Rando Kim | Navigating Shifting Consumer Trends: A Guide to Survival and Thriving | Talks at Google

Talks at Google

Introduction and Background

Kim Se-yoon (LCS Creative Development Lead) welcomes attendees to first Google event of 2024
Professor Kim Nam-do introduced as trend analysis master, author of bestselling Trend Korea series for 16 years
Professor at Seoul National University Department of Consumer Science
Self-described loyal Google ecosystem user (Gmail since launch, Google Docs, Drive, Calendar, YouTube, Gemini)

Started consumer behavior studies at SNU in 1997, created Trend Korea Center in 2004
First book published as Trend Korea 2009
Uses zodiac animal acronyms for keywords (started with Golden Fizz in 2007)
Continuous bestseller since 2012 for 17 years
Upcoming challenge: creating snake-themed acronym for 2025 (initially considered "Snake Magic" but rejected by researchers)

Two life attitudes: protecting (Japanese strength) vs changing (Korean strength)
Analog era favored protection - deep specialization, accumulated knowledge
Digital era requires adaptation and change due to rapid technological advancement
Korea excels at adapting to new technologies (LCD→LED→OLED TVs, music distribution via YouTube vs Japan's CD focus)
Examples of failed adaptation: Cheonlian (PC communication service ending October), Japanese stamp-stamping robot

Constant internal evaluation of what to change vs what to keep
Appears stable externally but requires continuous internal movement and adjustment
Consistent format provides reader stability while content continuously evolves
Publisher requests consistency despite team's desire for format changes

Introduced widely-used terms: small but certain happiness (소확행), cost-effectiveness, time-efficiency (시성비)
Created "untact" term in Trend Korea 2018, predicting non-contact technologies
COVID-19 made "untact" globally significant
Oxford Dictionary reviewing addition of Korean-origin words including "untact"

Two key approaches for Googlers:
- Listen to stories from various industries (distribution, travel, education, etc.)
- Ask "why" behind phenomena
Example: Hunter boots popularity analysis
- Surface observation: fashionable women wearing rain boots
- Deeper analysis: climate change creating unpredictable weather patterns
- Alternative theory: celebrity influence (Lee Hyori)
- Conclusion: multiple factors including climate adaptation and influencer power
Importance of cross-industry pattern recognition

Time as limited, fair resource unlike money (can't be saved or borrowed)
Modern "time thieves": Netflix binge-watching, YouTube, extended series (Glory: 16 hours)
Companies wasting time on internal presentations vs customer-focused work
Recommendation: compress work time, use saved time for personal growth
Quote: "Two selves fight in our hearts - one wants to be diligent, one wants to be lazy. The one who gets more time wins."

AI as this year's "iPhone moment"
Comparison to early app store excitement vs current saturation
AI becoming embedded in all industries, not just tech
Personal examples:
- Hairdresser using AI for customer hair style simulation
- Translation work reduced from 3 months to 1 day
- Book translation efficiency improvements
- Created Kim Nam-do GPT for answering questions

Plans for multi-language content (Thai, Malaysian, Chinese, Japanese)
YouTube lectures in foreign languages using AI translation
Trend Korea 2025 will use AI for faster translation
Emphasis on finding AI applications beyond obvious uses
2024 as critical year for AI adoption - early adopters will have significant advantages
Coined term "Homo Prompt" - humans who effectively use AI tools

Core human desire for self-expression and recognition remains constant
Methods of showing off evolve: watches/cars → Instagram experiences → values/beliefs
Social media enables experience bragging (travel, food, lifestyle choices)
Values and beliefs becoming new form of showing off
Key insight: distinguish between changing expressions and unchanging desires

10 years ago: more regional differences
Today: stronger global consensus due to social media
Korean characteristics:
- High competitiveness creates faster trend adoption
- Stronger consensus than places like New York
- Particularly intense among middle/high school students
- Similar global direction but higher intensity/frequency in Korea

Shift from "eco-friendly" to "eco-must" (environmental duty)
Climate change becoming personal problem (water bombs, extreme heat)
Young consumers willing to pay premium for environmental products
Challenge: bridging gap between trend followers and those left behind
Policy recommendation: frame issues as personal problems rather than abstract righteousness

Clear choices and focus essential for productivity
Avoids: school administration, government committees, political involvement, sports following
Selective media consumption (movies over series, avoids YouTube shorts)
Creates reflection time - "two-minute breaks" like in Inside Out 2
Time management more important than financial management
Selection and focus over busy work

Modern failure comes from not adapting to changing environment, not losing to competitors
Importance of distinguishing what to keep vs what to change
Young people will have longer careers, more job changes than previous generations
Advice: "Don't predict, respond" - stay alert to environmental changes
Continuous self-upgrading essential for survival

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