Trendwatching!

Libraries may be doing many of these things already as part of their mission. We're hyperlocal, we provide a type of eco-bounty. What else do we do? How can we enhance and promote these services?

Quoted from:
May 2009 INNOVATION JUBILATION via trendwatching.com by newsletter@trendwatching.com on 5/3/09

“By now, virtually everyone has chimed in on how innovation is the only way out of the recession. So instead of adding more theory, let’s have a look at actual B2C innovations from recession-defying entrepreneurs and brands around the world...basically anything that will get consumers spending again, and preferably the kind of spending that involves sustainable goods, services and experiences"

Some of these are self-explanatory. Examples are included for the trickier concepts.

Free Love!
FedEx Office recently drew attention by extending a helping hand to job seekers, offering free printing (on March 10th) of up to 25 black-and-white copies of their resume at any of the company's 1,600+ stores across the US.

DIY
Create your own content, feeds, etc.

Sellsumers
British Everyday Models invites consumers to rent out aspects of their daily life to advertisers: whether it's their clothes, car, house or online profile.

Status Stories
The Fairmont Royal York hotel has installed a three-hive apiary 14 stories above the streets of Toronto and the resulting honey is used in the hotel's restaurant kitchen.

Kids, Teens, and Moms

Generation G (for Generosity)
San Francisco-based Replyforall is a site that raises money for charities by adding a cause’s information to a user’s e-mail signature.

Brand Butlers
In the greater New York area, Central Parking System and other parking companies offer half-price parking for Smart fortwo owners. The service, which is a partnership with Smart USA, is based on the notion that drivers shouldn't have to pay full price if their car only takes up half a parking spot.

Off=On
Hot croissants or cookies? Baker Tweet is a technology that alerts customers via Twitter any time a fresh batch of baked goods emerges from a participating bakery’s oven.

Eco-Bounty

Twinsumers
Led in part by Flickr cofounder Caterina Fake, Hunch is an online decision-making tool that gets to know a user through his or her answers to seemingly random questions. Based on those answers, Hunch aligns users with other people that are like them—their twinsumers—and can offer personalized answers to complex questions like: "Should I go to medical school?"

Internet Clout
CrowdSprout lets groups of parents interested in purchasing the same item (think high chairs or cradles or diaper bags) band together to get a better price by bidding, and committing to making the purchase only if enough other buyers join.

Mapmania

Hyperlocal

Global Brain
Netherlands-based c,mm,n is an initiative that aims to create a model for sustainable cars, starting with a community-designed prototype. The car's blueprints are publicly available under an open source license, so its design can be used and modified by others as long as any derived works are shared with the public

Less and Longing
Häagen-Dazs Five is an all-natural ice cream made from only five ingredients—skim milk, cream, sugar, egg yolks and one of a few natural flavors like mint, ginger and coffee. What makes the product stand out is its simplicity; in uncertain times, bringing back the classics can appeal to consumers’ nostalgia