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T a ppi n g Foresi ght For I ns ight
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Ma s te ri n g T he Unk nown Innovation. A well-worn topic that everyone wants to explore, yet few can successfully navigate. But to create transformation, we must begin with foresight. Looking far enough into the future to understand where we may be headed, and what market needs are yet to be exposed. In order to discover this need, we must overcome a mental block that stands between us and a groundbreaking idea— this unusual block is our own expertise.  To harness the power of what is next, there are rules waiting to be broken. Throwing process out the window and disbanding what we know to be true.
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C r e a ti n g Y ou r B lank Slate It begins by looking beyond the four walls of your business, and far beyond the bounds of a category. Immersing yourself in the ongoing shifts in human behavior, getting your hands dirty and experimenting, and having countless conversations that can spark a hidden idea. When we approach the world with this unbridled sense of curiosity, this is where creativity can thrive. This is at the core of BrandJuice’s FuturefluenceTM. Carefully examining the complex world that surrounds us, we take inspiration from parallel categories.
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We begin by analyzing Trends: what is happening in the world around us.
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Next, we hone in on Insights: why these trends matter.
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And last, we employ Foresight: a calculated hypothesis of what could happen and what we can do to maneuver it.
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Li fe s tyl e
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L i f e s t y le
A R e gressi on t o t he K now n In an age of “over-wokeness”, our world is permeated by anxiety over what may come. People are eager to experience the comforting safety of what is known— ushering in a conscious about-face that harkens back to simpler times. To maintain a sense of normalcy, many are returning to the past, in order to shape a better future. From classic movie festivals at Alamo Drafthouse, to a surge in adoption of vinyl à la subscription services such as Vinyl Me, Please, a cultural renaissance finds joy in traditions of the past. Old continues to meet the new, with retro outfitters partnering with modern retailers to deliver an experience that is as fresh as it is nostalgic. Hanes-owned Champion partnered with Nordstrom on a 100-piece sell-out collection paying homage to stars of the past such as Elvis Presley, Peanuts cartoons and Marilyn Monroe.
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RETURN TO THE FAMILIAR + Furthering this return to the familiar is a consumer desire to disconnect from tech. With increased burden from work and social life to always be on, the need for freedom grows. Yondr has seen incredible growth in the comedy arena, creating device-free spaces with a cases that lock phone capability, ensuring a truly captive audience. Meanwhile, fast-casual restaurants like Le Pain Quotidien are creating tech-safe havens by incentivizing people to put their phone away to create a connection to place.
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Brands will need to be careful about how far they push the tech threshold, infringing on consumer’s space and privacy. Those who master the balance—providing technology that seamlessly provides efficiency, while supplying truly authentic content and personalized experience—will experience sustained success.
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Old world design will continue to influence more than just fashion and entertainment. It will play a continued role in food and packaging, where heritage and storytelling meet a simplified, straight-forward brand value proposition.
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L i f e s t y le
A S hi ft i n C onnect i on As connected systems become more commonplace, a demand for more personalized connections increases. Podcasting continues to exponential growth, highlighting a consumer connection to lo-fi storytelling that opens up the possibilities for immersion on a topic. Brands will continue to curate their own series in order to connect with their audience on a deeper level. One brand doing it well is Brown-Forman, launching a whiskey podcast under the Jack Daniel’s brand, called ‘Around the Barrel’. The series shares stories from the distillery, as well as the brand’s hometown of Lynchburg, Tennessee. With a focus on building on brand equity and an emphasis on values, the podcast brings forward the heart behind the offering.
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TALK TO ME + Going deeper on the topic of conversation and tech is the evolution of Chatbots, with 2019 primed to be the year the tech comes into its own. Those who can deliver more human-like engagements that mimic our own thoughts and feelings will become customer-service champions. From an evolution in natural language processing and sentiment analytics, many are hopeful yet concerned around how it will shake up the entire service industry (e.g. affecting fast food lines, ecommerce, loan processors and more).
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As avenues for brand communication progress, these new platforms will allow companies to gather insights and improve their service based on them, with a projected 40% of large businesses adopting Chatbots in particular by the end of 2019.
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While fears of AI displacing the workforce persist, the chance to utilize the tech to upskill workforces may open the door to more thoughtful process where human beings are the ones to optimize, using insights to build more empathetic systems and deliver greater customer experiences.
