Sustainable for 2009 and Beyond | Roy H. Williams
Over the years I have come to have a tremendous amount of respect for a man name Roy H. Williams. Roy is know as the “Wizard of Ads” and for good reason. His out of the box thinking and gutsy writing style really do surprise broca and leave a lasting impression on the reader. One of the best ways you can get a sample of of his work is to sign up for his Monday Morning Memo on mondaymorningmemo.com. In his December 8th memo Roy wrote about the trends to watch in 2009. Here they are:
1. Frivolous purchases are being delayed.
We’re wearing our clothes longer and keeping the cars we’ve got. We’ll buy what we need, but only after asking whether we really need it.
2. We’re buying fewer things, but better things.
More attention is being paid to quality. Only the poorest are choosing by price alone. Information is king. Details are power. This is good news for makers of better products.
3.“Sustainable” is a concept that will grow in power for at least 10 years.
The lifestyle of the 80’s and 90’s was “upwardly mobile” and its leaders were marked by “conspicuous consumption.” But the chosen lifestyle of the next generation will be “sustainable,” meaning that we’ll strive to live within our means and embrace practices that are environmentally responsible.
Of course we are very excited about number three because that is what this blog is all about and we really hope this concept is going to be embraced the way Roy thinks it will. If Roy’s past success in predicting trends holds true for this one, the jewelry business will need to dramatically change the way we do business and be more socially responsible if we want to thrive. In our opinion, those who will succeed will be using recycled metals, sourcing fair trade gemstones and embracing beneficiated diamonds.