Faithful Ms. Popcorn

She's got some interesting things to say in this Wall Street Journal artilce. I'm going to put the stuff I find particularly interesting in bold.

Thanks Claire for emailing it to me.


Questions for Faith Popcorn

Reinvent the Wheel in 2004 -- Or Risk Being Flattened by It

By SUZANNE VRANICA
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Digital technology and changes in consumer behavior are creating
opportunities for futurist Faith Popcorn, who made her market by
forecasting important social and economic trends.

Ms. Popcorn founded Brain Reserve, her marketing consulting firm, back
in 1974 -- which means she knows something about lasting the course. She
hasalso written several books, including "EVEolution" and "The Popcorn
Report,"which helped establish her credentials.

Today, Campbell Soup is using Ms. Popcorn to broaden its marketing
efforts. One concept: "Soup Sanctuaries" at shopping venues nationwide, where
shoppers can rest and enjoy free soup. "TV commercials are over," Ms.
Popcorn says. "We are creating a new model where a brand interrupts the
culture." Her thoughts on 2004 follow.

* * *

WSJ: Are consumer-purchasing habits returning to normal in the
aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks?


[Popcorn]
'Our shock button has been turned off,' Ms. Popcorn says.

------------------

Ms. Popcorn: No. There are two kinds of fear that are still in place.
Internal fear, which includes the fear of carbs, office stress and
aging. And external fear, which includes the fear of terrorism, bioterrorism
and even the flu. Fear is still running high and that is why the alcohol
industry is doing well. Fear makes consumers suspicious and it makes it
harder to sell to them. Big advertisers should be more maternal and
nurturing in this type of environment. They also need to be available.
Today, you can't get hold of any company. If you have an issue with
your soap powder you can't find a live person to talk to at a company. That
is a problem.

WSJ: What trend are marketers missing?

Ms. Popcorn: Only 10% of families are traditional. The new household
formation is mixed, but companies still market to the soccer moms and
white families. About 51% of households are married-couple households -- down
dramatically from 80% in 1950. The fact is if you are in a new type of
household -- your child is adopted, you used an egg bank [to become
pregnant] or grandparents are raising the kids -- you are being
ignored.

WSJ: What key marketing trend will take hold in 2004?

Ms. Popcorn: Porn will become the norm. Nothing shocks anyone anymore.
Our shock button has been turned off and that is why advertisers are
finding it hard to get their messages through. The whole country is desensitized.
The media will continue to push the limits of what's acceptable.

WSJ: Will marketers embrace aging boomers this year?

Ms. Popcorn: Marketers don't understand them. No one understands them.
Our culture throws out older people. More importantly, marketers don't
realize that there is a group of boomers that are born-again parents. Many
grandparents are raising kids today. Paying attention to this
generation is not about putting old people in ads. You must put products into
people's lives in imaginative ways.

WSJ: You spent part of your childhood in China. As that market heats
up, how should American companies prepare their marketing?

Ms. Popcorn: Speak Chinese first. Chinese culture is complex. Americans
are terrible at not understanding the culture. I have adopted a Chinese
daughter and had to learn about the culture. Companies must do the same -- it is
enormously important. You need to know that black is a bad-luck color
in China. One small misstep could destroy your communications.

WSJ: Will TiVo gain strength in 2004, and if it does, what does this
mean for TV marketers?

Ms. Popcorn: TiVo will take the guts out of the television industry.
You will see a lot of marketers become partners with TV shows. Soon you
will beable to buy the wardrobe of a character on a show, or the entire living
room that appears on a show's set. It's not about having Evian [bottled
water] appear in a program.

WSJ: Are there any other new technologies that have the potential to
change advertising and marketing?

Ms. Popcorn: One company has begun putting built-in mini TV screens on
wine bottles. It shows a short film about the wine and how it was grown. I
think other food marketers may also use the new TV technology. It's part of
wanting to understand the source of our food.

WSJ: Is reality TV a fad or a trend?

Ms. Popcorn: It's a long-term trend that will be supported by virtual
reality rooms that will be in almost every home. With the advent of
virtual reality, we'll be playing so many mind games that reality truths will
be blurred until there is no difference between reality TV, Internet games
and real life. For example, we will travel with the reality-TV team for
days at a time in our virtual reality rooms. When we must go to work, the game
will be installed on the inside of our glasses. We will gather at locations
at specific times to meet others playing in our game. It's 'Matrix' to the
max.

WSJ: What do you think about the advertising business today? How will
it evolve?

Ms. Popcorn: I think it's on its way to extinction. In three to five
years you will see consumers rejecting advertising-which will cause agencies
to scramble as they try to make a living. Right now, they are opening
trend departments, public-relations arms and viral-marketing departments.
It's about trying to reinvent themselves -- but they are very late to the
game.