Carla Buzasi is managing director bij trendbureau WGSN, en weet in die hoedanigheid alle ins en outs als het gaat om trends in magazine media. Voordat ze de wereld van de trendwatchers betrad, werkte Buzasi vijftien jaar in de journalistiek. Ze was founding editor van The Huffington Post UK, en in haar tijd daar werd ze twee keer werd uitgeroepen tot Hoofdredacteur van het Jaar. Daarvoor werkte ze voor titels als Marie Claire, Glamour, Vogue en The Guardian.
2. From shifting demographics to new technological
advances, what are the main drivers transforming
the media landscape in 2020?
Global Drivers
These consumer groups are set to influence your
industry in 2020. How will you engage?
Consumer Profiles
Five new rules to engage with your future
consumer
Key Takeaways
01
02
03
Agenda
—
6. 1
1
3
ClientName—Presentation
Rules of
Engagement
—• CONTEXT OVER CONTENT: COMPANIES NEED TO MAKE A
TRUE COMMITMENT TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES
• THINK LOCAL – ON EVERY PLATFORM, INCLUDING IRL
• PRICE DISCOUNTS AND BUNDLES DON’T ADD VALUE —
COMPANY VALUES DO
• STAND FOR SOMETHING – BE THE CONDUIT TO LEARNING
1
2
Consumer Profile
Localvists
10. 1
1
3
ClientName—Presentation
Rules of
Engagement
—• THINK DIGITAL – THESE ARE THE CONSUMERS LEAST
LIKELY TO BUY PRINT
• SUB-CULTURES ARE EMERGING – LEARN THEM NOW
• WATCH NOW, BUY NOW: THE LIVE STREAMING SHOPPING
MODEL GETS SCALE THANKS TO 5G
• IMPERFECT ADS ARE EMBRACING UNATTAINABLE
STANDARDS WITH DARK AND SUBVERSIVE HUMOUR. A
MUCH NEEDED REPRISE FROM THE SAME VISUAL TARGETS
1
2
Consumer Profile
The Imperfectionists
16. 1
1
3
ClientName—Presentation
Rules of
Engagement
—• NEXT GENERATION INTERFACES: EXPERIENCES AROUND
PLATFORMS THAT STAY AT THE FOREFRONT OF
INNOVATION
• THE IMMERSIVE ECONOMY: ON-DEMAND BRAND IMMERSION
WILL ELEVATE ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCES
• VISUAL AND VOICE SEARCH: SEARCH OPTIMISATION WILL
PAIR VOICE ENABLED SEARCH WITH VISUAL DISPLAY
• MOVE FAST – THIS CONSUMER WON’T WAIT FOR ANYTHING
OR ANYONE
1
2
Consumer Profile
The Augmentalists
20. The 5G network will create seamless connectivity and drive record m-
commerce sales. Companies need to factor in speed and payment
optimisation to compete in 2020.
5G Network01
Key
Takeaways
—
There are considerable white space opportunities around these groups,
but be aware of disruptive local brands that will emerge behind these
opportunities.
NEW MAJORITIES02
It's about mattering to people. How companies embed their values into
the value chain will be the difference between growth and stagnation in
2020.
EMBEDDED VALUES03
Companies need to have a focused approach towards tech
innovation to fully harness market penetration. You need to create
meaningful moments to drive engagement.
NEXT GEN ENGAGEMENT04
Magazines are still selling and Gen Z attaches a value to premium
content. The challenge is standing out and standing for something.
BE POSITIVE!05
21. 1
1
3
ClientName—Presentation
Thank You!—
@carlabuzasi
@wgsn
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Editor's Notes
2 x global drivers
3 x consumer groups
4 things they want
5 key takeaways
Globally, racial, and ethnic identifiers are shifting, and with it so are the voices of power. As more people vote with their dollars and eyeballs, connecting with these new majorities needs to be a priority, not an afterthought.
