1. 12 Trends for 2015
What Marketers Should Be
Thinking About in Digital
A Beyond Report

2. Introduction
What’s in this report?
In this report we will cover 12 trends we think will shape digital in
2015. In 2014 we saw marketing spend big on technology, a sharper
focus on user experience design, and a resulting shortage in good UX
designers. As predicted, 2014 was the year mobile finally became the
primary way people consume digital in the US and UK. In 2015,
successful marketing will become more dependent on the effective use
of technology, but marketing technologists will need to better
understand the human dimension of the experiences they digitise.
They will also need to think more clearly about "little data" - and how
brands can create more user value from the highly personal data they
generate online. Lastly, all of this will be delivered through new user
interfaces on devices we don't even have names for today. These broad
themes are brought to life in the following 12 trends that will shape
2015.
How to use it?
We have divided these trends into timely priorities (Trends to Prepare
for Now) and longer-term priorities (Trends to Start Thinking About).
Trend To
Prepare For
Now
Trend To
Start Thinking
About

3. Summary:
The 12 Trends
Strong image strategies will drive better conversion
rates: smart brands will optimise for the growing image
economy that is driving the shift to a visual web.
1
2 Bare your data, innovate faster: APIs and open data
streams allow for faster and cheaper innovation, creating
more value for users and boosting brand love in return.
3 Buying on mobile will be better than on a PC: 2015 will see
m-commerce benefit from UI and payment integration
improvements that will make buying on mobiles mainstream.
4 User Interfaces will simplify as everything becomes
connected: in a world of mobiles and wearables, UIs will simplify
dramatically, and Android/iOS changes will force developers to
rethink how services are delivered to users.

4. Consumers will recognise their “data value”: the backlash
against the collection of consumer data is growing and brands
need to prove value and transparency or face being overlooked
in favour of more trusted brands.
9
10 Your phone will become smarter than you: mobile services
will use more contextual information to begin anticipating user
needs before users have them.
11 Your data will do your work for you: brands will
increasingly make behavioural data available to customers to aid
them in their decision-making.
12 Automated marketing won't be good enough: as marketing
becomes increasingly technology-driven, brands are
increasingly at risk of losing the human touch.
In-store digital experiences will revolutionise
commerce: 2015 will see in-store digital experiences
becoming more common, with online e-commerce leaders
moving into physical spaces, sparking new innovations.
5
6 Sensors will drive super-smart, proactive products:
Our mobiles are now packed with sensors giving developers
the opportunity to use new personal data streams to mesh
people’s physical and digital experiences.
7 Brands will still struggle to embrace digital: digital
transformation is a key priority for brands, but without
genuine investment from the C-suite, initiatives will struggle
to make an impact.
8 Companies will waste money assimilating big data:
deriving insights from big data has underappreciated
pitfalls that will disappoint many.

5. - Hal Varian, Google
Strong image strategies will
drive better conversion rates1
Trend To
Prepare For
Now

6. - Hal Varian, Google
Creation, engagement, and sharing of images
driving transition to a visual web
Photos taken in 1998:
8 Billion
Photos taken in 2014 (est.):
880 Billion
Images shared per day in 2014:
1.8 Billion - 150%
increase from 2013 and
515%
increase from 2012
Creation Engagement with brands Sharing
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
G+
0 0.4 0.8 1.2 1.6
Engagement Rate
Trend To
Prepare For
Now
Sources: Kodak, Yahoo, L2,Kleiner Perkins

7. 1. Strong image
strategies will
drive better
conversion rates
What’s the trend?
In 2015 brands need to think about visual optimisation of
their content. Images communicate ideas at least 20 times
faster than text (Potter et al, Kriegl et al) and consumers are
far more inclined to click through to content which includes
high quality images of their products and services.
Where are we seeing it ?
According to Bing, nearly 10% of all organic searches are for
images, and 40% of all search results contain “some kind of
visual component”. By September 2014, image search traffic
had a conversion rate 11% higher than non-image organic
search traffic.
Trend To
Prepare For
Now

