Are you Overloaded? Lowe & Partners finds "Personal Filtration" trend driving a new Curation Nation. - Steve Rosenbaum

There is a growing awareness of the limitations and impersonal nature of algorithmic search People no longer want to rely on passive computing but want to build ways of navigating and accessing the information available to themCuration the act of organizing and maintaining a collection of information or artifacts has emerged as a key trend in the 21st century It is a modern solution to information overload thanks to its ability to filter information and reduce the anxiety created by infinite choiceThe extent of the deluge of information now available to people in a multiscreen world can seem overwhelming According to a 2012 report from Business Week the average person receives 63000 words of new information every day the length of the average novel With so much information currently accessible curation has become an essential skill for surviving the modern worldIn essence curation is about selection and filtering a way to present and access the taste of others This is the insight at the heart of blog culture music curation services like Spotify and 39visual scrapbooking39 such as PinterestNow Everyone39s a CuratorOnce only used in the context of art galleries and museums the idea of 39curation39 has gradually migrated into the mainstream as a term to describe a new approach to collation and selfexpression fuelled by digital lifestylesThe success of curation in retail highlights the limitations of traditional algorithmic selection People instinctively prefer to trust individuals rather than computers for guidance on what to like and buyAs the 39sharing ecosystem39 devalues content curation solves that problem by finding a new way to make information feel special Dean Fankhauser cofounder of Nuji the leading social commerce platform explains quotDiscovering things is more interesting through people than it is through algorithms I think that a great opportunity in social commerce lies in enabling you to connect to people with similar tastesquotMany are already calling curation the new search After 39sharing39 and 39social39 39curation39 is the next level of online behaviour which is focused around special interestsCuration is being used to evolve online and bricks and mortar retail spaces from 2D commoditized selections into 3D expressions of a specific lifestyle or personal visionCurators are both collectors and creators Capturing the zeitgeist of the web and knitting together images text links and video along with their own original content to create a focused contextually relevant editorial for an overloaded worldThe Rise of InternetBased Social NetworksMore and more people are adopting interestbased social networks which allow them to express their interests and offer authentic high value connectivity with people with similar tastesThe numbers speak for themselves Pinterest the increasingly popular virtual pinboard crossed 10m monthly unique users in the US in January 2012 achieving 8 digits39 worth of monthly uniques faster than any site ever According to Silicon Valley uberinvestor Ron Conway Pinterest is growing as fast as Facebook 5 years ago and is now responsible for referring more direct traffic to retailers than FacebookOther examples include the Foodspotting app which works as a usergenerated guide to local restaurants using geolocation to show uploaded photos of nearby food dishes which are rated by the public Thumb is an opinionbased social network which lets users share their opinions in real time with friends and connect with people who have similar opinions to themCommon Interests are the New DemographicsThe rise of curation will make it much easier for marketers to target people by lifestyle demographics which in turn makes advertising much more efficient and effectiveOnce reach and scale were all that counted Now depth of engagement is what everyone users and brand partners alike is looking for and it is common interests which are providing the solution Curation allows people to express and record their tastes and interests and connect with other likeminded individualsInterestbased social networks such as Pinterest allow marketers to cluster consumers by common interests and build more eloquent profiles of their target audiences They also help to identify brand advocates key influencers and new ideas for engagement Gayle Fuguitt Vice President of Global Insights at General Mills explains quotWe knew we couldn39t just look at consumers by their demographics anymore we needed to look at them in terms of their lifestylesquotScrapbooking social media networks have created a new wave of curator consumers who are becoming a powerful commercial force thanks to their daily recommendations of products services and favorite brandsThe past year has seen a huge rise in the popularity of social fashion sites such as Polyvore over 17 million unique site visits per month Fancy Svpply and Lyst These are variations on a theme of lifestyle curation