Trendwatching #TrendSemLON – 10 emerging trends

Team Bonfire are always seeking ways to improve our client offering through following industry best practice and learning from organisations set up to encourage thought leadership within in our field.

This month some of the team went along to #TrendSemLON to gain deeper insight into how we can best utilise our subscription of Trendwatching. We wanted to learn more about their trend-led innovation model and gain an overall better understanding of the processes behind their global mega-trends and the respective sub-trends.

Amongst the many forward thinking insights gained at the event, one statement in particular resonated with us. A statement that we should remind ourselves of every time we look to evolve and add value to our offering:

“Stop viewing the world through the lens of technology, start viewing technology through the lens of basic human needs and wants.”

One particular talk gave indication to emerging trends, those introduced by innovators as well those that will arise due to a change in consumer behaviours, all of which will have a major impact on buying patterns and ways of communication.

10 emerging trends

1) Beneficial Intelligence

Consumers will embrace digital services that use contextual understanding and intelligent decisions to make their lives easier, faster and more fun.

E.g. PRIZM – a smart music device that learns of musical tastes over time

2) The Internet of Shared Things

The Internet of Things meets the Sharing Economy. This means that smart devices and digital services will help users to share physical resources.

E.g. Breather – an app that lists urban spaces available to rent for meetings or relaxation

3) Two-way Transparency

Consumers are far more enlightened in 2015. Fresh from their experiences of brands such as Uber and Airbnb, consumers will happily embrace brands and organisations that welcome consumer feedback and where there is mutually tangible benefits.

E.g. Pret A Manger – their staff have daily allowances to give away freebies to customers they like or feel are most deserving

4) Insider Trading

One powerful way to show customers that your brand’s values align with theirs is to go public with your internal culture. But first, make sure it’s something to be proud of.

E.g. H&M in the USA – advertising job vacancies with five weeks continuous holiday which is unheard of in the States

5) Very Important Peers

Consumers are increasingly looking to find the right peer – one that can provide the service, information or advice that they need – locally and now.

E.g. Lopeca – enabling local residents to become tour guides from their mobile device

6) Peer Armies

Let your customers work for you. Smart brands are finding new ways to leverage armies of connected customers to supercharge their customer service. These all create dynamic self-sustaining communities that work towards both the consumers greater good and positive brand experience.

E.g. Audi in Sweden has developed an app that allows Audi drivers stuck in the snow to contact an Audi 4WD driver in the area to help them out

7) Instant Skills

In a consumer arena in which status is ever-more about ‘who I am’ rather than ‘what I have’, customers will embrace services that remove all barriers to producing amazing output.

E.g. The Instagram generation – sharing and posting inspirational photos of travel & personal development

8) Lazy Virtue

Consumers are embracing services – digital and physical – that make it effortless to ‘do good’ in the world.

E.g. Snapdonate – enables consumers to quickly give money to their favourite charities on their mobile whilst on the go

9) Small World

Consumers are embracing tangential, surprising and random connections that put all human life in their pocket.

E.g. Social communities similar to the likes of Skype & Facebook

10) Brand Fanatics

Consumer power is at a peak and ever growing so get your customers to be your advocates and declare their devotion to the world!

E.g. IKEA with their #joyofstorage and #‎nobedlikehome campaigns on social media and experiential events

To find out more about our experience on the day in more detail and how it may add value to your businesses drop us a line to see how we can give your brand a jump start with the latest trends.

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