Cocooning - a steady trend
January 26, 2009

Cocooning – a steady trend

By Barry

Cocooning – a steady trend

Contents

Cocooning - a steady trend
Cocooning – a steady trend

Cocooning is the name given to the trend that sees individuals socializing less and retreating into their home more. This trend was recognized back in the 1990s and has been increasing ever since. Many companies have realised the potential of the cocooning trend and so they market products based on this principle. Video rentals is one of the glaring examples. Now we do not have to go to a video store to get rentals but can do it by mail, pay per view on cable or satellite or by downloading movies. The cocooning trend shows no sign of abating and so businesses and consequently domain names associated with this trend will continue to appear.

The here and now

People want what they want here and now. With our busy schedules, anything that can minimize lost time or is flexible to be available when we are available, is all the rage. Merchants have realized that people want the convenience of not having to leave home to avail of their services. The web has strongly contributed to this trend with online shopping for example.

From pizza delivery to geeks at your door to set up and fix electronics, we are steadily becoming more reliant on having services come to us instead of us going to them. Though customers often pay a premium, it hasn’t stopped a growing market for these services.

Socialization

How we relate to people is also undergoing a revolution. Instant messaging and social networking websites have increased in popularity as a means to communicate. Time and distance were always barriers to socialization. How often have you said that you just don’t get to see a friend as often as you used to?

We are a much more mobile society and so distance from family and friends is quite common. All this leads to the current tendency to socialize online. Online dating services have increased in popularity and the advent of social networks has meant that people are making connections in ways they never did before.

Some worry that the consequences of cocooning are dire. If you are less likely to leave the home, you will get less exercise and meet less people. With obesity on the rise, it is unclear as of yet whether cocooning is playing a role.

Cashing in on cocooning

To cash in on cocooning, you need to provide a service or product that a person would normally leave the house to get. For domainers, you need to anticipate the next product or service in this category and obtain the corresponding generic domain name. Recent examples include chef meals at home. Meals are prepared either in a restaurant and delivered to you, prepared in your home by a chef for you or prepacked and delivered for you to heat up. The advantage is that the meal can be customized to the individual’s tastes and dietary needs with the minimal amount of time needed.

Another example is how entertainment and computers are consolidating to provide a powerful home entertainment system that can provide traditional services such as tv and music but with added value such as DVR and online information.

I have written previously about recipe applications being available now for smart phones which include shopping lists as well as directions. An extension of that could be a screen in the kitchen with online instructions and video. This smart box could also have the ability to interface with the appliances. The application for instance might send the correct temperature and cooking time settings for a recipe to the stove. As appliances become smarter, these applications will become more powerful.

Cocooning in the bedroom

One potential cocooning trend is that the bedroom is expanding in potential uses. Many people including kids have TV, computers and game consoles in their bedrooms. An extreme example of cocooning may be that each person obtains their individual entertainment needs in separate rooms. No more fights over what to watch or that the TV is too loud. Of course the downside is that family bonding and exercise may suffer.

More to read

Cocooning is here to stay

I think it is fair to say that cocooning is here to stay. Careful analysis of upcoming products and services may point you in the direction of the next cocooning trend. Certainly keeping an eye out for domain names that reflect any aspect of this trend seems worthwhile. Anticipating trends is inherently risky so only invest in what you can afford to lose.