which enable users to benefit from 39handpicked39 selections of tastemaker curatorsAccording to Jess Lee CEO of Polyvore quotWe39re democratizing fashion We39re giving people not fashion editors the voice to define tastequotMonetizing UserGenerated CurationIn the future rewarding people for their curation skills will be considered the norm Social curation sites are already increasingly the data generated by social scrapbooking and rewarding usersJoe Einhorn Founder and CEO of Fancy asks the question quotWhy don39t we compensate you for curating or marketing for us It makes total sense to me I think it39s the future of the Internet people are going to have to get something out of these servicesquotSocial curation site Lockerz offers rewards to its users for sharing content which encourage them to make purchases via the site Nuji a social network launched in 2011 enables members to create and earn rewards though their own virtual stores by selecting items and saving them to wish lists These are presented as a personal online shopping page and link directly to the ecommerce page for the item Other examples include Vocamp233 magazine a socialcommerce experiment from a Brazilian department store which enables customers to create and curate their own online stores These generate commission for the curator when 39friends39 purchase products at their curated storesThe Future of Curation for BrandsContinuing the trend for collaborations between mainstream fashion brands and more edgy upandcoming designers brands are now recruiting highprofile bloggers and curators who are being recognized for their unique personality The new curator collaborations provide a more personal taste and experience for people to identify with and buy into Increasingly it is those individuals who have built a name and following in the blogosphere who are being tapped into by brands for their unique voiceIn 2011 HampampM launched a collaboration with fashion blogger Elin Kling in its native Sweden whilst Kate Spade New York released a capsule collection designed by the esteemed French fashion blogger Garance Dore Sofia Jegerborn marketing manager of HampampM Sweden explains quotIt feels great to be able to offer our Swedish customers an exclusive collection by Elin Kling As one of Sweden39s biggest fashion profiles Elin fits our fashionconscious customer perfectlyquot Mat Bickley founder of digital marketing agency Joyn points out quotWith 15 of the top 20 brand influencers being personal bloggers we39re watching paid media and PR rapidly lose their power to dictate trends and influence peoplequotBrands can use curation to eliminate choice anxiety by offering a more relaxed but inspired experienceAs Krista Garcia eMarketer analyst points out quotCurated ecommerce is becoming recognized by both retailers and shoppers for its simplicity and ability to help fill an online voidquot Changing curated selections gives consumers a shopping experience that is stimulating entertaining and therapeutic at the same time CoutureLab offers a range of rare and unusual exquisitely made oneoff fashion and lifestyle items sourced from around the world presenting the very opposite of a commoditized offering Many companies are now offering curated package subscriptions such as Stylistpick which sends users a tailored selection of items each month depending on the outcome of a questionnaire on the user39s personal style Fancy have launched a monthly subscription service called the 39Fancy Box39 which includes the most liked items selected by its 2 million usersThe Future of Curation for Retail SpacesPhysical retail spaces are also gradually adapting a more curated approach by expressing a specific lifestyle or personal vision embracing quality and selection over quantity The public are rejecting 39cookie cutter39 retail and seeking greater diversityLike a gallery exhibition curated stores have original 39noncommoditized39 offerings that create intrigue surprise and encourage an element of discoveryBorrowing language from the art world elevates this type of retail experience and gives the space a more personal feel People want retail experiences that are personal unique and quirky The Late Night Chameleon Cafamp233 LNCC in East London is an expertly curated concept boutique fitted with sculptural elements and stocked with exclusive worldclass fashion items rare books and vintage vinyl It39s not just a store it39s an experience John Skelton Coowner of LNCC explains quotIt doesn39t matter if visitors don39t buy The concept is not just focused around a store it39s more an overall feeling and lifestyle that we live and wanted to share with anyone who might be interestedquotMore retailers are realizing the appeal of offering people less choice but greater quality focusing on limited product ranges that highlight and demonstrate a unique passion and expertiseBarry Schwartz Author of 39The Paradox of Choice39 explains the negative effect of excess choice quotAs the number of choices grows further the negatives escalate until