






|
|
1. Economy
2. War
3. Security
4. Health care
5. Telecom
6. Travel
7. Media
8. Tech
9. Environ- ment
10.
Edu- cation
11.
Food
2022 TrendReport

2021 Track Record

2021 TrendReport

2020 Track Record

2020 TrendReport

2019 Track Record

2019 TrendReport

2018 Track Record

2018 TrendReport

2017 Track Record

2017 TrendReport

2016 Track Record

2016 TrendReport

2015 Track Record

2015 TrendReport

2014 Track Record

2014 TrendReport

2013 Track Record

2013 TrendReport

2012 Track Record

2012 TrendReport

2011
Track Record

2011
TrendReport

2010
Track Record

2010 TrendReport

2009
Track Record

2009
TrendReport

2008 TrendReport

2003 Track Record

2003 TrendReport

2002 TrendReport Q3-Q4

2002 Track Record 2002 Q1-Q2

2002 TrendReport Q1-Q2

2001 TrendReport

2000 Predictions

1999 Predictions
|
|

Predictions for 2003
by Susan
Eldred, John Parker & Norman Birnbach
1.
Economy: Recovery? Depends on whom you ask
- Despite slower economic growth, which could lead to deflation, and
the presence of so many former Ford administration staffers in the
current administration, we won't see "WDN" buttons. But President Bush's
new economic team faces a tough challenge: to jump-start the economy
before the 2004 election. John W. Snow, the nominee for Treasury secretary
(replacing Paul O'Neill), will be confirmed. But he and Stephen Friedman,
the President's new senior economic advisor (replacing Lawrence Lindsey),
will have to finesse Bush's proposed freeze across non-military spending
and his tax-cutting economic package (which could cost up to $300 billion
over 10 years). Meanwhile the deficit will continue to increase in
order to pay for Homeland Security costs, a military build-up and possible
Gulf War II (one in which U.S. allies will not contribute financially,
as they did in GWI).
- As new SEC Chairman, William H. Donaldson could have a long honeymoon
period with the media and investors as the anti-Harvey Pitt. It will
help that the president has proposed a bigger budget and more resources
for the SEC. But Donaldson will have to score points early on to prove
that he is not a caretaker, but someone who will lead the SEC in regaining
investors' confidence in the markets. His first move should be to name
a strong, experienced, independent, credible and reform-minded chair
of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. He'll have to move
quickly over a range of initiatives to restore confidence, including
establishing new rules to:
- remove analysts' conflicts of interests
- improve corporate governance
- change Wall Street firms' method of allocating IPO shares
- protect investors around electronic exchanges
- ensure consistency in expensing stock options.
- After careful study, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board,
mandated by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, will find that many points in Sarbanes-Oxley
put an unfair and oppressive burden on small public companies and on
foreign-based U.S. listed companies for whom the Act goes against
local custom and laws. The bill will need to be overhauled to keep
small companies competitive and foreign companies on U.S. exchanges.
(Recently Porsche decided against listing in the U.S., citing Sarbanes-Oxley
as the main factor in its decision.) The one part of Sarbanes-Oxley
that won't get changed: the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
- SEC wins funding to increase enforcement staff, but gets at least
30% less than it requested.
- The National Accounting Standards Board adopts new guidelines for
financial reporting, substantially changing the accepted definition
of "earnings."
- At least one major accounting firm declares bankruptcy in the wake
of scandals involving its major clients.
- By June 1, the Dow stabilizes at or around 9,000 points; NASDAQ hovers
between 1,500 and 1,600 points.
- Wave of acquisitions as major IT vendors scoop up companies involved
in document management, portal technologies, and application-development
software. Following this: New wave of software-development layoffs,
offset by hiring in the CRM sector.
- Residential real-estate market rebounds from March/April slump;
median housing prices hit new highs in Northeast, Southwest.
- Many U.S. companies will continue to pare their payroll. Congress
will have to look at extending unemployment benefits as a proven economic
tool to help stimulate the economy.
- Most states will raise taxes and cut services. New York, Massachusetts,
California and every other state are hemorrhaging red ink, and desperately
need an infusion of revenues. Legislatures will certainly raise taxes.
Another factor likely to impede business growth is that states will
refrain from any monetary deals favorable to attracting new industry
