2012: THE YEAR OF THE TANGERINE TANGO

Did you know that Pantone has been designating a specific colour to every year since 2000?

Last year it was Honeysuckle, a dynamic, reddish pink chosen to “embolden us to face everyday

troubles with verve and vigour... It elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence,

courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life.”

In that respect, Pantone was onto something, as 2011 was nothing if not challenging for many parts

of the world: Japan, Greece, Pakistan and Turkey, to name but a few.

This year, it’s a more cheering shade of orange: Tangerine Tango, to be precise. According to

Pantone, this “spirited reddish orange continues to provide the energy boost we need to recharge

and move forward.”

So, with thanks to TrendWatching, let’s take a look at what might be some of the bolder highlights of

the year ahead and what amber alerts are looming.

RED CARPET FOR THE EMERGED MARKETS

In keeping with the Latin American dance theme, there’s no doubt that we will be looking to

emerging markets, such as Brazil, to capture the spotlight as 2012 progresses.

The rebalancing of the global economy continues to be one of the defining stories of our time.

Catering to the hundreds of millions of now ‘emerged’ consumers will be a prime source of profit in

future years.

Many struggling companies and bankrupt economies are looking to China to bail them out and are

rolling out red carpets wherever Chinese politicians and CEOs set foot. And you can count on Indians

and Turks and Brazilians to be on the receiving end of the RED (or ORANGE or GREEN) CARPET trend

in the near future too.

URBAN LIGHTS BURN BRIGHT

In 2012, city lights will burn brighter than ever, as hundreds of millions of increasingly experienced

and sophisticated CITYSUMERS, from San Francisco to Shanghai to Sao Paulo prove themselves to be

increasingly demanding, open-minded, but also more proudly local, connected, spontaneous and

willing to try new things.

DIY RED CROSS

Countless new apps and devices are actively targeting consumers keen on preventing, examining,

improving, monitoring and managing their health. Some of the positive implications for consumers

tracking their own state of health include less necessity for potentially intrusive and embarrassing

trips to the doctor, or for those that do need medical attention and supervision, a much more

convenient and accessible way for their doctor to keep a remote eye on any troublesome conditions.

IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO

We all know that the tango only works if you get up close and personal. Similarly, brand interactions

in 2012 will be dominated by ‘interactive’ touching, feeling, playing, swiping, pinching and tapping.

Screen technologies will become yet more pervasive as new technologies enable more dynamic and

immersive experiences.

AMBER ALERT

After the revolutions and #occupy movements that marked 2011, it’s clear that governments

worldwide need to prove to their citizens that they have what it takes to solve pressing economic

and social issues. Re-establishing and maintaining trust will be paramount. There will be inevitable

tensions between globalisation and fragmentation as generalised feelings of powerlessness and

anxiety increase nationalistic protectionism. Against this backdrop of fragile public confidence and

an all-seeing media, corporate scandals have eroded consumers’ trust in big companies even further.

2012 will see all stakeholders demand even greater transparency and accountability from the

business world.

But never fear, if we are to believe Pantone, the future’s bright, the future’s Tangerine Tango.