8. - Hal Varian, Google
Bare your data, innovate faster
2
Trend To
Prepare For
Now

9. - Hal Varian, Google
“Combine and recombine internet
components in ways that create totally
new innovations”
Hal Varian, Google
Combinatorial Innovation:
0
3500
7000
10500
14000
2005 2007 2009 2011 2013APIs
Explosive use of web services which
brings plug’n’play innovation based on
combining data streams is key to
driving fast new innovation
Trend To
Prepare For
Now

10. 2. Bare your data,
innovate faster
Where are we seeing it ?
We will see more companies following the example of
Uber, which opened its API and allowed partners like
Starbucks, Time Out and TripAdvisor to build on its
functionality. Users can now see pickup times and fare
estimates on these apps, rather than having to open the
Uber app – evidently, shared data has improved
functionality and user convenience.
Trend To
Prepare For
Now
Open API Build on
Functionality
What’s the trend?
We will see brands achieve competitive advantage over
their rivals by opening their data and functionality
APIs up to the developer community. This digital trend
counters the traditional closed R&D approach taken by
offline brands for the last 100 years.

11. Buying on mobile will be
better than on a PC3
Trend To
Prepare For
Now

12. 3. Buying on
mobile will be
better than on
a PC
What’s the trend?
NFC mobile payments are finally here on both Android and IOS. But the
biggest m-commerce breakthrough might come with Apple Pay’s
eventual incorporation into Safari on the iPhone. This would allow
people to purchase items seen on screen with a single fingerprint,
removing the hassle of entering credit card numbers and customer
details.
Where are we seeing it ?
Mobile device conversion rates for e-commerce have long lagged those on
PCs with smartphone conversion rates often reported at a 1/3 of that of
desktops. Conversion rates for smartphone on mobile optimised sites are
160% higher than on non-optimised equivalent. We expect to see UI and
payment integration improvements coming in 2015 to further increase
this differential.
Trend To
Prepare For
Now

13. User interfaces will simplify
as everything becomes
connected
4
Trend To
Prepare For
Now

14. New devices, new UIs
Micro-interactions Glanceable UI
Hyper personalised moments
that are easy to action with
instant gratification
Providing the minimal
required information to
elicit a meaningful action
Trend To
Prepare For
Now

15. 4. User Interfaces
will simplify as
everything
becomes
connected
What’s the trend?
As more things become connected to the Internet featuring a wide
range of non-standard displays and interfaces (from smart watches to
Oculus Rift glasses), brands will need to re-think how they present
information and deliver services to users across these devices.
Where are we seeing it ?
Mobile design has already started moving in the direction of greater
simplicity. Glanceable user interfaces such as bite-size cards lend
themselves to smaller devices and take friction out of user
interactions. Both Apple and Android are redesigning their operating
systems around the concept of notifications – that will let users fully
engage with their surroundings without the need to open an app.
Trend To
Prepare For
Now

16. In-store digital experiences
will revolutionise commerce5
Trend To
Prepare For
Now

17. 5. In-store digital
experiences will
revolutionise
commerce
What’s the trend?
With previously online-only brands such as Amazon, E-Bay and
FourSquare starting to expand their offering into brick and
mortar high street locations, the in-store retail experience will
become increasingly driven by technology in 2015.
Where are we seeing it ?
Mirrors that double as massive touch screens can assimilate
personal data and suggest complementary "looks" and accessories
to the clothing you try on in front of them. Stores will recognise
users of the brand’s mobile app as they enter, allowing staff to
offer a more tailored service. As omni-channel retailing enters the
mainstream, it will set the standard for more traditional high
street brands who are playing catch-up on building their e-
commerce offerings.
Trend To
Prepare For
Now

18. Sensors will drive super-
smart, proactive products6
Trend To
Start Thinking
About

19. The Wireless World
Research
organisation predicts
7 trillion sensors
by 2017.
Types of sensors
used in
smartphones:
at least 14
Trend To
Start Thinking
About

