Adweek once again permits self-proclaimed futurist huckster Marian Salzman to dazzle us with her amazing grasp of the obvious. Salzman and co-moron Ann Mack recently brainstormed “80 Things to Watch in 2008,” and Agency Spy actually posted the nonsense. The list included British Actress Keira Knightley, Mobile Technology Explosion, U.S. Presidential Election and Weak Dollar/Strong Euro. Wow, the gals must have Googled™ an entire afternoon for those gems. If there’s a legitimate trend to spot, it’s that Salzman is a world-class windbag whose predictions don’t ever seem to positively affect her agency’s work. Hence, MultiCultClassics is only posting the first two paragraphs of the Adweek drivel.
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Art & Commerce: That’s So Next Year
By Marian Salzman and Ann Mack
With more companies, brands, products, messages, media outlets, content purveyors and platforms out there than ever before, people are locked in constant decision-making mode. What’s worthy of my time? What exactly should I pay attention to? And what should I buy into?
As trendspotters, it’s our job to make sense of the chaos, to connect seemingly disconnected details and put them into context, all with an eye toward what it means for the future. Our job is also about recognizing patterns from the past that are emerging in new but eerily predictable ways.
[It’s really not worthy of your time, not exactly worth paying attention to, and you shouldn’t buy into it, but you can read the complete eerily predictable bullshit here.]
7 comments:
What a load of crap. And it took two hucksters to write the thing. Here are my predictions: Starbucks stock drops. New Media gurus kill themselves. YouTube gets a cable channel. MultiCultClassics author featured as regular talking head on The Big Idea with Donny Deutsche. Obama takes White House. Chargers take SuperBowl.
Not necessarily in that order. Results may vary.
Phrases like "co-moron" are why I love reading your blog.
HJ...
That reminds me. Whatever happened to Faith Popcorn? Probably still pulling down millions for spouting obvious shit. Don't these people know that you can't be a "Futurist" unless you have a time machine. Me, I'll stick to being a "Backwardist!"
Cheer/George
HJ...
Don't want to be a wet blanket here, but on "Jetpack's" prediction... If Obama gets the nomination... Someone will shoot him before the election. Sorry to have to say that... But this is America. That's why Colin Powell's wife wouldn't let him run.
Cheers/George
problem isn't salzman, it's an industry that props up people like her at the expense of folks who actually know what they're talking about.
George:
With respect, sir, you're from Idaho, so your perspective might be skewed by the White Supremacist community in which you find yourself. It's not 1968 anymore, you wet blanket.
“Co-moron” works.
New Media gurus kill themselves–on YouTube.
Hey, I’m a futurist too. It’s easy if you just ask more questions than you actually have answers for, right? Wanna know what the latest questions to ask to sound important? So do we. We ask the tough questions so you don’t have too, because after all, that’s our job! We talk to the style mavens, trendsetters and decision makers, so that we can make our predictions for you.
See? Already filled up one paragraph telling you what we plan on telling you you without really telling you.
(Hey, this is awesome.)
Next week?
Top 10 ‘How To’ list topics to drive blog traffic!
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