Innovation Envy
Entrepreneurs, businesses, and institutions are increasingly fearful about not being able to keep up with competitors’ approaches to innovation.
Industry: Retail
Robot Renaissance
As robots’ utility moves into the home and the workplace, they are being given more human-like interfaces, and even micro-personalities.
Enterprise Empathy
Empathy is becoming a driver of innovation and revenue, and a point of differentiation for products, services, hiring practices, and branded experiences.
Deliberate Downgrading
As more products become Internet-enabled and digitalized, consumers are selectively rejecting supposedly improved products and services, opting for simpler, cheaper, and sometimes more functional versions instead.
Extreme Uncluttering
Brands and creators are intentionally using spectacles to capture attention and drive engagement.
B2Beyond Marketing
To simplify daily life, people are shedding their excess “stuff,” seeking pared-down experiences and even ways to unclutter their digital identities.
Side Quirks
A global shift toward individualism has led to a surge in side businesses and a renewed appreciation for what makes people unique.
Retrotrust
Often unsure of whom to trust, today’s consumers are connecting with brands that have a rich legacy in cultural history, or those with which they have a strong sense of nostalgia.
Muddled Masculinity
The rising empowerment of women and reevaluation of the concept of gender itself are causing widespread confusion and angst about what it means to be a man today.
Truthing
As a consequence of eroding trust in media and institutions, people are engaging in a personal quest for the truth based on direct observation and face-to-face interaction.