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L i f e s t y le
P e rsonal Expressi on R e a ches N ew H ei ght s In an era of growing social awareness and acceptance, the way in which we choose to express ourselves are becoming more individualized and custom than ever. To address personalization, the beauty world is turning to service and science. Companies like FORM beauty offer robust consultations to understand each customer’s needs, while Sephora is getting hyper-personalized with a new microscopic tool called the “Moisture Meter,” analyzing customer DNA to provide personal recommendations. Looking to the future of fashion, 2019 is primed to be a year where expression is all in the details. Design is leaving the world of minimalism, opting for unexpected looks that embrace individuality. Designers welcome wild textures and colors like hot pink and royal blue, playing with unusual elements like ostrich feathers, prints layered on prints, and ombre effects that are anything but the norm.
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LIVE OUT LOUD + More than just design, fashion is beginning to put a premium on values over fashion trends. With a mane of gray hair and little makeup, the first model on the runway for Valentino flew the flag for age inclusivity, introducing a decidedly new approach for a brand known for their unattainable ideal of perfection. Meanwhile, Zara furthers the focus, featuring trans models with messages such as “The Future is Fluid” alongside a gender-neutral collection of goods, signaling an era of social engagement.
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The landscape of cultural awareness has never been so complicated to navigate—with many brands getting involved on every trending topic, and often shooting themselves in the foot. With so many messages throttled at us daily, the “BS” radar is always on, especially for Gen Z. To maintain credibility, brands must authentically create a dialogue with the community and back it up with an offering and advertising that delivers on specific values.
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Personalized experience will be threaded into every brand, with a tech element that employs data to create more individualized engagements. Only those who can truly humanize these experiences will win.
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L i f e s t y le
S e e k i ng Out C u li nary Tw is ts In the quest to continually deliver on new tastes, chefs are exploring alternative flavors and new ways to liven up F&B. In the coffee-crazed USA, tea is having a moment. American consumers are increasingly turning to tea, due to many varieties and benefits. Brands like Teakoe are modernizing the offering with unexpected flavors like barrel-brewed pineapple and pomegranate teas. Craft tea blending, nitro tea on tap and even tea cocktails are growing exponentially. In the world of protein, alternatives take an adventurous approach with the introduction of insects. Thanks to their large quantities, these crispy critters are becoming viewed as a more sensible option. In fact, 80 percent of the world consumes insects; low in fat and with three to four times as much protein as beef. Insect powders are being used to enhance cocktails, and cricket cloud can be used to make breads and pastries.
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ALTERNATIVE CONSUMPTION + Chefs are beginning to remix typical ingredients to enhance flavor as well. Citrus is a widely used component in many dishes and libations, but while the flavor has become tired in some kitchens, eclectic relatives to the lime and lemon like citron, kumquat and shaddock are becoming popular. Kale has also outlived its welcome with alternatives hot on its heels such as wild weeds like sorrel, dandelion greens and amaranth.
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Much like our attention spans, consumers are hungry for what’s next and eager to taste, adventurously. Beyond restaurants, this trend will impact CPG with a need to continually evolve flavor-profiles on-shelf.
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The global flavor aisles at grocery will begin to blend with mass, demanding shopping experience to be more curated and require additional guidance navigating new items and new flavors.
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B r a n di n g i s not ju st about be i n g s e en as bet t er t han the c o mpe ti tion. It ’ s about be ing se e n a s t he only solut i on to yo u r a u dience’ s problem .“
- John Morgan, “Brand Against the Machine”
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H ealt h & We l l ne s s
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H eal th & W e llness
H o l ist i c H ealt h For M a turi ng Populat i ons Populations around the world are aging, posing a significant challenge to governments and cultural institutions. And as birth rates continue to fall world-wide, the question of how and who will care for future elderly cannot be ignored. As people begin to live longer and recognize the importance of taking care of their bones and joints, the supplement market is skyrocketing. And with an uncertain future in mind, both older and younger consumers are looking to joint health for sustainability. One ingredient on many supplement consumers’ minds is collagen, with recent research touting effects on preserving bone density and limiting damage to cartilage. And as aging takes a toll on our bodies, communities are rethinking the way we treat pain with more holistic approaches that veer far away from opioid adoption. Medical devices like TENS units are proving to be an effective and non-addictive alternative, while other alternatives are increasingly being recommended by doctors including massage, chiropractic, and acupuncture, to avoid resorting to pharmaceuticals.