Projected to be a quarter of the world's population (2.8 billion) by 2050, Muslims spending power cannot be ignored and yet they feel underserved particularly in the US. Globally, Generation M (Muslim Millennials) will force "soft cultural change by means of hard economics” meaning they are looking to make change with their dollars and they will have the upper hand in terms of market growth.
We are growing more diverse. America’s identity is changing – by 2020 more than half of Americans under 18 will be minorities, and more whites will be ageing than will be born. The game changer? By 2040, caucasians will be the minority. Europe grows more ethnically and racially diverse – interracial couples have increased year on year in England, Wales and France, while Italy has seen a 172% increase in multi-ethnic marriages since 2001, according to the Italian Institute of Statistics.
For business this means new lifestyle events to design for and market too. In the US the Quinceañera (a Hispanic sweet 15 party) is an untapped market for apparel, food and beverage, and influencer industries. Quinceanera market is poised to be a “billion dollar” industry and event “prices will range (from) $15,000 to $80,000; If you look at the quinceañera market, for example, in the East Coast, specifically in the Miami area, families can spend in the hundred thousands.”
Futher Examples:
Mona Haydar is a Syrian-American artist from Flint, Mich. She wears a hijab with pride. She's been a performance poet for 13 years, writing about love, trauma, loss and joy.
She released her first rap song, "Hijabi," (March 2017) along with an accompanying video. In just a few days, the music video went viral, with more than 1 million views on Facebook. Produced by Tunde Olaniran, it's reminiscent of Beyoncé's Lemonade visual album. It has a diverse female cast, vibrant modern choreography and camera work that creates intimacy with the viewer.
http://whqr.org/post/hijabi-artist-channels-beyonc-debut-her-resistance-music-and-video#stream/0
Move over e-commerce, by 2020 m-commerce (mobile commerce) is set to make up half of all online purchases with projected global sales reaching $250bn, according to the 2017 UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper study. The evolution of e-commerce to m-commerce is driven by the rise of mobile apps, more sophisticated smartphones and the speed of connectivity with the global race to 5G networks in full swing.
Why all the hype around 5G?This new network means seamless connectivity: ultra-fast, ultra-reliable and able to increase the speed of mass adoption for industries, including augmented reality, connected vehicles and The Internet of Things (IoT). With Gartner predicting that there will be 20.4bn connected things by 2020, the network can't come soon enough. Asia and the US will begin the 5G rollouts in 2018, with Europe and LATAM following suit in 2019 and 2020.
Faster connectivity means big business. According to a study commissioned by Qualcomm, 5G wireless technology could result in global economic growth of $3 trillion between 2020 and 2035.
What does this mean for businesses?Speed is a critical factor. Episerver's 2017 State of Digital Commerce found that 37% of global respondents cited speed and convenience as a "key purchase trigger", and over 40% surveyed said they will leave a site if the load time is slow. Most importantly, 27% said they will move onto a competitor. Fast-loading pages with one-click ordering are key.
On the whole, payment optimisation is paramount. Companies that invest in mobile wallets may gain market share from Gen Z, who are slated to push through to the cashless world we've been hearing about for years. For those investing in branded apps the experience is essential, otherwise it's a hollow logo on a home screen that will be deleted. Finding the purpose of the app beyond the shopping cart is a necessity.
Enter a new breed of localists, while community and sustainability are priorities for this cohort, there is another green snagging local attention and action: and that’s money.
Glocal GreenTrust in large corporations, banks, and government is on the decline. A 2016 study by Pew Research found that only 27% of Americans surveyed trust their government institutions.
From China to Brazil, the scepticism exists and is growing. According to the OECD/Gallup World Poll 2016 Government at a Glance report, global government trust dipped from 70% in 2009 to 42%.What's the alternative? As people feel that nation states and governments no longer have the trust/power to fix our modern world, citizens believe that cities and metropolitan regions are in charge of their own futures.