20. 6. Sensors will
drive super-
smart, proactive
products
Where are we seeing it ?
Gartner predicts that by 2017, smartphone sensors will reduce the
costs of diabetic care by 10%, while by 2020, wireless health
monitoring technology is expected to increase life expectancy in
the developed world by six months. Beyond this, we are already
seeing non-health related brands innovate within this space.
Microsoft’s Septimu will use heart rate, temperature, and other
biorhythm sensors to work in conjunction with a pair of earbuds.
The associated mobile app called Musical Heart will select the
most appropriate music based on the user’s mood informed by
the Septimu sensors.
The Chinese search-engine Baidu is launching “smart
chopsticks” that can detect oils containing contamination - an
appealing prospect to a country beset with food safety scandals.
What’s the trend?
We can expect to find sensors in everything from smart watches
to patches on our skin, gathering data on heart rate, sweat
composition and body temperature in real time. In 2015, brands
will add huge value by tapping into sensor-gathered data. These
sensors will be used far beyond health and fitness brands to
provide experiences that are personalised through sensors.
Trend To
Start Thinking
About

21. Brands will still struggle to
embrace digital7
Trend To
Start Thinking
About

22. 7. Brands will
still struggle to
embrace digital
What’s the trend?
Without more direct and deep involvement from the C-
suite and a willingness to adopt experimental approaches
to digital development, many companies will fail to adapt.
Where are we seeing it ?
In established companies, digital is too often a function,
department or a specialty, and therefore removed from
core business strategy. It’s rare that CFOs and CEOs are
deeply involved in digital initiatives – in fact, Gartner has
predicted that by 2016, 50% of digital transformation
initiatives will be unmanageable due to internal skills
gaps.
Trend To
Start Thinking
About

23. - Hal Varian, Google
Companies will waste money
assimilating big data8
Trend To
Start Thinking
About

24. - Hal Varian, Google
By 2020 there will be 50 Billion things
exchanging 40,000,000,000 terabytes of data
Will this greatly increase our ability to glean
insights or will the data overwhelm us?
Trend To
Start Thinking
About

25. 8. Companies will
waste money
assimilating big
data
Where are we seeing it ?
As Nate Silver (author of The Signal and The Noise)
puts it, “with very large data sets you start seeing
more spurious correlations, more false positives, and
erroneous answers. If the quantity of information is
increasing by 2.5 quintillion bytes per day, the
amount of useful information almost certainly isn’t.”
Along the same lines, machine learning guru
Michael Joran has predicted an epidemic of false
positives coming out of big-data projects. In 2014
alone, big data accounted for nearly $30 billion of
investment – it’s likely to cost companies even more
in 2015 with many businesses struggling to achieve
real value from the investment.
What’s the trend?
In 2015, it’s possible we’ll see disappointing results
from big data initiatives, as companies use the
technology in the search for new insights, but
without the right expectations or scientific approach.
Trend To
Start Thinking
About

26. Consumers will recognise
their ‘data value’9
Trend To
Start Thinking
About

27. 9. Consumers
will recognise
their ‘data value’
Where are we seeing it ?
In a recent Beyond study for HP, we found that only 18% of people say
they feel comfortable sharing data with companies in return for a
personalised experience. However, when given insight into how they
can improve their own lives – such as with popular fitness trackers
like FitBit – people are more than happy to supply personal data.
There are now hundreds of self-tracking apps available, many with
millions of users - such as Check (10 million users; personal finance
tracking) and Azumio (7 million users; health tracking). This shows
there is huge appetite to share even sensitive personal data as long as
there is a clear value exchange - but with that comes an equally huge
responsibility to not breach trust.
What’s the trend?
Consumers have accepted the adage that “if you don’t pay for a
product, you are a product”, and continue to adopt free
services like Facebook in their droves. Nonetheless, new
networks like Whisper and Ello promise not to track users and
their success shows that consumers are increasingly wary of
their personal data being misused. Companies need to
promote greater transparency and give consumers more direct
control of their data, or face more backlash.
Trend To
Start Thinking
About

