Mega marketing trends that are making waves

Understanding the changing behavior of consumers and the trends that shape them is essential to creating an effective, integrated brand strategy.  We subscribe to the foresight and trend monitoring company Trendwatching to explore and track these trends to ensure we provide the very best consultancy and bespoke solutions to clients.

Trendwatching has identified mega-trends that define the future of business and consumerism at large.  Summarised here, these are the big, slow moving ‘currents’ that remain broadly stable year-on-year, and can be applied across regions, industries and demographics.

STATUS SEEKERS: THE PURSUIT OF STATUS

The desire for status and recognition is a deep and universal human need and people traditionally derive much of their social status from goods, services and experiences they collect and share. With so many choices in modern economies, consuming is as much a statement about who I am as what I have.

BETTERMENT: THE UNIVERSAL QUEST FOR SELF-IMPROVEMENT

The desire to improve can manifest in many ways: better health, greater knowledge, new skills and more. Products, campaigns and services that help realise these goals appear ‘better’ than those that don’t.

YOUNIVERSE: TO BE SEEN AND SERVED AS UNIQUE 

When everyone’s preferences and tastes reign supreme, customized products, services and experiences have evolved from revolutionary to near-ubiquitous. In today’s consumption arena every consumer wants to feel unique and be served as such.

LOCAL LOVE: THE IMPORTANCE OF LOCAL CONTEXT

Despite globalization, despite online; place still matters. Whether driven by a sense of price, authenticity, convenience and / or eco-concerns, “local” products, services and knowledge will forever find favour with consumers.

PLAYSUMERS: THE AGELESS QUEST FOR FUN

Play,  fun, surprise and humor are fundamental human needs. Entertaining or unexpected products, services and campaigns that make life more enjoyable allow brands to capture consumers’ scarcest resource their attention.

EPHEMERAL: THE SCARCITY OF TIME AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

Ceaseless connectivity has fractured consumers’ relationship with time and altered attention spans. While consumers seek to speed through some experiences, and slow down to savor others, one constant objective remains: extract maximum value from every moment.

HELPFUL: THE DEMAND FOR CONVENIENT AND SUPERIOR SERVICE

Innovations, products, services and more that make life easier will eternally find favor with consumers. For busy consumers, convenience is now a prerequisite, and their definition of it becomes ever-more exacting.

JOYNING: THE CORE INSTINCT TO CONNECT WITH OTHERS

People are naturally social beings, who enjoy coming together, making connections, collaborating, sharing. With endlessly evolving platforms for digital encounters reshaping ways to connect, there are opportunities for brands to facilitate or benefit from this basic desire in the real world, too.

HUMAN BRANDS: THE DESIRE FOR BRANDS WITH PERSONALITY

Increasingly aware that personality, purpose and profit can be compatible, consumers seek brand relationships beyond superficial and transactional. They will embrace brands with meaning and character; that are open, honest and stand for something.

BETTER BUSINESS: THE BELIEF THAT PURPOSE PRECEDES PROFIT

Consumers are increasingly aware of the negative impact consumption has on the planet, society or themselves, but also trying to reconcile their impulses with the desire to feel ‘good’. The long-term solution? Lessening – or eradicating – negative impacts whilst allowing indulgence.

UBITECH: THE EVER-GREATER PERVASIVENESS OF TECHNOLOGY

Technology will only become more ubiquitous and impossible to live without. And the ‘superpowers’ that new technologies afford (perfect information, instant connection, immersive experiences) will outweigh any negatives

INFOLUST: THE NEED FOR RELEVANT AND ACTIONABLE INFORMATION

Consumers’ desire for relevant, useful and timely information is insatiable. They seek products, tools and services that provide the right information at the right time, in a digestible and actionable format.

FUZZYNOMICS: COLLAPSE OF BARRIERS BETWEEN CONSUMER AND PRODUCER

P2P buying and selling, crowdfunding and the on-demand economy have disrupted the brand-consumer dynamic. Fuelled by every individual’s desire for control, authenticity, and self-expression, the move towards participatory consumption will continue to evolve

POST-DEMOGRAPHIC: DEATH OF DEMOGRAPHIC SEGMENTATION

It’s almost impossible to use traditional demographic segments to predict consumer behavior. People of all ages – and in many markets are shaking off demographic ‘conventions’ and constructing lifestyles and identities more freely than ever.

If you have a research brief or current project that would benefit from fresh insight then contact Stephen Judge at Bonfire on 01525 841079, [email protected].

Trendwatching has been delivering unrivalled insights into consumer behaviour since 2002. This article is published with permission www.trendwatching.com.

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