or business expansion.
- "Flat-tax" and other proposals for reforming the federal tax codes
emerge as major issue for the 2004 Presidential campaign.
top
2.
War (and rumors thereof): What is it good for?
- Weapons inspection in Iraq proves inconclusive. The Bush administration
initiates targeted bombing of suspected weapons sites, but holds off
invasion.
- Panel investigating 9/11 prevention finds Clinton administration
to blame.
- Osama Bin Laden remains at large, and will continue to appear on
al-Jazeera, via audio tape, several times in 2003 but without
as much debate as to the authenticity of the tape as was the case in
2001; he is unlikely to appear on videotape, however.
- The bill for the war on terrorism comes due: Defense prospers but
other economic sectors lobby for government protection, economic incentives.
American manufacturing should get a boost, especially in the defense
sector. The industry marches into 2003 riding several consecutive months
of increased factory orders, and should there be a war with Iraq, manufacturers
will get a bite of the estimated $14B tab. This, coupled with new Homeland
Security measures, should strengthen the outlook for production.
- Antiglobalization (i.e., Anti-American) sentiments increase around
the globe. Expect more protests in unfriendly parts of the world, in
partly US-aligned countries (such as some of the EU), and even in closely
aligned countries (U.K.). This will hurt well known multinational U.S.-based
companies, from McDonald's and Starbucks to Coke and others. Tony Blair
and his pro-U.S. stance will come under attack as the U.K.'s economy
continues to falter.
- North Korea will continue its nuclear saber rattling in an attempt
to blackmail Japan, China and the U.S. into providing additional funds
and resources for the financially-strapped dictatorship. To get Japan
and China on its side in targeting Iraq, the Bush administration will
follow their lead with regard to North Korea.
top
3.
Security: Insecurity Complex
- Everybody knows my name: Expect Congress to pass sweeping legislation
aimed at protecting personal privacy even while new Homeland Security
measures are criticized for violating the rights of individual citizens.
New laws will address everything from Internet security to those annoying
telemarketing phone calls that come at the dinner hour to anti-spamming
legislation. (The anti-spamming legislation, no matter how well-conceived
or well-intended, will not be 100-percent successful.) The recent outbreak
of identity thefts and the amalgamation of personal information on
large, interconnected databases have made consumers nervous and have
galvanized civil liberties organizations, the insurance industry and
financial institutions to pressure the government to take action.
- The Transportation Security Administration will continue to miss
deadlines, but will continue to score positive marks with airlines,
passengers and Congress as the agency establishes new procedures, installs
new security technologies and trains new federalized security workers
and air marshals.
- Cyber Security is the watchword: As part of the emphasis on national
security, there will be increased focus on warding off cyber attacks.
Government agencies and contractors will be directed to shore up their
firewalls and other security precautions, such as taking extraordinary
care to limit the distribution of passwords. New government cyber security
regulations might also apply to financial services firms and other
corporations, if hacking their systems would result in disruption to
the economy or in endangering citizens.
- House and Senate debate new "right to (digital) privacy" legislation.
top
4.
What Healthcare? Calling Dr. Kildare!
- Health insurance and Social Security move up on the legislative
agenda as boomers and Gen X-ers get older, the economy becomes less
predictable, and new health threats emerge.
- Even while the U.S. government faces the budget-busting costs of
military activities and Homeland Security programs, it's a safe bet
that the current administration will advance some concrete proposals
to solve the nation's health care dilemma. The current system is loathed
by patients, health care providers, insurance companies and employers
alike. While the overall quality of care declines, some doctors are
leaving their practices due to spiraling malpractice insurance premiums.
At the same time, more medical facilities in border states will close
their doors because they are overwhelmed by illegal immigrants seeking
treatment but unable to pay for it. As a result, the federal government
is expected to introduce pilot programs featuring new types of medical
facilities and payment schemes.