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THE ART OF AGING + Aging is one of the strongest, least cyclical, and most permanent trends in the market. As the demographic increases, its collective spending capacity will follow suit. This opportune time will lead to more luxury or fun-focused retirement communities, such as Jimmy Buffett’s entree that is decidedly experiential. For the “55 and better” seeking an “active adult community”, the Latitude Margaritaville will open its first branch in Daytona Beach, Florida, with similar communities in the works.
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The consumer spending of aged adults will represent $15 trillion in 2020. They care about their holistic health, and have never had so much access to information to help get them what they need.
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With more access to options, retirees will demand more personalized ways of caring for their health and happiness. Brands will continue to explore how to evolve entertainment offerings and cultural affinities of the population.
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H eal th & W e llness
E m ploy i ng T ech for F o o l -proof Result s Precision medicine has arrived, with the intent to distribute capabilities across the healthcare landscape, ushering in an era defined by accuracy. One area where strides are being made to detect and treat disease is in genomic medicine, helping the community to better understand biology. Hospitals including Ascension Wisconsin, Thomas Jefferson University, and Gibbs Cancer Center are broadening the use of precision medicine to not only treat but prevent disease. What comes next is writing DNA, and not just reading it. Gene-editing tools like CRISPR-Cas9 are making it cheaper and faster to move genes around, with untold consequences for changing the environment and treating disease.
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MEDICINE GETS PRECISE + Another realm where medicine is increasing in precision is in nanotechnology, with some of the key applications including more precise drug delivery, biosensors, targeted cancer therapy, tissue engineering, artificial organ generation, and bioimaging. Nanosensors are also offering increased specificity compared with traditional sensors. With enhanced sensitivity, nanosensors have the capability to more accurately test for disease and detect contaminants.
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As tech advances, bioethicists, consumers and policymakers will carry a huge burden in determining how and where to draw the line from gene editing to social engineering and beyond. In addition, with some 6,000 known genetic diseases in existence, hospitals have to undertake some heavy tech lifting to manage so much information.
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The next phase of precision medicine is not about drugs, it’s about engaging patients: through AI, wearables and technologies that more precisely speak to a patient. Companies will make continual improvements to streamline data systems, simplifying the complex in ways people already consume data.
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H ea l th & W ellness
C a ri ng For t he Workf or ce As the 9-to-5 becomes the 24/7 thanks to technology, our jobs play a much greater role on our physical and emotional wellbeing, forcing employers to think ethically about how to structure teams, enact process, and build environments that create loyal, happy, hard-working employees without the burnout. “Workplace wellness” has moved from lip service to purposeful initiatives tied closely to an employer’s overall health care strategy. This benefit reflects a desire to lower costs and focus on what employees really need. More employers are investing in wellness strategies to ensure their benefits not only respond to, but also positively influence, important workplace and wellness trends. Some of the most common implementations are employer benefits such as gym memberships or ski passes— designed to encourage out-of-office time and a focus on fitness. But where some focus on getting active, other companies are putting a premium on sleep, with many helping employees get their rest by adding on-site sleep pods and nap rooms. Flexible hours can also help employees catch up on some valuable rest.
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WORKPLACE WELLNESS + Another area that is increasingly becoming a critical component of workplace strategy is addressing mental health, with more employers embracing mental health education as a part of their workplace wellness programs. Mental health issues not only pose a threat to employee livelihoods, but impact teams’ cultural congruency.
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In shaping workplace wellness, companies are forced to dive deeper into organizational challenges, carefully aligning brand values with how they treat their employees.
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As holistic health continues to permeate the discussion, work/ life balance will take on new forms. More employers will promote the use of mental health days, providing assistance or coverage for therapy or counseling services and encouraging employees to practice self-care.
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Y ou h a ve t o be fast on y our f e e t a n d a da pti ve or else a s tr ate gy is u s e l e s s .”
- Charles de Gualle
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B u s ine s s
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B u s i ness
C o n nect i ng experi enc e f or b e tt er result s One of the greatest, ever-evolving trends in the consumer landscape is the immersive experience. In years ahead, enterprises will be experimenting with immersive technologies for consumers. A surprising way this is taking shape may seem in reverse—in today’s retail climate the physical is helping to inform and shape digital retail. Modern e-Commerce platforms don’t exist in a vacuum — the most successful online retailers are using their newly established physical presences to boost both sides of the business, whether by opening showrooms or leveraging storefronts to handle delivery. Warby Parker has certainly led the way, utilizing shop-inshop experiences to connect their customers with likeminded offerings. Other digitally native brands are utilizing physical spaces as an opportunity to inform and educate around a new category—THINX set up an army of roving pop-up shops on wheels that welcomed customers into a unique experience educating them around the product and its benefits.
