The connected crowd will come of age in 2014. The technologies that facilitate the creation and passive sharing of
people’s data streams will become more ubiquitous. We will see new products and services being shaped by the
aggregated preferences or behaviour of consumers, as expressed via their data.
Crowd Shaped
Crowd Shaped examples
Kutsuplus. On-demand minibus service
calculates optimal route for those on board.
CheckinDJ. The Foursquare for Spotify. It uses music preferences from social network profiles to create Spotify playlists for coffee shops and other venues.
The other side of the coin. People are starting to get tired of companies, brands and governments using their data, they
are feeling watched and utilised. This all leads to opportunities for ‘No Data’ brands: brands that simply offer brilliant
services, while also loudly and proudly avoid the collection of personal data.
Not examples available yet.
no data
Consumer interest in ‘Quantified Self’ products will continue to grow, as smartwatches and other powerful and affordable wearable tech
products appear. Much of the sector’s focus has been on physical health. Next year consumers will increasingly see their smartphones as
devices for total lifestyle assistance, helping them track and improve mental wellbeing, stay calm and live in the moment.
2 types of consumers fuelling this trend: -Those for whom mental health is a new benchmark. -Those time-starved, overworked, stressed,
always on and anxiety-plagued consumers for whom this innovations offer much needed relief.
The mind, the new body
the mind, the new body examples
Melon: Smart headband that tracks focus.Shadow: App allows users to record, share and analyze dreams
the mind, the new body examples
Virgin Atlantic meditation gurus developed videos
to stream on its flights teaching consumers how
to sleep and stay calm.
Mico: Headphones detect user’s mood and play music accordingly)
the mind, the new body examples
Lift: Lift helps you achieve your goals big or small
and change habits
Headspace: Guided Meditation & Mindfulness App
Consumers are more aware than ever about the damage done by their consumption - damage to the planet, society and themselves.
But “a mixture of indulgence, addiction and conditioning” are making impossible for the majority to modify their consumption habits.
This is creating new opportunities for brands that combine tackling consumer’s guilt spiral with their endless status seeking. Brands that
benefit people and the planet, are highly sustainable, but at the same time offer chic, iconic, high status products.
GUILT-FREE STATUS
guilt free status examples
Nudie’s rugs made from recycled jeans The Tesla Model S sedan luxury electric vehicle.
We expect more of our entertainment. Entertainment, narratives and brand experiences will become more
immersive in a attempt to capture our imagination and attention.
Immersive experiences
immersive experiences examples
IKEA hosted a sleepover for facebook fansWireless audio system maker Sonos set up installations in NYC and Los Angeles where colour washes, lighting and animation coordinate with the music playing out of speakers.
We live in an increasingly visual world. Photos, emojis, short video and other imagery, are largely supplanting
text.
Visual language
visual language example
Tinder app simplifies the online dating process by including photos that can be scrolled through quickly instead of wordy profiles in. Tinder gets 350 million swipes each day-swiping right indicates interest, swiping left indicates a decline.
With the mainstreaming of the on-demand economy and our always-on culture, consumer expectations for speed
and ease are rising exponentially. As businesses respond making the availability of their products and services more
instant, impatience and impulsiveness will only continue to increase. They will expect more, faster and more
conveniently than ever before.
The age of impatience
the age of impatience example
eBay in US will deliver anything you want from a local merchant in roughly an hour for $5.
In emerging markets, mobile devices are representing a gateway to opportunity, helping people to change their lives
by giving them access to financial systems, new business tools, health care, education and more, most times with
something as simple just an a SMS.
Mobile gateway to opportunity.
mobile gateway to opportunity example
A partnership between Vodafone and Turkey’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture allows farmers to receive updates on the weather, government regulations and the market price of goods.
In 2014 connected objects will center around people. Anything exceptional that ‘connected objects’ can do for
consumers, whether that’s monitoring or improving health, helping them save money, getting chores done, will be
warmly welcomed next year and beyond.
The internet of caring things
the internet of caring things examples
OMsignal: Sensor-integrated shirt monitors
medical dataXkuty: Scooter sends alerts in the event of a crash
We’re starting to both fear and resent technology, living constantly anxious of missing out, both online and offline.
We’ll put a higher value on all things that feel essentially human.
Technology, love
& hate affair
tech love/hate example
Some musicians (during concerts) and hospitality services are starting to ask people to put their phones away.
As technology makes our daily lives more precise, curated and polish, we lust for the imperfect, the unusual, the
flawed. Imperfection provides an unfiltered human version of reality that reflects the diversity that surrounds life.
Proudly imperfect
proudly imperfect examples
Another German retailer, Edeka, has tested
selling ugly products at a discount, branded as
“Nobody is perfect.”
An Austrian grocery store chain called Billa launched a line of slightly imperfect fruits and vegetables called “Wunderlinge.” The word itself is a combination of “anomaly” and “miracle.”
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With social norms quickly changing and a new anything- goes attitude, people are mashing up cherished traditions
with decidedly new ideas, creating their own recipes for what feels right and redefining social norms.
Remixing tradition
remixing tradition example
While religious affiliation is declining, “godless congregations” are seeking to bring people together for many of the community benefits and ritualistic gatherings associated with Sunday churchgoing.