Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight

...The report says people are getting some optimism back, although their buying habits -- particularly those of 20- to 30-year-olds -- are going to be radically different. The report lists 13 "microtrends." First on the list is trust, or "trust is the new black." Gerzema said there has been a 50% decline in trust since 2001, but a 35% rise in trust as a driver of brand equity. That suggests there's an opportunity for brands that open their arms wide and say, "Here I am with all my blemishes."

"Customers want a reason to believe and brands who give them that will be better off," said Connelly. Gerin said MasterCard is doing just fine in that category -- as she said the brand is 87% more trusted than any other brand of any kind.

McCracken said trust matters in a "black swan" world full of disruptive competitors. "The last 20 years have been a chronicle of brands behaving badly," he said. "The name of the game is absolute transparency." The good news for established brands is that assuming they have not been behaving badly, they have equity, while new competitors have nothing but VC money. To achieve trust equity functionally, the "front" of a company -- its brand, communications, what it claims to be -- must match the back, the invisible side, where it does what it actually does....

[Very interesting trend report for marketing and PR ~ Jeff]

With the New Year right around the corner, there's no doubt that you are already in the process of planning out your marketing strategy for 2013.

With the New Year right around the corner, there’s no doubt that you are already in the process of planning out your marketing strategy for 2013. While much of it may be similar to last year’s strategy, I strongly encourage you to revisit your social game plan. A lot has changed over the last 12 months and without a refresher, you may not be in the best position to succeed. If you need some guidance on what to do, I have got you covered. I recently surveyed 12 of the top thought leaders in social media in an effort to provide you with the support you need to develop a social strategy that will help make 2013 a breakout year for you and your organization. Before you lock in your plans for 2013, reflect on the tips below and incorporate them into game plan....

[Lots of great insight from these social media thinkers ~ Jeff]