In recent years, we’ve learned about friending, showrooming, tweeting, pinning, blogging, twerking (oops, how did that show up here? 🙂 ), and a whole lot more.
Today, we can add “upgradia” to our lexicon. It’s really a concept that’s been around for a while, but only now can a term for this practice be added added to our marketing vocabulary. And it is a key emerging concept for marketers and product managers.
According to Trendwatching.com:
“The old model of physical consumption – purchase, use, declare obsolete, discard – is being overturned by a new model: one founded on constant improvement, upgrade, and iteration.”
“UPGRADIA: Driven by consumers’ thirst for quicker, more seamless access to the new (in ways that are cheaper, more sustainable, and more participatory) and facilitated by emerging technologies, the constant stream of upgrades and iterations typical of the digital ecosystem is coming to the world of physical objects.”
What is driving upgradia? Trendwatching.com has identified several factors, including these:
- Infinite Newism — “The digital-inspired expectation of perpetual, instant upgrades meets new physical world technologies”
- Relentless Product Evolution
- More for Less — “Upgrades satisfy consumers’ deepest desires: less money, less guilt”
- Hacker Chic — “The status and excitement of DIY [do-it-yourself] upgrades”
- Every Object Connected — “Turning ‘dumb’ objects – think TVs, cars, and more – smart is the key upgradia innovation.”
Click the image to learn more from Trendwatching.com.
