The Organ Grinder’s Monkey

March 2008’s Trendwatching Briefing is all about the rise of free and the gift/attention economy. In fact, their calling the phenomenon “Free Love.” (Warning: Mildly NSFW photo)

Some ideas they explore:

• The trend toward using advertising to create revenue out in a free economy, now showing up in places you wouldn’t have expected, including free airline seats, photographic prints and food/drink vending machines. That’s right, folks - free food, free flights and free photos, among other options.
• How the Freeconomy is changing the way not-free items are marketed and sold, including a revisit to the “Tryvertising” and “Trysumers” trends.
• The rise of FREE C2C, or the production of consumer created content for the enjoyment of other consumers.
• Swapping, recycling and other no-money transactions, from as low-end as finding a new home for those old National Geographic magazines to the high-end of house and car swapping.

Tags: Trends //