- Because recent changes in the health care system have somewhat ruptured
the traditional doctor-patient relationship, increasingly, patients
will turn to outside sources for medical advice. These non-traditional
sources will include Web sites, where patients can access information
provided by others with similar maladies, local and national news broadcasts,
which almost daily carry medical news features, and pharmaceutical
advertising, which blankets the broadcast and print media with solutions
for everything from arthritis to depression to impotence.
- Frequently, consumers are introduced to these pharmaceutical wonders
through paid celebrity endorsements. In addition, celebrities often
are used to create "awareness" programs for certain diseases and to
promote the use of increased public funding to find cures for these
illnesses. However, the media will continue to be skeptical about celebrity
awareness programs for diseases and medical conditions and for endorsements
of products that can "cure" those afflicted. In 2002, ABC and CNN issued
policies about identifying celebrities as paid endorsers when they
talk about a condition/drug during their appearances. Other media will
take their lead, with debate strong on both sides. One camp argues
that it is misleading not to cite a celebrity's paid connection to
a company; the other argues that celebrities are often more effective
than doctors to generate attention for these conditions, noting that
NBC's Katie Couric has raised millions for colon research and screening,
saving untold number of lives. This debate could significantly impact
marketing direct-to-consumer (DTC) products across broadcast, print
and online media as well as consumer perception of doctors (and,
perhaps, medical associations) if they, too, must disclose relationships
with health care companies. The FDA has not issued any rulings, and
is not likely to do so, since the concerns seem to be generated by
the media, not the consumer.
- More procedures will be available and conducted away from traditional
hospital settings. Already, hospitals have been branching out with
new locations to be closer to their patients. But now, the malls will
become important locations for medical diagnoses and fast, simple procedures.
Following LASIK surgery and medical scans, which are now widely available
at malls, we can expect to see a rush of quick, non-invasive procedures
that involve a significant emotional upside and little pain and quick
recovery times. The reason: even for issues that are not medically
necessary, patients have already demonstrated they are willing to pay
for treatment even when most of these services fall outside
insurance coverage. At the same time, because these procedures are
not covered, expect to see ads and Web sites touting "affordable fees."
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland
Security, FEMA, the Red Cross and the health care industry will have
to contend with threats of bioterrorism. The anthrax scare in 2002
demonstrated how ill prepared government agencies and the industry
are in dealing with a biochemical attack. Concerns about smallpox vaccination
policies will heat up if war occurs.
top
5.
Telecom: Can no longer say, "We're the phone company. We don't care,
we don't have to."
- The Telecom sector will continue its downward spiral in 2003, with
recovery not likely until 2004.
- The FCC, Congress will study ways to basically overturn the Telecommunications
Act of 1996. Bipartisan groups of legislators will voice support for
embattled group of Baby Bells (Verizon, BellSouth, SBC and Qwest).
But none of the plans or potential legislation will actually benefit
customers, who aren't complaining about the Telecom Act. The Bells
are spending a lot of time, and resources lobbying to overturn the
Telecom Act; if successful, expect prices to increase.
- Qwest could teeter on the edge of bankruptcy while telcos that emerge
out of Chapter 11 will have shed their debt but not their unsustainable
business models, signaling more trouble. Wireless network services
emerge as the only savior of profitability since long distance is basically
a commodity. But expect consolidation among the six national wireless
players. T-Mobile (formerly VoiceStream) will continue to be the focus
of rumors that it will be acquired (most likely by AT&T).
- European carriers have the infrastructure but lack the applications;
major EU battle rages over EMEA-wide technical standards, privacy rules.
- Short Messaging Service (SMS), which is a big cellphone application
in Asia and Europe will still not take off in the US. And neither will
mobile commerce (m-Commerce), which promises transactions (i.e., at
soda machines) paid for by cellphones or PDAs.
