Google video now indexes videos of all kinds of sources, among which of course YouTube, but also video.yahoo.com, metacafe, expotv.com, myspace video’s and some Japanese video sites (dc, Dutch). Thus home entertainment coaching brands slowly develop. In 2007 it is all about category completeness: first all videos together. So we will be able to sit comfortably on the couch, and get a selection of everything that has ever been made. So we are sure not to miss anything. If we then also know what our friends watch, we are all up-to-date tomorrow in school, at the office or with our sports team. This is a small step in that direction.

Through Bouwmarktconcurrent (do-it-yourself store competitor) consumers can online buy traditional brand products like tools, building materials, or sanitary (dc, Dutch). Now this is still a competitor of the physical store. In the future every physical store will have a bigger assortment online than off line, we will be able to see the stock, make reservations, and order. Then we can have our order delivered, or - if we like that better - pick it up at the store. The borderline between off line and online then fades. In the end, home coaching brands will connect to these stores, and they will be able to advise us directly about placing a jacuzzi on the third floor, considering the weight of it. But first all materials, the deliveries and the prices must be made available. Bouwmarktconcurrent adds to this process.

Social network Hyves wants to (anonymously) sell active brand associations of its members to the respective brands. The most popular brands at Hyves on average have more than 100,000 fans. Fashion brand Björn Borg for example, has 230,000 brand fans. Besides, Hyves knows the other brands to which somebody associates, and how this changes in the course of time (em, Dutch). In a media landscape in which brands have a hard time to reach people through advertising, they will be able to promote their products through brands that do have access to the consumer. In the bi-directional world thus developing, consumer knowledge is the specialty of coaching brands, and transaction brands fully focus on top products. After all, to be recommended to somebody, you need to deliver top products.

Related trends

• Coaching brands

Through auto.ilse.nl it is now possible to find all cars offered through Dutch magazines Autotrack, AutoTelegraaf, AutoTrader, AutoKopen and AutoScout. Marktplaats.nl and Speurders.nl are negotiated with. The reviews accompanying the search results come from car magazine Autoweek (em, Dutch). In the evolution of coaching brands in 2007 completeness is the most important factor: for example, give me all information on cars. The consumer likes to have one website with a complete overview, irrespective if you are talking about printers, insurance, jobs, internet providers, or cars. In a next step, extension to related categories will be more important. Starting next year we will see those developments.

Related trends

• Coaching brands

Wie op de sidebar van Windows Vista een gadget plaatst van ZoMoto, ziet direct de werkelijke reistijd, aangepast op de huidige files, van de gekozen route. Wie bijvoorbeeld elke dag vanuit het werk de kinderen moet ophalen, ziet direct hoe lang het rijden zal zijn.

Future vision by Erwin van Lun

Nu nog met schattingen van filetijden, straks worden er direct allerlei alternatieven real-time berekend en ook geanticipeerd op komende file. Een ongeluk bijvoorbeeld zal tot een snelgroeiende file leiden. Als wij over twintig minuten vertrekken, zal die file dus langer zijn. Ook hier zullen mobility coaching brands rekening mee houden. Daarbij zal niet de reistijd worden vermeld, maar het aantal minuten dat we nog hebben voordat we moeten vertrekken. Om ons uiteindelijk zelfs te adviseren om alternatief vervoer te nemen of een afspraak te verplaatsen. Deze situatie komt elke dag een stapje dichterbij.

Related trends

• Coaching brands

New York Times with MyTimes make it possible not only to personalize the New York Times, but even to add external sources. Thus news coaching brands further develop. Now we personalize content. Later New York Times look over our shoulder to see what we find interesting. First, they will look at how long you watch a web page, based on the time between clicks, later they will use eye-tracking (are you really looking at the content, or are you distracted by a banner or a phone call, or are you not at your computer any more), and even later NY Times will 'read' the emotions off your face. Brands will get better and better in selecting text, audio or video content we are interested in. This however goes step by step.

Through Nintendo's game console Wii, owners will soon be able to buy games and give these to their friends as presents. The moment the receiver logs in, the present becomes visible, and the download can start (dc, Dutch). We invite friends in virtual worlds. Now through a game, and individually, in the future we will invite friends at a certain moment, and pay for their experience. Like you are having a party, and the drinks are on the house. Gaming shows us what in the future will happen in every living room.

Dutch internet bank Bizner from now on also takes care of the bookkeeping for entrepreneurs. With this service, transactions in bookkeeping and bank account are (finally) exactly the same again. Now for entrepreneurs, including sole proprietorships, in the future for consumers. Innovation is all about adding value to the lives of people. For 2007 that means: help them find things, help them in administration, help them stay organized. Since the first cooperation between people we have been willing to have others do things for us, so that we ourselves can focus at those things we are good at. We keep delegating. This initiative of Bizner is totally in line with that.

