Tracking the trends

2009 to launch rise of the ‘Cuspers’

By Journal staff and The Associated Press | Monday, January 05, 2009

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Burdened by the onus of creating many of the cultural and economic conditions that concluded with a tumultuous and trying 2008, are the Baby Boomers slinking off into the sunset? That depends on which end of the massive Boomer population you are considering.

According to trendspotter Marian Salzman, the “Cuspers” — those Boomers born between 1955 and 1964 — will continue their rise to power in 2009.

She ticks off a list that includes president-elect Barack Obama, Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations nominee, and Caroline Kennedy, who could be tapped to run for Sen. Hillary Clinton’s vacant seat.

Unlike older Boomers, Cuspers are more egalitarian, more tolerant and more anxious to make a big difference, she said. Look for more Cuspers in leadership roles, said Salzman, chief marketing officer for Porter Novelli Worldwide. And look for their “let’s get on and do it” message to resonate with the masses, she said.

There is a difference between early Boomers and late Boomers, explains Trevor Brooks, a rural life and census data coordinator for the Rural Sociology Department at South Dakota State University in Brookings. As a social scientist and researcher, Brooks looks at demographics and historical events to explain the wide range of Boomer characteristics.

Early Boomers, which include President George W. Bush and former President Bill Clinton along with many of the recently discredited Wall Street players, began their adult years during a time of great opportunity. They entered college in record numbers and began their working lives with more options, according to Brooks. Unemployment for early Boomers was 4 percent in their peak earning years.

Late Boomers — those so-called Cuspers, also known as Generation Jones — had more difficulty with attaining higher education and good jobs, with many entering the job market in the early 1970s when unemployment was 6 percent. That number was up to 9 percent in the late 1970s and up to 11 percent in the 1980s.

“I think that ultimately these life experiences are leading to different attitudes,” Brooks said when comparing the younger and older Boomers. “Early Boomers, because of more options and more employment, believed that anyone could succeed if they worked for it. Whereas the later ones, because of their life chances — and being kind of blocked by early Boomers —had more difficulty.”

Such differences may have led to a more egalitarian mentality for the Cuspers, along with a mentality that promotes taking care of the community over the individual, Brooks said.

With the election of Obama, the community-minded ethos of late Boomers may be coming to the fore. But regardless of which end of the Boomer generation is in vogue, their vast numbers continue to have a huge impact.

“One thing I love to stress,” Brooks said. “When you look at different population structures, the one thing there is always going to be is those Boomers.”

What about those who might blame the Boomer generation for the onset of hard times in the new year? “Well, I think we are always going to blame each other — generations are going to blame other generations,” Brooks said.

So, love them or hate them, the Boomer generation, for good or ill, continues to drive the country’s agenda. That’s still the overarching trend of our times.

What are the other top trends of 2009? Here’s what professional trendspotters contacted by The Associated Press forecast:

THE TREND: Detoxing — Anna D’Agrosa and Paige Newman of the Zandl Group

Newman and D’Agrosa see an aversion to “toxic spending” — living above one’s means and buying things they don’t really need or want.

“Lately, several people have even mentioned that the recession almost seems like a blessing because they are now forced to readjust their values and make different choices, says Newman.

THE TREND: Credit crunch couture/DIY and upcycling — Jeremy Gutsche, Chief Trend Hunter, TrendHunter.com; Rita Nakouzi, director, Promostyl, North America

Inexpensive designs are getting a lot more attention, says Gutsche.

Designers such as Vivienne Westwood, who made a splash in her spring/summer 2009 collection by emphasizing fashion statements that work on a limited budget, including necklaces made out of safety pins and shawls from tablecloths, are going in that direction, he says.

The credit crunch is also adding fuel to more folks doing it themselves, DIY, says Gutsche. A troubled job market and the need for extra cash will motivate hobbyists to transition their love for their craft into a cottage industry.

That dovetails with “upcycling,” reusing an item so that it doesn’t become waste. The term comes from “Cradle to Cradle” authors William McDonough and Michael Braungart.

“There would be no waste if we upcycle everything that we’ve used,” Nakouzi says.

Nakouzi said to look for things like a chair cushion made out of old neckties, and more restaurants and hotels using reclaimed materials.

THE TREND: Distraction as entertainment — Ann Mack, Director of Trendspotting at JWT

Content creators are layering a multitude of media into entertainment for simultaneous consumption and engagement, Mack said.

For example, “LittleBigPlanet” users are gamers, social networkers and content creators, “The Hills” ‘Backchannel’ social networking site is where fans can gather to talk about the show as its happening on TV, and author Stephenie Meyer has a playlist that readers can listen to while they’re reading the Twilight series, she said.

“People are almost in an entertainment bubble of sorts,” said Mack.

THE TREND: Mobilize me — Jane Buckingham, president of The Intelligence Group

The year 2008 was all about computer saturation, says Buckingham, with people Facebooking, uploading videos on YouTube and watching television on their laptops.

“But next year, your media friend might start collecting dust when a mighty mini version takes hold,” says Buckingham.

“With the iPhone, the Bold and the Google phone, we’re beginning to truly be able to take our shows on the road.”

For example, the iPhone can be a baby monitor and a Google phone, such as the     T-Mobile G1, has a barcode scanner which allows you scan any barcode at the store and then immediately compare prices online.

Buckingham said she’s heard of people cutting their Internet service to save money and relying on their phones. After all, an iPhone is much easier to fit into your pocket than an iBook, she says.

THE TREND: The dowdy look — from David Wolfe, trend forecaster, The Doneger Group

It’s going to be trendy to dress dowdy, Wolfe says, with faded colors and melancholy looks. The look is almost a backlash to the flashy, celebrity driven, sexy style that has been dominant for the last decade, he says.

“In a funny way, I think it is a successor to grunge,” he said. “I think it’s going to be much more sophisticated and really kind of poetic and pretty.”

That’s not to say people are going to shop at Goodwill and thrift shops. People will go to high priced designers to look like they’re not spending a lot of money, he said.

But looking lavish will seem emotionally wrong, he said.

THE TREND: Let the good times roll —The Trends Research Institute’s Top Trends of 2009

During the Great Depression, arts and entertainment flourished, according to founder and director Gerald Celente.

When times are down, people want to lift their spirits, says Celente, adding that Americans have been working more and playing less.

He predicts that while angry music will be part of the new tunes, there will be a re-incarnation of upbeat and swinging sounds. There will also be more dance halls, particularly for the young, single under-40 cabin feverish crowd.

“The last thing they are going to do is cocooning,” he says. “They’re going to want to go out and play and laugh it up and dance like they did during the Great Depression.”