- Prices for DSL and wireless data services, which cost $600 annually
(or more than most PDAs), will not drop, which breaks the standard
technology model. This will have an impact on DSL and wireless acceptance,
which will continue to be too expensive for the majority of Americans.
top
6.
Travel & Transportation: As they say in Maine, "ya can't get there
from here"
- The travel industry, particularly the airlines, will continue to
be hit hard by the economic slump. Following on the heels of United's
actions, other airlines might contemplate bankruptcy, and the House
and Senate will debate bailing out the carriers, as well as a restructuring
of the entire industry. Should the government extend loans to save
U.S. carriers, the EU will complain about unfair subsidies and a Republican
government that does not appear to believe in a free market. It will
be a repeat of the charges hurled at the administration after subsidies
were approved for the steel and agricultural industries.
- Carriers will have to reassure passengers that their flights will
continue as scheduled and they won't always use advertising
to do so. (Perceived as expensive, advertising campaigns will be cut
and replaced by increases in public relations campaigns. United has
already said this is its plan.) And carriers will continue to charge
for ticket changes, raise prices, eliminate services, and charge for
old-fashioned paper tickets (vs. offering discounts on e-tickets);
they are also likely to increase requirements for frequent flyer programs.
If other airlines contemplate bankruptcy, expect industry representatives
and Congress to study restructuring proposals for the nation's carriers,
including that the government pick up all security-related expenses.
- Cruise lines will have to reassure passengers their ships are clean,
in the wake of passengers on several ships (across several cruise operators)
who were stricken by the Norwalk virus.
- In a time of uncertainty, travel agents may beat back inroads made
by online travel sites. Travelers will still be price conscious but
may feel more comfortable being able to have an agent intercede with
the airline/cruise line. The American Society of Travel Agents will
continue to list tips for its members and passengers about people flying
on United "or any airline that has declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
- The travel and tourism industry will experience a decline in tourist
travel, but the business travel segment should remain flat, unless,
of course, war breaks out with Iraq. If this happens, expect the business
travel segment to suffer the same fate as that of tourist travel.
- Freight companies will delay as long as possible before developing
new procedures to safeguard the more than 10 percent of freight currently
screened. The new procedures, they will rightly claim, will increase
the cost and time involved, whether freight is transported by truck,
rail or sea an additional drag on the economy.
top
7.
Media & Entertainment: The media are the message and the end of
reality as we know it (reality programming)
- The lines between news, entertainment and advertising get even fuzzier:
- The networks' morning news programs will increasingly resemble
variety shows, featuring interviews, performances and clips by
major stars and comeback-staging celebrities. (A recent morning
featured Whitney Houston singing several songs on "Good Morning
America" while Mariah Carey sang on "The Today Show.")
- If war occurs, the networks will cover the initial
days with wall-to-wall coverage. But they will then
look at counter-programming to offset the war news
with lighter fare. As a recent example, New York
City is facing its most serious budget crisis since
1974, with across-the-board deep spending cuts, a
massive increase in property taxes, significant private
sector layoffs, especially on Wall St., (which will
have a significant trickle-down impact on the economy).
Yet, the recent covers of New York Magazine, which
once would have covered this bad news in depth, have
been: "The New Rules of Power Dressing" and "Food
Fight: Meat vs. Carbs."
- Time elapsed between major news event and network made-for-TV
movie about the event shrinks to 3-4 weeks. "Special reports" on
sensational news items, sponsored by corporate advertisers, proliferate
on the networks. Promotion of upcoming special reports becomes
a staple feature of evening news broadcasts.
- Ability to poll viewers and readers in near real time accelerates
the move toward personalized news delivery and creates advertising
opportunities for companies targeting specific audiences
- IT trade publications move wholesale to the Web, increasingly syndicating
research, product demos, and technology Webinars. Only a handful of
