Well, Flawsome is when something is awesome despite of, and often because of, its flaws. In the context of my book, Flawsome is a marketing trend which, in early 2012, trendwatching.com predicted to be one of the top future trends for business. You can read about their prediction at http://www.trendwatching.com/trends/flawsome/

…or even better, just watch the video I made about it:

Trendwatching.com says that consumers don’t expect brands to be flawless. In fact, consumers will embrace brands that are still brilliant despite having flaws; even being flawed (and being open about it) can be awesome. Brands that show some empathy, generosity, humility, flexibility, maturity, humour, and some character and humanity.

Two key drivers are fuelling the Flawsome trend:

• Humanised Branding: Everything from disgust at business to the influence of online culture (with its honesty and immediacy), is driving consumers away from bland, boring brands in favour of brands with some personality.
• Corporate Transparency: Consumers are benefiting from almost total and utter transparency (and thus are finding out about flaws anyway), as a result of the torrent of readily available reviews, leaks and ratings.

It’s a trend companies are using to stand out, engage customers, and be more memorable. In my book I take a look at how some of the world’s fastest growing brands are marketing their flaws, and how, by being authentic, we can attract a consumer base of advocates who love what we do, and will begin to spread our message for us.