2006 Trends to Watch

As we are nearing the end of 2005, the time for 2006 predictions and overviews of hot trends is upon us. While many trend reports may be focused on the purchasing power of teens and tweens or on the M&A activities in the tech sector, I pulled out a few trends that focus on the adoption of new media & technology by traditional businesses.

• Increased Usage of Social Media for Preventive Healthcare
• Food Market Blogging
• Newspaper Podcasting

Increased Usage of Social Media for Preventive Healthcare?

Gartner released a report and blog on IT trends for 2006. They include the usual predictions of decreased staffing in IT and increased adoption of cellular technology and VoIP in the home. One prediction that I found a little more interesting was that a 50% growth in healthcare software investment could enable preventable deaths to drop in half by 2013. Many healthcare companies are investing in advanced technologies to identify problems early on when they are more easily treated. But another less discussed area of investment is in leveraging technology and media to educate patients and create supportive communities. Even though many traditional healthcare providers still don’t like to admit it, most acknowledge that community support and positive thinking go along way in preventing medical problems and enabling faster recoveries. The tech-knowledgeable boomer generation could really drive adoption of online preventive health services.

Food Market Blogging

Heather Green reported on a new blog site created by Steven Jenkins of Fairway Market, a New York city food store that appeals to the hungry, online whole foods crowd. Jenkins is bored with pessimism and  celebrity chefs and Whole Foods (Market), thrilled with garlic towers and osetra caviar and Catalan toothpicks for tapas. Could this blog be a new trend for attracting affluent buyers and boomers?

http://blogs.businessweek.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/ 2389.1233912850

CEO Jim Mackey of Whole Foods Market has a relatively new blog too. It’s not updated too often but it provides a glimpse into his philosophy on social responsibility and capitalism mainly through interviews posted on the blog. The comments are worth reading as well to see just how much support exists for Mackey’s philosophy among clients and workers of Whole Foods.

Not to be left out, Whole Foods workers have a blog of their own designed to provide a workers unity perspective on everything from social responsibility to ‘not quite as fair as you thought’ fair trade coffee. Like the previous blogs, this one isn’t updated frequently but it’s interesting to read the other side of the story.

Newspaper Podcasting

Last but not least, there seems to be a podcasting trend among newspapers – what a great idea. Steve Rubel pointed out that the Telegraph in the UK is podcasting three articles each day with the hopes that they can reach a younger audience and entice them to read more. They are joining the Boston Globe, Columbus Dispatch, Sacramento Bee and Washington Post among others who have already jumped on the podcasting bandwagon. Sounds like another trend to me, and a good one.