Community Capitalism
With the threat of automation looming and an unsure workforce, Localvists are determined to keep money in their communities. What's the shift from previous localism movements? It's less about patriotism and more about community survival. Welcome to a new era of Community Capitalism.
“This is where Buy local is different from Buy American,” says Grant Henninger, an urban planner and founder of On Prosperity’s Road, a non-profit resource that proposes local action to solve global problems. “Every dollar spent locally is a dollar of wealth retained in the community.”
This isn’t a US-only sentiment. The 2017 Buying British report found companies with turnover of £500,000 or less rose from 58% to 78% in 2016, suggesting consumers are turning towards smaller businesses. In Nigeria, the government is encouraging citizens to boost the local economy through its #BuyNaijaToGrowTheNaira campaign.
In South Africa, a new "Be Local-Buy Local" movement is thriving for two reasons: it supports local entrepreneurs and celebrates African craft and tradition. Trevor Stuurman, a South African cultural leader, believes this will drive economic growth.
Stuurman says, "Africans need to own our culture and monetise it," citing luxury jewellery as an example. "The gold and gemstones are sourced here, then sent to Europe to be made into luxury accessories and then sold back to us! Let's change the value of local luxury."
How do businesses prepare for a cohort who prioritise community growth and local civic engagement? In short, be part of a solution and don't ignore the problems.
Context Over ContentForget fluffy messages and "taking the customer on a journey", this group doesn't want storytelling. They want action. Companies need to make a true commitment to the local community or take a hard line on an issue that will rally Localvists to vote with their dollars.
The Local Crypto Economy
As global trust in mainstream financial institutions wanes, Localvists are trialling new payment and finance plans including local cryptocurrencies.
And the rise of Weatlh Care: where a companys’ values matter more than the price point.
Forget fluffy messages and "taking the customer on a journey", this group doesn't want storytelling. They want action. Companies need to make a true commitment to the local community or take a hard line on an issue that will rally Localvists to vote with their dollars.
Cone's recent Millennial CSR Study found that nine in ten Millennials would switch brands to one associated with a cause they believed in. More telling, Millennials will make personal sacrifices to make an impact on issues they care about, whether that’s paying more for a product, or sharing products rather than buying.
Case Studies
Take a cue from Patagonia. When company president Yvon Chouinard announced that he was going to sue the Trump administration over policy changes around the Bear’s Ears. National Monument, they didn't plan a massive press conference or grandiose marketing campaign. They simply changed their website homepage to read: "The President Stole Your Land".
This was a battle cry, not a marketing gimmick. Did it hurt the business? Quite the opposite. In the days following the statement, sales increased up to six-times more than a “typical” day.
Apple unveiled their 2017 Environmental Responsibility report with a simple statement: "To ask less of the planet, we ask more of ourselves".
Not all companies have the reaction time or flexibility to take action. However, companies need to strategise their cause capabilities and positions. Sitting on the sidelines is no longer an option. According to Edelman's Earned Brand Study, 65% of global respondents won't buy from a brand if it stays silent on an issue they feel it has an obligation to address.
Wealth Care
In 2020, it's less about marketing to consumers and more about mattering to people. For Localvists, price discounts and bundles don't add value – the company's values do.
says the future of corporate care is less about team-building activities (charity walks, runs and bike-a-thons) and more focused on "harnessing the professional skills and abilities of employees to help these non-profits and [their] partners improve their capacity and ability to make change.”
ExamplesSlated to open in 2020, Amazon's new corporate headquarters includes a homeless shelter that will house 220 people and their pets full time. Levi's Music Project is establishing community centres in the UK and US to provide music education and resources for at-risk youth.
Lidl is planning to lead the development of more than 3,000 homes and a primary school in the discount supermarket’s latest tactic to secure planning permission for a flurry of new stores around London.
