Social Technologies ) Press Kit
Press kit contents by Hope Katz Gibbs
Press kit folder design by Daniel Klein
c Social Technologies 2007
OVERVIEW
Social Technologies is a research and consulting firm founded in 1999 by futurist Tom Conger. Since then it has grown into a global firm with dozens of futurists, analysts, and consultants located around the world, and a client list of Fortune 1000 firms, leading nonprofits, and government agencies.
What we do
At Social Technologies, we help our clients see the bigger picture, protect against unexpected risks, spot opportunities before competitors do, and ultimately prepare for the future from a far more informed, empowered perspective. We accomplish this by synthesizing foresight, strategy, and innovation.
Foresight. Where is boomer spending is likely to head in the next 10 years? What are the top technologies for the auto industry of the future? What will Chinese consumers want from retailers in the next decade? These are the kinds of questions foresight work addresses. Our analysts use a blend of primary and secondary research tools and collaborative analysis to identify emerging and potential changes in consumer behavior and in technology. And we do it long before such information reaches mainstream awareness. Lastly, we explore the practical implications of these changes for our clients and their industries.
Strategy. Is an organization’s strategic planning based on a business-as-usual view of the future—or is it preparing the organization to thrive in any of the many possible futures that could unfold? Social Technologies helps its clients develop realistic, forward-looking strategies that prepare them for any plausible future, using tools such as alternative-strategy workshops, strategic conversations, scenario planning, systems mapping, and immersive workshops and “futures expeditions.” We know how to bring alternative futures to life—readying organizations for unexpected events while helping them build the future they want.
Innovation. Are a company’s products and services ready for 2015, or will they lose traction as the market rushes ahead? Through our foresight work, Social Technologies understands where consumers and technology are likely to head. Injecting this foresight into innovation processes leads to future-focused ideation and concept development/consumer testing. All of this is done with the goal of helping B2B and B2C companies maintain dominance or rise to a new level of leadership.
How we do it
Syndicated research. Social Technologies has two ongoing, syndicated research projects: Global Lifestyles, a service that identifies, interprets, and forecasts changes in consumer lifestyles around the world and analyzes their implications for business; and Technology Foresight, a strategic information service that identifies and examines important emerging shifts in science and technology, and analyzes the business implications of these changes.
Custom research and consulting. Social Technologies completes dozens of custom research and consulting projects every year on a wide variety of topics, from how consumer values are changing to what the top technologies will be 5–15 years in the future.
Representative custom projects:
• The Future of Youth Happiness
• Energy Scenarios for 2030
• Provocative Forecasts for the Food Industry
• A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Digital Lifestyles
• The Future of Manufacturing Technology
Speaking engagements and presentations. Our futurists and analysts regularly speak at conferences, meetings, and trade shows around the world. Recent representative topics include:
• Shaping the Future of Credit Unions—for the Credit Union Executives Society
• The Future of Home Furnishings—for the American Home Furnishings Alliance
• Integrating Foresight into Organizations
• Technology Values——at the SXSW Interactive Festival
• Scenarios and Scenario Thinking—for the Association of Fundraising Professionals
• Top 20 Consumer Trends
• Inside a Futurist’s Took Kit: Figuring Out What’s Really Next
Our clients
Social Technologies has served dozens of Fortune 1000 firms, government agencies, and nonprofits, including:
Air Products & Chemicals
Alticor
American School Food Service Association
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Association of Children’s Museums
BASF
Best Buy
BP
Cadbury Schweppes
The Coca-Cola Company
Dow Chemical
Environmental Protection Agency
Ford
General Mills
General Motors
Hasbro
Herman Miller
Honda
Hyundai
Johnson Controls
Kellogg
Kodak
Kohler
Kraft Foods
Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago)
McDonald’s
Motorola
MTV
National Association of Home Builders
Nissan
Nokia
PepsiCo
Pfizer
Philips
Planned Parenthood
Procter & Gamble
RJ Reynolds
SC Johnson
Shell
Siemens
Steelcase
Target
Toyota
Tupperware
United Jewish Communities
US Department of Defense
US Department of Labor
For more information about Social Technologies, our approach, or our projects—or to arrange interviews with our staff experts—contact:
Hope Katz Gibbs
Leader, Corporate Communications
Direct: +1 703 502-3405 Cell: +1 703 346-6975
Email: Hope at Social Technoloiges.
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