BusinessWeek came up with their innovation predictions for 2008 here.
Their first prediction is "Innovation Consolidation", which will see the big consultancy firms acquiring companies that are known to be in the "innovation business" (such as Ideo and Jump) to "to bolster [their] innovation practice". Is it likely? I think so. Considering that McKinsey, BCG, and Bain are all moving into areas that are traditionally beyond their expertise (e.g., marketing communications and marketing ROI), it is very probable that they would also look at developing expertise in these areas.
Related to this is the trend that sees the transformation of B-schools into D-schools, as well as the real emergence of the "experience-focused" customer.
"Identity" replaces "experience" as the next big concept in design and media thinking. People create their own identities interacting with products and services. The notion of a consumer experience is a more passive way of thinking. It's so 20th century. Identity gets the buzz in '08.
One prediction that I thought was very interesting was the idea of "unfriend me".
Who you're friends with becomes more important than how many friends you have. Exclusivity and privacy replace open community in social media. People move to gated networks from Facebook and MySpace (NWS), fleeing the commercialization of their personal information and relationships.
... which personally is true for me. I have started "faceslamming" (to use a term that I got from reading Wired's December issue) and "unfriending" people. I think we're far too connected these days - and such is the power of technology now that I can be found by classmates from high school and from university. I don't really want all my friends to know what I have been up to, really. I think this is going to be our alternative to privacy - or perhaps a new definition of what privacy online is going to be: a selective announcement of who we are, what we have been doing, and what we are planning to do.
BusinessWeek also thinks that Kindle of Amazon is going to catch fire. As an avid book-reader, I am not sure about this. As far as I am concerned, I still like the idea of having books in my library - although the thought of having too many books does cross my mind. (I am a nomad.)
For the most part, I would say it's going to be an exciting 2008 for all tech companies and marketing companies (which pretty much is every company).
One thing's for sure: it's not business as usual next year.
