JWT releases 'The Small Movement' study

Everything is getting smaller, from homes to cars to technology to packaged goods. In its latest trend letter, JWT, one of the largest advertising agencies in the world, examines this shift and explains how smaller - as well as simpler and more streamlined - can benefit business, the consumer and the environment.

As detailed in 'The Small Movement' study, the trend is being fueled by a recession that's forcing people to live with less but is also an outgrowth of the environmental movement, a necessary response to a growing global population with a rising standard of living, and a backlash against the long-held ''bigger is better'' mind-set.

''Since the world isn't getting any bigger, we all have to learn to live smaller,'' says Ann Mack, director of trend spotting at JWT.

''Products are getting smaller, the packaging around them is shrinking, and the retail spaces they're sold in is, in some cases, being downsized. But more than this, the 'Small Movement' is a lifestyle philosophy based around the idea of simplifying your life and reducing your footprint.''

Topics covered in this report include:

How the 'Small Movement' is playing out in various industries, including the housing and automotive sectors.