Trend watching, market intelligence and research online portal TREND. launches

TREND., launched last week, will track and publish consumer data and trends across the media, advertising and marketing communications industry. Visitors can look forward to original, in-depth trend reports combining local and international research contextualised for the South African market with interviews with thought leaders and experts.

The trend watching, market intelligence and research online portal is the brainchild of industry editors and publishers, Louise Marsland and Herman Manson. TREND. is a free resource and is targeted at the media, as well as the advertising and marketing communications industry.

Regarding content on TREND., expect to find consumer and media data, consumer and industry trends and market intelligence — across retail, media, marketing, digital innovation, and so on.

Content partnerships with agencies and research houses will see TREND. providing exclusive research and predicting trends, as well as reporting on them.

The first in-depth Dissect report to be published on TREND., ‘Socialising Enterprise’ focuses on social media. Compiled by Marsland and sponsored by Quirk, the report sets forth the effects of a socialised consumer base and how modern enterprise needs to adapt and integrate ‘social’ across all platforms. Content is broken down in readily digestible pieces for the busy executive.

Marsland, a media veteran with 25 years’ experience across print and online journalism, who has edited industry media brands such as AdVantage, Bizcommunity.com and Marketing Mix, honed her critical thinking skills with a Masters of Commerce degree in Strategy and Organisational Dynamics through the Leadership Centre of the University of KwaZulu Natal. The degree was presented in conjunction with the UK’s Open University and the Copenhagen School of Business.

“TREND. will be the ‘go-to’ place for the media, marketing and advertising industry, as well as business leaders and anyone else seeking rich data, research and in-depth analysis of local and international trends across the industry. We will interrogate industry data, presenting it in an exciting and accessible format, in conjunction with the expertise of our content partners and own journalistic acumen. Reports will range from weekly impactful, trend reports, to in-depth exclusive research with drop down menus for easy search on a variety of relevant industry issues and topics,” says Marsland.

Manson, who edits and publishes the independent and widely respected media, marketing and advertising industry website, marklives.com, is a former publisher of Brand magazine and editor of Media Toolbox. MarkLives will serve as a strategic publishing partner to TREND.

“TREND. will serve as a central curated resource for local and international marketing and media research as well as create its own unique in-depth reports that sources and charts influential modern trends marketers and their agencies need to note,” explains Manson.

The duo have had positive feedback from the market already, with leading industry brands taking up an initial advertising sponsorship offering, including: Machine, John Brown Media, Quirk Education, Ornico Media and 60 Layers of Cake.

“The intensive research and process thinking my degree demanded made me a better journalist, interested in research and how innovation and ideas emerge in organisations. With TREND. I’m combining my love of journalism and passion for the media, marketing and advertising industry, with my fascination for rich data and the thought leadership and creativity around how trends emerge,” concludes Marsland.