Fad (fād) n.  A temporary fashion, notion, manner of conduct, etc., esp. one followed enthusiastically by a group.

Every year begins with such promise for new ideas and new ideals, a new way of life we fondly refer to as New Year’s Resolutions (So what’s yours this year?  Mine: lose ten pounds, what else?)  And every year ends with fads…most of them being that year’s resolutions; sorry to burst your bubble so soon.  But some fads do go on to become trends.  Some of them stand the test of time.  Think iPod and YouTube in 2006; Facebook and Poker in 2007; Wii and Obama for President in 2008.

So I thought it fitting, this being my first blog of 2010, that I take a stroll back through the past twelve months—as painful as that might be…and I’m not even talking about the economy.  Take a look at these 2009 fads (in no particular order) I collected from various websites:

• Fitness boot camps
• Energy drinks—Mother, Nerd, Red Bull, Edge, Jolt, Rockstar, and on and on…
• Wearing a blue tooth headset in public
• Vampires—Twilight, no need to say more
• Snuggies—isn’t it just a backwards robe?
• Skinny jeans
• Uggs
• Apps
• The phrase “no worries”—this one baffles me, so I made it the title
• Celebrity affairs—since when does Tom Brokaw follow gossip stories?  Since Tiger Woods, duh
• Tweeting

So which of these will stand the test of time?  That’s debatable, for sure.  But it’s the last one on the list that caught my eye the most: tweeting.  Nowadays, it seems everyone is tweeting.  Took a nap today…tweet it.  Not happy about the food at training camp…tweet it.  Liked Avatar…tweet it.  Didn’t like the service you received…tweet it.

Just tweet it.  Maybe that will be on the 2010 list.

It sounds a little silly, I know.  But I read an article the other day suggesting that there’s a relationship between the number of tweets and box-office receipts, such that more tweets equals higher sales.  Another blog I read offered up a unique alternative to calling customer service: just tweet your complaint and let them come to you.  Comcast, JetBlue, Bank of America and UPS will, for starters.

So what does this mean?

It means a profound shift in how companies conduct market research and track brand perception.  It means a heightened focus on actively managing the customer experience.  It means a whole new dimension of customer service.  It means the rise of the customer, really, because now—more than ever—they have the power, they have an audience of millions who are waiting to hear what they have to say… tweet, that is.

Then again, is tweeting a fleeting fad or an emerging trend?

But can companies really sit around and wait to see?

Well, no worries.  They’ve probably already got an app for that…seriously.

– Joseph Stanton, VP Business and Product Development