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ONLINE MEETS OFFLINE + Retailers that will continue to be the leaders are constantly on the lookout for ways to blend physical and digital. Another way this is coming to fruition is through the use of “digital twins”—which are described as digital representations of a physical object to help simulate a real-life experience. By 2021 half of large industrial companies are predicted to use digital twins. Shoppers seek out a consistent, seamless experience from site to store.
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In an era of heightened consumer expectations, omnichannel retailers will need to connect online and offline ecosystems into a connected experience in order to win.
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Those who utilize data, digging deeper into the evolving behaviors of customers will more rapidly align with the fluidity of today’s shopper journey and uncover new ways to influence and convert. Those who can make tech create even stronger customer service channels with memorable touchpoints and minimal friction will attract loyalists.
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B u s i ness
F i n d i ng Space for C o mplex Dat a Proces s ing As the IoT grows and the number of connected devices skyrockets, the need for space continues to grow in order to process data. This push leads us to edge computing—with analytics and data used for processing in real-time, something only the edge can support right now. But what exactly is edge computing and why does it affect the rest of us? Edge computing is a mesh network of data centers which process and store data locally prior to being sent to a centralized storage center. It optimizes cloud computing systems to avoid disruptions or slowing in the sending and receiving of data. Rather than data being sent back to a cloud or data center, computing is instead conducted on the “edge,” or the periphery, of a network.
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EDGE COMPUTING + One company leading the way is Dropbox, recently developing their own edge network to deliver better connectivity and faster file access for customers. The shift to edge took place out of necessity to provide consistent and reliable service to all of its customers. Meanwhile, GE is expanding their suite of edge-to-cloud technologies, extending the applications to Predix, the company’s IoT platform.
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There are few players currently utilizing edge computing, with a wide landscape of ownership available.
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Businesses who rely heavily on logistics will look to edge computing as a way to act on data more quickly. For retailers looking to optimize POS systems, data can be gathered and processed immediately on the edge, where manufacturers can benefit with the ability to identify failing machinery, turning it off more immediately and potentially saving the entire manufacturing floor from irreversible disruptions.
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B u s i ness
W o r l d Problem s C rea te B u s i ness Opport u ni tie s As global use of resources continues to exceed planetary boundaries we’re facing the dangerous repercussions. With record heatwaves spreading wildfires and destruction, leading scientists to talk of a “sixth mass extinction” of wildlife, living systems are in jeopardy. Where governments are falling short in driving change, brands may play a critical role in turning the tide. Consumers have already adopted a sustainable mindset and are primed for true implementation, in the products they buy and the brands that speak to their conscious lifestyle. They demand more businesses have transparency on their practices. This presents a potential a win on many fronts, with the power to drive efficiency while aligning with the values of stakeholders, from employees to customers.
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GLOBAL EXPANSION + One group primed for activation is Gen Z. The generation is continuing the trend set by millennials in choosing to spend more money on goods from sustainable or ethical companies. Gen Z isn’t as concerned with brand loyalty as their millennial predecessors. Rather, Gen Z will actively seek out sustainable products as their loyalty lies more within values.
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With increased access to economies around the world our globe is getting smaller and democratizing how we interact. Those who can create values-driven strategies, with the ability to translate their offering to multiple cultures and languages will continue to lead.
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The biggest challenge for many sustainability executives is how to change a system when you are the system. As companies embed sustainability resources inside the organization, there is the potential for internal teams to become complacent and less of a force of internal activism. True change may only come from businesses that make sustainability the very core of their offering, and more than just a core belief (e.g. Patagonia).
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Lo o k i n g To T he Fut u re In an experiential era where offering must match lifestyle, disruption is evident in nearly every industry. Consumers are hungry for products and interactions that speak to their holistic values. How can brands rise to meet these lofty expectations? It begin and ends with foresight. Those who can harness the power of what’s next, anticipate what is likely to return, and adopt strategies enabling nimble transformation will be the ones to shape our future and drive global change.
This is just the start. At BrandJuice, we’re always thinking about what’s next, with Futurefluence strategies to fuel innovation, and insights to make it actionable.
Le t’ s T a l k.
Andrea Stone M a na ging D irec to r
andrea.stone@brandjuice.com
Alexandra Hilker D irec to r
alexandra.hilker@brandjuice.com b ra ndj uic e. c o m
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