The European Union starts a new, centrally organized campaign towards its citizens. Nicomarket, an anti-smoking campaign, should stimulate its citizens to stop smoking. In August the EU also organized a campaign, then about obesity (gu). Central communication stimulates bonding. By communicating as one, as the European Union, its citizens get a collective subject of conversation. A conversation that unites the citizens. Although the effect of this type of campaigns is questionable, they do contribute (a little bit) to the European unification and the feeling of oneness. It might also contribute to people feeling more 'European', and less 'German', 'Polish', or 'Portuguese'. And all these little bits later, in many decades, will contribute to a strong Europe, after which the process will continue on a world scale.

Dutch drug store chain Etos uses a (fixed) character in its communications. The character can be seen on the internet, in the stores, and maybe in other media as well. It seems to be part of a campaign around the theme pain.

Brands more and more often use characters in their communications. Now in a campaign, in the future structurally. Now built around a theme, in the future in all communications. Now it is quite hidden, but in the future the brand agent will welcome you in Etos' virtual world, and will be able to answer most of your questions directly. This is a small step in that direction.

News site eKudos now offers the possibility to register a network of contacts who share your interest in news. This way, you quickly and easily keep each other informed of news that absolutely deserves attention (dc, Dutch). Brands more and more use personal relationships to be able to serve you on a more personal basis. At the moment many brands start their own services to maintain your social network, later they will connect to social coaching brands, or their archetypes from 2007: social networks. The result is that in the end we will have one central spot for maintaining our contacts, and we will select brands which may use our contact list. This development is a side step which in the end will work out fine.

Jeans brand Levi's launches Levi's World: its own virtual world (dc, Dutch). More and more often brands with a symbolic function (brands selling products we wear on our bodies) will start creating their own worlds. Worlds in which they invite consumers, who will bring their friends. After all, these are the types of brands they can appear in, which determine their identity, or which at least they like to identify with. This is an example of that development. This type of worlds will grow into complete games for which in the end we will pay. And will be more than willing to pay for.

BMW now has a car which determines its own optimal directions, and keeps them, as part of a training for drivers. This is based on satellites. We earlier saw a BMW parking itself, a BMW driving into a garage by itself , and a Volkswagen which moves by itself (fc, Dutch).

Cars have become so cool that we almost forgot the basis need it fulfills: to get from A to B. It is just a way to fulfill the need of the free human, the human eternally looking for freedom of movement, freedom to go wherever he wants, and independence. In the future we will only have to whisper to our mobility coaching brand, and we are taken from point A to point B. Through all means available at that moment. Our own car, a bike, a metro, airplane or bedjak: nothing is excluded. And in the (very) long run we will only have to sit down, while the mobility coaching brand takes us where we want to go. The development we see here seems to be revolutionary, but before the wheel will completely disappear from the car, it will be 2050.

American online physicians community Sermo (30,000 members) opens up its website to suppliers. Pfizer is the first of several drug makers that will partner with Sermo to interact with the physicians who share insights on the site. Pfizer's collaboration will come in the form of 'HotSpots': a place for physicians to interact with the industry while no advertisements are allowed. Sermo is still determining a pricing model for the feature (cz). It gets harder for brands to gain entry to the world of consumers, of small companies, and of mediate companies. Brands who have access to the consumer, like this type of communities, therefore get more power. This type of brands determine the rules, on behalf of its members. Product suppliers, like Pfizer, take the role of transaction brands. They will completely focus on the product, and take on a service role. This is an example of that.

Pest control company Rentokil sends its clients a text message when a mouse is caught (mc, Dutch). All (brand)products will be connected, with each other and with the virtual world. To start with all products operated through plugs or batteries. Other products will follow. Through these links completely new applications evolve. Through the link, the brand manufacturer stays in touch with her products and their owners forever. So they can add more value to the lives of these people. This is a great example.

The biggest newspaper in Singapore, the Straits Times, offers TV through video phone. It can also be tested from abroad. You call (+65)64039838 and you see a simple menu with the choice between City news and Crime news, both offering four video clips which start directly (mb, Dutch).

We call our favorite brands like we call our favorite contacts. We get them on demand. Later we will be recognized, and we simply go through a personalized menu. Supported by audio, text, or video. And if we have questions, the brand agent appears, or we connect to a real colleague. We pay per minute. It is just a service. This is how simple it can be.