THE FIRST TO KNOW
The concept of ‘the first to know’ is the cultural energy that fuels TFTK’s proposition. We have a track record in identifying, early on, small signs that are precursors of big change.
By combining lived experience based on insider knowledge of cutting-edge cultures, academic rigour and marketing agility, we have developed the-first-to-know cultural framework. It being a lifestyle and a passion, our curiosity is a process that never stops. We stay plugged in through primary research, combined with our own track record or actively shaping culture, not just observing it. Two critically acclaimed books so far with the next instalment coming out imminently (November 2024 or early December) outline our proposition, written by our principal consultant, Dr Lida Hujić (summarised below with links to further explore).
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We apply this in our innovation/strategy consulting: A fresh interpretation of Everett Rogers’ seminal ‘innovations diffusion’, the novelty of the-first-to-know is its focus on the ‘innovator’, the type preceding the ‘early adopter’ on the curve. The model consists of series of robust techniques designed for strategic business decision-making. In contrast to clickbait sensationalist sound bites (often associated with trends forecasting), it provides a robust framework for alleviating risks associated with future planning.
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We apply this in cultural programming and events curating: From the nature of tapping into the heart of the zeitgeist, through insider connections among future cultural makers, the model is also an essential resource in communication strategy. At the heart of the-first-to-know proposition is the concept of hip or cool (used interchangeably). In commercial terms, it is about being ahead of the consuming crowd. Cool is a tool to create hype with its ability to influence, which commands a premium price.
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The First to Know: How Hipsters and Mavericks Shape the Zeitgeist
The First to Know is the first book, where the foundation for 'the first to know' approach was laid. It demonstrates how the early adopter market is gradually formed in cycles of reinvention over a decade period. Through a comparative analysis of the 1990s and 2000s, with a nod to the 1960s (the ‘homeland of hip’), it ends with a hunch about the correlation between the 7th year of any decade and the tipping point. It is fully illustrated with case studies, tracing a trend from an embryo of a grassroots movement where an idea is born, in stages of its evolution, towards the corporate boardroom. Insider connections with trend-setters - and access to this desirable but difficult to reach universe for outsiders - inspired the story. The book is brought to life with video clips made out of original footage​. Available on Amazon or via Central Books.
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The 2.5%: Small Group, Big Influence
Following on the hunches established in The First to Know, The 2.5% develops a model for cool’s cyclical reinvention. A fresh interpretation of Everett Rogers’ widely used innovations diffusion, its novelty focus is the ‘innovator’, the type preceding the ‘early adopter’. Seminal, this model, for the first time, separates the innovator from the early adopter, thus far lumped together. By doing so, it is possible to tap in the embryo of new movements that lead to paradigm shifts in consumption to support marketers to alleviate the risks associated with future planning. The model offers a framework consisting of a series of tactics such as futurology of looking at the past to pin-point patterns in behavioural shifts, a timeline (7th year itch) and first-hand insights into emerging cultures through access to innovators (Trailblazer Web). For communication campaigns, the 'messenger continuum' is truly 'groundbreaking'. The 2.5% covers the periods (2007 – 2017, which is the formation of a new cool cycle) and (2017 – 2027, called the ‘mainstreamisation’). Available on Amazon and Google Play.
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Never Conform: the cyclical process of ‘weird’ ideas becoming the norm at the dawn of Web 3.0
Grounded in the-first-to-know, our robust cultural framework designed for spotting small signs of big change early on, Never Conform is the next instalment. By providing a first-hand insight into subcultural networks of individuals – Alphas, the trend setters innovator types - whose role is significant when it comes to driving the next paradigm shift in consumption, this research paper will help readers understand, survive and capitalise on the challenges of the next decade, with the period 2024- 2026 marking a pivotal turning point. Through a deep dive into this hard-to-reach-but-desirable innovators, it will trace the crossover journey of their ahead-of-the-curve ideas from underground towards the mainstream to unlock the new Early Adopter – dubbed the ‘Trans Human Consumer’ - and the market premium-ness that this segment commands. Available on Google Play and Amazon.
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The First To Know framework
90s/00s as described in ‘the first to know’ book
The First To Know framework
Put to test in what was a new study, forever in flux, which evolved into The 2.5% book (2007 - 2017), followed the next cool cycle, Never Conform (2017 - 2027)