we become overloaded At this point choice no longer liberates but deliberatesquotAt The Meadow shops in New York and Portland former art historian and museum worker Jennifer Bitterman has condensed and curated the stores39 offering down to just four items salt chocolate flowers and cocktail bittersA similar but more personalized approach is offered by Trunk a bespoke clothing service for men offering designer clothing to customers without any of the hassles of shopping in stores or online Men tell Trunk Club their style fit and size preferences and the company ships them a handpicked selection of clothesThe Future of Curation for Publisher VideoAs mainstream print publishers make the move to mobile and web publishing curation has become a central topic of conversation among publishers Do readers expect all of the content on quality content sites to be original or can the editorial expertise of a magazine help readers filter the overwhelming nature of raw web contentFor more and more publishers video curation has been a solution that leverages brand value keeps the cost of video content creation to a minimum and provides valuable and contextual experiences for visitors Bonnier Publication39s Field and Streamcom Has embraced video curation across its site wwwfieldandstreamcomBy seamlessly mixing content from their own produced videos user submitted content and videos discovered across the web Bonnier has created an immersive video experience that readers return to Curation is gaining hold across categories At New York Magazine their fashion brand quotThe Cutquot uses curated video extensivelyWith behind the scenes video runway content model interviews and fashion brand profiles NYmagcom seamlessly mixes embedded videos in their articles uses curated video in their iPad app and provides a deep and rich video library of curated content And in the Food category Readers Digest brand quotTaste of Homequot provides visitors with a collection of recipe and 39how to39 videos from a wide range of sources They mix video produced in their own test kitchen with videos scoured from the web and curated by their expert editors The result is a dramatically reduced cost for video editorial on a 39cost per content item39 basis and a far larger collection of content than their budget would otherwise allowVideo Curation is rapidly being embraced by publishers in both the B2B and B2C space with more brands increasingly realizing the potential of the approach Just two years ago the focus was on content creation But as Info Overload moves to the fore the conversation is shifting to quality human curation as the real value addSites like New York magazine and Field and Stream are powered by Magnifynet a patented video aggregation and curation platform that provides agile solutions for more than 90000 video enabled websites As with the broader trend for content aggregation Video curation look set to gather momentum as the means of delivering unique handpicked content that reflects reader and viewer interests The growing popularity of blogging tools such as tumblr are enabling anyone to become a video content editorConclusionsThe continuing rise of the cult of the individual amp8211 as a result of social media amp8211 is fuelling the demand for unique content and exclusive information People want to feel unique and special and to have access to information which reflects their values and interestsCuration represents the next level of evolution for the web and social networking As social media analyst and guru Clay Shirky put it quotIt39s not information overload that is the problem it39s filter failurequot Curation provides the necessary filters to more effectively and usefully navigate both the physical and digital worldsYou can download the report and supporting materials herehttpwwwmagnifynetlearndownloadLowePersonalFiltrationAbout the AuthorsZoe Lazarus is a future ideas person and a partner at Lowe Counsel the cultural insight and analysis consultancy of Lowe and Partners Counsel is dedicated to identifying and understanding global and local emerging shifts in consumer attitudes and behaviour By identifying key cultural and behavioral foresights Future Signs we help frame and shape the development of our clients39 brand and communication strategiesSteven Rosenbaum is an entrepreneur author and CEO As both a video maker and a curator amp8211 he has been a leading thinker and advocate for the growing practice of curation His book Curation Nation McGrawHill 2011 provided the basis for the thinking and new research in this reportRead all Steve39s MediaBizBloggers commentaries at Steve Rosenbaum The Media MemoCheck us out on Facebook at MediaBizBloggerscomFollow our Twitter updates MediaBizBloggerThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaBizBloggerscom management or associated bloggers MediaBizBloggers is an open thought leadership platform and readers may share their comments and opinions in response to all commentaries

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