All companies can use trends to increase profits. The question is, are you paying attention to trends and are you seeing who it is? Some companies have used trends with great success to completely transform their business. Just look at what Subway did with the weight loss trend. They went out and found a success story and made as much of it as they could.
They found a way to be the solution for those who want to eat less fast food but still get fast food. They even put the nutrition facts for their healthiest sandwiches on the napkins. Now look how many started following this trend. Your kids can eat apple wedges at McDonald’s instead of French fries.
Another trend at the moment is the “green” market. Whether you agree with the Global Warming myth or not, the market is buying green. Does your product or service have the ability to advertise as a green solution? Are there changes I can make to do that?
Sometimes you don’t really have to have the product or the trend in your business. Commenting on it or finding ways to link to it will work just as well. For example, sports can be a trend. Find ways to use the different sports seasons to your advantage. If you are in a soccer city, link to that soccer team. Run promotions that involve the team.
Here in Tampa we had the Super Bowl in town a couple of years ago. I saw many companies take advantage of that and many others did not. There is a psychological effect that occurs when we find something in common with someone. We immediately begin to love and trust that person or company. Using local sports teams to create that common ground is a great way to go.
If your local sports team is in the playoffs or having a spectacular season, there is likely to be a stir in the market. This gets people in your market excited and talking about the team. Find ways to capitalize on that. I was a bag boy at Publix when the Florida Marlins won the World Series for the first time. The store was decked out in Marlins decorations and customer service was playing the game on a television in the front of the store. There was excitement in that store, especially while the game was running.
Another set of trends are psychological. For example, at the moment the tendency is to be smart with money, as it is more strict. There is also a strong distrust of the government at the moment. How can you use them in your advertising?
If you still can’t find a trend to wear, create one. Many restaurants are hosting family nights where kids eat free. There is a CiCi’s Pizza near my house that had a family night on Thursdays with a live musician. The children were able to play with the singer with different instruments. We were there almost every Thursday while they had that. They created a trend and the place was packed.
Keep an eye out for companies that always seem to be using a new trend and see how you can do the same.