We all know that the effectiveness of what you write depends in large part on how well you speak the language and values of your audience.  This is doubly so in today’s socially networked environment, where your audience is also the messenger – if they choose to be (CEC members click here for more on that).

So it’s no wonder that the 850+ participants in the CEC Skills Maturity Assessment have indicated a real interest in improving their ability to create engaging content and – as a necessary precursor – to listen to audiences and learn what they care about.

There are many ways to learn about your target audience, all featured in a new CEC member resource center dedicated to developing this skill.  I want to call attention to a tool we’re adding to the mix, thanks to a partnership between CEC and Iconoculture, the leading syndicated provider of up-to-the-minute, segment-level insights into consumer values and trends: audience understanding in less than five minutes.  This series of one-page outlooks – grouped by industry, demographic segment, and geography – gets you quickly up to speed on key values, trends, and language.

I’ve mined these for three trends to watch in 2012, as they cut across many countries and demographic groups:

1)      Idealistic youth + social networking technologies = higher standards.Young adults expect institutions (both government and private) to do good, not just seek profit or power.  Most – especially in Asia – remain quite optimistic, despite macroeconomic challenges.  And all are quite ready to mobilize.  In many ways, this isn’t brand new – earlier generations of young people have felt the same way.  But modern social networking technology let them share information and ideas faster and wider than previous generations (think “Arab Spring”).  This means that unflattering information about your organization will be discovered in the blink of an eye and that “social responsibility” initiatives had better be more than lip service.  

2)      Health: from access to accountability. Concerns over health status are rising, and not just in the developed world.  In the past, these concerns translated into demands for greater access to affordable health care, both services and medicines.  The new trend to watch is consumer interest in accountability as well – expecting their peers to do more to keep themselves healthy and expecting institutions to help.  One manifestation: a Danish surtax on fatty foods.  Others may be on the way, and Communicators should watch out for changing public expectations.

3)      Control freaks. Economic volatility has for many families exposed an insecurity and vulnerability they had not felt in more than a decade.  Empowered consumers’ response?  Focus on what they can control.  This can translate into activism (e.g., the recent “Occupy” movements in various cities).  But it also shows up in consumer shopping behaviors, as consumers rush to options that give them flexibility, convenience, and price: JC Penney’s Findmore kiosks, free Wi-Fi at Tesco, or Monoprix’s shopping app.  And it shows up in personal saving and borrowing behavior.

That’s what struck me.  Browse these yourself (access available here – and bookmark the page so you can catch updates as they are posted) and tell me what trend you are going to watch!

CEC Related Resources:

• Audience Understanding Overview
• Stakeholder Engagement Topic Center
• Tools to Help Others Engage Stakeholders

CEC Related Blogs:

• CEC’s Top 4 External Communications Tools
• 3 Tips for Customizing Global Messages
• Can You Trust Managers with Stakeholder Relations?