The Web may well have put the world at our fingertips, but many of us are feeling as if it's getting a wee bit crowded out there. In 2008, those companies that can help us navigate that sea of information and misinformation will become trusted friends, says Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst with Port Washington, N.Y.-based market research giant The NPD Group.
"This new year will be all about simplification," Cohen says. "We'll be looking for help in eliminating clutter in our lives, and that means looking for names and brands that we trust. In a way, it's like going back in time."
And ...
Cohen also suspects that blogging and other amateur online efforts will wane. "The average person may well be shouting 'I want a say,' but that's created an absence of legitimacy on the Web," Cohen says.
What consumers will value most isn't innovation but expertise. "We'll listen to those we deem worth listening to, because we're tired of all the noise out there," he says. "Maybe it'll be Oprah, or maybe it's Consumer Reports, but we're going to stick with those brands that offer reliable information. In that sense, bigger will be better."
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