publications remain in print by July 1.
- The lines between corporate entities will get even fuzzier, too:
- The trend toward consolidation in broadcast media will continue,
as evidenced by the merger talks between ABC and CNN. (The merger
has the support of FCC Chairman Michael Powell and his chief
supporter, Sen. John McCain.) Look for consumer advocates to
complain about consolidation, pointing out that we will soon
get our newspapers, TV and radio news, entertainment and cable/DSL
from a handful of corporate entities: AOL Time Warner, News Corp
(Fox), Disney (ABC), General Electric (NBC), CBS, AT&T, Tribune
Co., Clear Channel, etc.
- Following the sale of Bravo Networks in 2002, other cable
networks will be put on the block, as some companies seek to
reduce debts and others (Viacom, Liberty Media) look to boost
market share through acquisitions. Previously some of these networks
would have been merged (i.e. Fox Family Channel was combined
with Disney to form the ABCFamily Channel), but digital cable
allows more channels to survive.
- Print-Cable/TV alliances continue: Forbes reporters appear
on Fox; Wall Street Journal reporters appear on CNBC; New York
Times continues to co-produce stories with ABC. Increasingly,
top reporters at top print news organizations are required to
be ready for their close-ups.
- Meanwhile, online publications are still struggling to find
a way to be profitable. As advertising revenues stay flat or
decline, electronic magazines and newspapers increasingly will
move their content into a "pay per view" category, offering basic
information for free but charging for "premium" content. Plus,
even access to the free information will increasingly require
the reader to "subscribe" to the publication, and while the subscription
doesn't always require payment, it does require the user to accept
cookies, which results in more of those pop-up ads that temporarily,
but annoyingly, obscure the content on the screen.
- Conservative vs. liberal media: Conservative pundits, both on cable
and radio, will continue to win the ratings game against their liberal
opponents by playing the political "outsider," even while Republicans
are in charge of the White House, Senate and House. Liberals may need
to find a sane and stable Howard Beale-type to get "mad as hell, and
I'm not going to take it," and find the issues that resonate with the
public.
- The American media/entertainment hegemony is declining. American
television shows like "Dallas" and "Baywatch" once ruled the airwaves.
Several factors have played a role here. Non-state-owned channels have
had time to develop their own programming while fees for licensing
American programming have increased. And anti-globalization/anti-American
sentiments have increased even in Western countries. This provides
a great opportunity for non-U.S. media.
- Copyright laws and file-sharing continue to be major issues for
global media players, who will lobby each regulatory body to standardize
laws in the interest of a global economy. Big companies will claim
that "piracy" will ultimately hurt consumers because media companies
will no longer be able to afford to be in business.
- Al-Jazeera, the Qatar-based 24-hour Arabic news channel, will continue
to be an important player. Western critics may deplore Al-Jazeera's
standard of journalism, but its coverage is probably the least censored
in the Arab world, and is doubtless the only news outlet non-Arabs
know by name. If there is a U.S. war against Iraq, Al-Jazeera will
become more significant.
- Business publications were among the first to be hit hard by the
advertising slump and the global recession. They will be the last to
recover. The media relations implication is that with fewer ad pages,
these magazines will have few editorial pages making generating
coverage even more challenging.
- The end of reality as we know it: Reality programs will tank in
the March sweeps period. A few will survive, including "Survivor" and
another "American Idol," but borrowing from Harry Potter, Lord of the
Rings, Spiderman, etc., Hollywood and network TV will replace reality
programming with fantasy. In times of uncertainty, people will want
distractions; they will want larger than life stories and happier endings.
- This holds significant implications for companies like
Endemol, the Dutch-based production company that basically "owns" reality
TV, and is the most prolific pan-European TV producing, having
produced 15,000 hours of programming in 2001. Reality TV
is cheap to produce, but Endemol will have to come up with
event-type programs or consider buying its own distribution
channel, which opens the company to new risks and costs structures.
