Visual Road Map of 2015’s Socio-Educational Trends: The intrepid people at Kjaer Global have compiled a pictorial (“Trend Snapshots 2015”) in which stunning images are paired up with what they call “inspirational narratives.” I think it’s best to provide you with a direct quote:

“We explored how the interlinked macro trends presented over the last year will inform the short to mid-term future for organisations and people.”

Some of the trends Kjaer Global is trumpeting for 2015 include: collaborative culture, lifelong learning (with an emphasis on MOOCs–massive open online courses), and self-tracking of your physical health. Please disregard the glaring typo in the post’s title (i.e., “Trend Snaphots 2015+”)!

Computing, Computing Everywhere, but Not a (2015) Forbes Subscription to Spare: You have no choice but to gaze in (wonder? horror?) at Forbes’s “Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2015.” Go ahead, click through the slideshow.

All you IT and digital zombies will be gloating with sheer delight over an unavoidable fact: technology will continue to embed itself into our lives and thought processes in 2015.

Call me an analog type of gal, but this whole “The Internet of Things (IoT)” thing kind of makes me want to pack it in and search for a lost horizon. Other Big Brother-type predictions that might have met with George Orwell’s approval: 3D printing, smart machines, and web-scale IT.

(Where’s Ray Bradbury when you need him most?!?)

Weighty Ways of Whipping Your Body into Shape Are Trending for 2015: I’m a seasoned believer in (and practitioner of) physical fitness. It is an important component regarding your quality of life.

Like you (don’t tell me otherwise), I’m always on the prowl for innovative ways to ensure good circulation, muscle tone, and a healthy balance between physical stability and mobility.

The American College of Sports Medicine issued a press release in October 2014 entitled “Survey Predicts Top 20 Fitness Trends for 2015.”   One top trend that looks to continue in 2015 is body-weight training:

“Push-ups, planks, lunges and squats. If you’ve recently incorporated more body weight exercises into your workout routine, you’re part of a growing trend.”

Other ways to torture yourself anew in 2015: high-intensity interval training (HIIT), yoga (um, it’s only a mind-body practice that’s over 5,000 years old!), functional fitness (think Baby Boomers and activities of daily living), and group personal training.

The full list of all 20 trends is available via the November/December 2014 issue of the ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal.

According to U.S. News & World Report, Kale Sprouts Are the New Kale: If you’ve been searching for reading material that combines “fresh” diet and fitness advice in one location, quickly bookmark U.S. News & World Report‘s “Eat + Run” blog. This is where I found a tasty overview of our communal (and trendy) meal plan for 2015.

According to the blog’s “6 Food Trends You Need to Know About for 2015,” the next kale, a combination of kale and Brussels sprouts, will present itself to you using several aliases: kale sprouts, kalettes, BrusselKale, and lollipop kale.

Wait, did someone say lollipop? This might be the year I convince my (practically) 12-year-old son to eat a vegetable in the kale family…

When dining out in 2015, impress friends and family members with your knowledge of these additional foodie trends: “smoky” food, condiments, and beverages; bitter tastes and bitters; pistachios (thank you, Stephen Colbert); plant protein; and expansion of food-delivery services.

Other food-related predictions for you to consume:

“Here Are the Only 6 Food Trends You Need to Know for 2015” (via Time magazine)

“The Up-and-Coming Food Trends You’ll See in 2015” (via Business Insider)

“These 10 Food Trends Could Dominate 2015” (via CNN Money)

What trends are you paying attention to (so far) in 2015? From a business perspective, what technology, social media, or marketing concepts do you anticipate will be truly innovative this year? From a personal perspective, what fitness, food, or other consumer trends will you sample as part of your plan to try new things in 2015?

I welcome your thoughts and ideas–here’s wishing you (and your business) an interesting, inventive 2015!

Lori Shapiro is the owner of By All Writes LLC, a business-to-business (B2B) writing, editing, and research company in Marlton, New Jersey. She revels in shielding her clients from the pain of writing their own print or web marketing and educational copy. Please call Lori Shapiro at 856-810-9764 or email By All Writes LLC at lori@byallwrites.biz  for a no-obligation project quote today!