28. Your phone will become
smarter than you10
Trend To
Start Thinking
About

29. 10. Your phone
will become
smarter than you
What’s the trend?
Context is everything. And your mobile phone is becoming
increasingly aware of context, sensing and reacting to changes in
its environment - from weather, to traffic, to the time of day.
Companies are increasingly using contextual design to create
smarter products that understand the full story around the user in
order to bring them exactly what they need, when they need it,
possibly before they even know they need it.
Where are we seeing it ?
Whether its an automatic notification that you’ll be late for a
meeting because of traffic or a notification that you have run out
of milk when you enter a supermarket, your digital devices will
anticipate your needs before the needs are needed. The
possibilities are endless.
Trend To
Start Thinking
About

30. Your data will do your work
for you11
Trend To
Start Thinking
About

31. Key forces driving this trend:
• Machine learning
• Collaborative filtering
• Predictive analytics
• Quantified self
• On-demand and cheap(ish) technology
Trend To
Start Thinking
About

32. 11. Your data will
do your work for
you
Where are we seeing it ?
Amazon recommends products you should look at next, OKCupid
pairs you with algorithmically compatible partners, and Google
anticipates what you’re about to search for – so why can’t
traditional, brick and mortar brands start doing the same with
their online experiences? By exposing analytics data
intelligently, digital experiences will only become better,
delivering increased value for both brand and customer. And
with new simple, low-cost predictive APIs like BigML and Google
Prediction API it’s easier than ever to start experimenting now.
What’s the trend?
Algorithms - such as predictive analytics - have helped brands guess
what you might buy, based on the traits you share with people like
you. Over the past few years we’ve seen brands using this to target
people with promotional offers based on their shopping patterns and
preferences. But a few companies have pioneered the use of these
algorithms to solve customer needs online by exposing user
analytics to help with decision-making. Users are being increasingly
conditioned to expect websites to automatically learn and anticipate
what they need, automatically suggesting personalised solutions.
Trend To
Start Thinking
About

33. /
Automated marketing won't
be good enough12
Trend To
Start Thinking
About

34. 12. Automated
marketing won't
be good enough
Targeting users repeatedly with the same ads – regardless
of where the user is in the buying journey – shows how
easy it will be for automation to go wrong. In 2015, more
brands will see the value of ensuring automation is
designed and quality-controlled by humans, who can use
expert insight and informed planning to ensure
promotional messages fit into the greater overall customer
experience. Otherwise, the benefits of automation could
easily be outweighed by the damage done through
annoying, inappropriate and irrelevant marketing.
Where are we seeing it ?
A recent study by RAPP and InSkin Media shows that over
half of consumers are put off buying products or services if
they see the same ad reappearing multiple times online.
What’s the trend?
In recent years, marketers have invested huge amounts in
various forms of automated marketing – but as with all
automation, there’s a danger of losing the human touch.
Trend To
Start Thinking
About

35. Beyond is an experience design agency that creates
digital products and services for companies. We create
the experiences that define your brand by removing
friction from the customer journey.
Beyond believes in innovation through iteration and collaboration with our clients
and users because products are the living expression of the brands we build.
The company was started in 2010 and now employs 85 people with three offices,
San Francisco, New York and London. Our client list includes Apple, Google,
Novartis, Virgin, UBS, Facebook, Instagram, Sainsbury’s, HP, Amadeus, Hershey’s
and Viacom amongst others.
In 2012 Beyond was recognized by Marketing Magazine’s Revolution Awards as
the Best Start Up citing our "innovative approach to digital" and growth rate as
key factors in winning the award. In 2014, Beyond was shortlisted in Data
Storytelling and Online Marketing by Marketing Week’s Data Strategy Awards for
our work with Virgin and shortlisted twice for the 18th Annual Webby Awards:
Virgin.com and Google.
About Beyond

36. Thanks for reading.
This trend report was brought to you by the research and strategy team at Beyond as
part of our ongoing work to help create a world without friction.
www.bynd.com