- Today's boy bands and their single-girl equivalents will stop selling
as many records as they attempt new "serious" music in a quixotic attempt
at credibility. (It's hard to sing to a teen audience when you're approaching
AARP membership). The current batch will stop appearing in so many
commercials, but will keep on appearing on countless music-industry
award programs and try to launch film careers. The worst news: they
will be replaced by other groups selling to the same lucrative pre-teen
audience.
top
8.
Technology, Consumer Services and Personal Technology: 3-letter acronyms
rule!
- Communications technologies will continue to converge, linking email
and voice mail, expanding and improving GPS data delivery and merging
PC and television functions. However, most of the focus in the technology
arena during 2003 will center on security. Efforts will grow exponentially
in securing databases, in screening baggage and packages, in interconnecting
databases to identify potential terrorists and in monitoring water,
chemical and electrical plants.
- Some of 2003's
hot new consumer trends:
- Apartment-sized home theaters, featuring flat-panel screens
and combinations of DVD, Internet (MP3), PVR (personal video
recorders like TiVo) and cable TV service.
- Smart phones that combine voice, text messaging, and PDA-like
screens and applications will continue to sell despite
the fact that wireless data access costs another $600 annually
on top of voice access.
- Vehicle communication and navigation systems that permit hands-free
telecomputing/telecommuting.
- Personal security products, including GPS-based location monitoring
devices to be worn by adults as well as by children.
- Wi-Fi, a wireless Internet access standard (also known as 802.11)
will overtake take off in popularity and media hype in 2003, as restaurants
(like Starbucks) and airports, etc. install them in thousands of locations.
Major players like AT&T, IBM and Intel have jumped on the bandwagon.
Wi-Fi is cheaper to roll-out than some competing technologies, but
no one will make money on it. Service providers won't be able to charge
much for it, not when there are many "hotspots" available for free.
Wi-Fi providers could be in the same position as high-speed Internet
providers: offer a service that's too expensive for 80 percent of the
population. Only the hardware manufacturers could make some money.
But prices of Wi-Fi chips and networking equipment are plummeting even
as sales are soaring.
top
9.
Environment: The forest for the trees
- House of Representatives will debate "Anti-SUV" legislation concerning
auto safety and fuel-consumption.
- Following their successes in California, environmental organizations
will gain ground at the state level.
- The Bush administration will re-think its environmental policies,
acknowledging a major role in generating greenhouse gases and conceding
that global warming is real. Major factors at work:
- Quid-pro-quo for other nations' tacit or explicit support
for the Bush administration's military action against Iraq.
- Escalating damage from the massive oil spill off the Spanish
coast increases pressure for government support of energy alternatives.
top
10.
Education & Nonprofit: Good news & bad
- With unemployment still at (relatively) high levels, many people
are considering going back to school. Non-traditional students have
been the fastest-growing sector and that trend will only continue
through at least 2005.
- With a flat economy, a possible war, a significant hit to 401(k)s,
and the prospect of war, donations to charities will drop. Nonprofit
institutions will need to be more aggressive in marketing their successes
and in being accountable for failures to an increasingly demanding
group of givers. This has been true at the million-dollar-level of
benefactors, but it will affect the middle class too.
top
11.
Food: Food fight!
- The battle of carbs vs. non-carbs continue. Each side will tout
diets that work, people who have lost weight. It almost doesn't matter
because there is no silver bullet: exercise and moderation will still
be the most reliable and safe ways to manage weight.
- Obesity will continue to be an important health issue but the courts
will dismiss suits against McDonald's, Burger King and other fast food
chains.
- Consumers will continue to want comfort foods, as they have for
the past decade. And they will continue to super-size their portions.
They will continue to want easy-to-prepare meals, many of which they
can buy at supermarkets. And while more concerned about their weight,
they will want their diet foods to taste like non-diet foods.
top
Tell us what you think. Did we get it right? Are we way
off base? Drop us a note at birnbach@birnbachcom.com.
|
|