New decade lacks official nickname

Hatch PR survey reveals PROs and journalists disagree on a catchy nickname to replace The Noughties

5 January 2010 - Birmingham and London - Despite having already begun, the next decade hasn't yet been named by PROs and journalists, a survey by Hatch PR has revealed.

When asked what the next decade would be nicknamed, nearly half (44.5 per cent) of respondents from the UK media industry went with the most obvious name; 'The 2010s.' A further 22 per cent of respondents thought the decade might be nicknamed 'The Teens.'

Other ideas presented included:
• 'The Tweens' (11 per cent)
• 'The Teenies' (11 per cent)
• 'The Tens' (eight per cent)

A few respondents had more amusing suggestions, including:
• 'The Tense'
• 'The years between and including 2010 and 2019'
• 'The Ayrtons' (Ayrton Sennas - tenners)
• ‘The Tenties’

"The numbers suggest a lack of agreement on this decade's media nickname, leaving the door wide open for someone to coin a good one," said Hatch PR founder Emily McDaid. "It's not surprising the opportunity is still available when you consider that 'The Noughties' didn't take off until well into the last decade, and it was never fully embraced in the US."

Respondents to the survey agreed on one point - that the nickname needs to be catchy. Nearly 80 per cent (79.5 per cent) of respondents said the most important attribute of a nickname was its catchiness. Just under half (46 per cent) said it was most important that the media embraces the nickname. A third (36 per cent) prioritised the nickname being short enough to fit into a headline, while 28 per cent prioritised the nickname being impactful to demonstrate the importance of that decade in history. Interestingly, not one single respondent indicated that the nickname should capture the politics of the time, but a fifth (20.5 per cent) said it should capture the social trends of the time.

Respondents were also asked to rank the most important trends in today's culture that would help define the next decade. Responses were:

• Wars and/or world peace - 60 per cent
• Global warming - 47.5 per cent
• The increasing consumption of digital and online media - 46 per cent
• Asia's rising influence on the world stage - 38.5 per cent
• Social networks - 37.5 per cent

McDaid continued: "Little more than half (52 per cent) of our respondents thought 'The Noughties' was a good nickname - so we think it can be bettered this decade. Any company or organisation looking to put its stamp on this decade should consider staking a claim to a name.”

Hatch PR associate director Chris Lee said: "Given our focus on digital media, we were delighted the numbers showed media professionals are recognising the rising influence of digital media on our world this decade."

About the survey: The survey was conducted in December 2009 via online methods and distributed via Twitter. It garnered 53 professional respondents working in media on both the journalist and PR side.

About us: Hatch PR is a boutique communications consultancy for the digital industries, specialising in working with web and mobile small businesses and startups. The company was founded in March 2008 and is headquartered in Birmingham, England. For more information, visit www.hatch-pr.com.