And another one from Patagonia (they are really committed to the Localvists!), Patagonia has launched Patagonia Action Works, in February a microsite intended to facilitate interactions between like-minded activists. Users can select their location and the causes they care about, including biodiversity, climate, communities, land and water. The website then generates a list of relevant organizations divided by grantees that have received support from the brand, related events nearby and skilled-volunteering and petition opportunities. The platform also enables organizations themselves to apply for grants. It’s stress free localivsm and this is another key priority.
This constant drive for perfection is driving an emerging consumer backlash. It’s no longer how can I be perfect but more how can I be me?
Meet the Imperfectionists, a growing global cohort who are focused on self-awareness sans the New Age mindfulness. It's less self-care and more self-aware.
Keep in mind, Imperfectionists aren't angry – quite the opposite. They're using subversive humour, irony and self-deprecation to admit their flaws and embrace their failures. Sound familiar?
It’s very close to the The Gen X mindset.
Regardless of age, the Imperfectionists are adopting some standard Gen X behaviours: cynical, individualistic, entrepreneurial.
"As they became sexually active, AIDS appeared on the scene. As they graduated college, the 1987 stock market crash swallowed the job market. Then, the dot-com bubble burst in the mid-1990s, and the jobs Gen X-ers had tried to create for themselves evaporated like smoke," says researcher Gerlinda Grimes.
Despite the slacker stereotypes, Gen X simply put their heads down and kept going. More importantly, X-ers didn't complain about systems they didn't like – they changed them. This is a fundamental belief for the Imperfectionists.
How do companies engage with a cohort that craves less anxiety and appreciates a bit of dark humour? Streamline the retail experience and play with sarcasm.
Seamless psychographic servicesServices that target micro-consumer segments will gain market share in 2020, particularly those attracting decision-averse and time-strapped shoppers.
WATCH NOW, BUY NOW: MARKETS WILL ADOPT THE LIVE STREAMING SHOPPING MODEL WITH SUPPORT OF A 5G NETWORK. This is particularly key for Gen-Z who are livestreaming every aspect of their lives.
And Imperfect Ads, where companies are embracing unattainable standards with dark and subversive humour. A much needed reprise from the same visual targets
Banning and labelling perfection
In recent years, there has been a rise in unfiltered campaigns, as more people demanded realistic imagery. While we are making strides to embrace imperfection, some companies are still selling perfection. However, soon they may not have a choice.
Aiming to combat unrealistic body images and eating disorders, France passed a law in 2017 where all commercial photos that have been digitally retouched must be labelled. Israel banned photoshopped images in 2012 and New Zealand is currently considering a similar ban.
A few companies are starting to back the law, either banning photoshopped imagery altogether or adding a warning label.
In accordance with the 2017 France law, Getty Images decided to ban photoshopped images where the body is made smaller or skinnier in all of their global markets.
By 2020 all CVS imagery that hasn't been significantly retouched will be labelled with a "CVS Beauty Mark”. (image on the right is the CVS beauty mark)
The debate around digitally altered images is on-going but companies will need to think about how this impacts their own marketing and collateral. Will 2020 be the decade that beauty standards are redefined?
The first reaction to selective apathy may be utter confusion. Isn't apathy what got us into this mess? People not caring enough or being disinterested? Selective apathy is different and is key to living a better life through a balanced mental state of mind.
Care and compassion are wonderful human emotions. But what happens when we care too much? When do passions become obsessions? This leads to anxiety. The gnawing mental agony of "I can't do enough" means we often don't do anything.
Selective apathy is focusing in on things people can control and dedicating one's full mental and physical energy to it.
LifeHack researchers suggest people need to look at their ability to care and be joyful about the things in their lives as slices of a total pie, and then measure how much time you invest versus the outcome.
Words like “purpose”, “meaning”, and “reason” often get trotted out here. The simple truth that connects those three words is a sense of focus, of direction, of finding your way. And focus certainly doesn’t mean “everything” – like using apathy skilfully, even artfully, it means picking something specific to target. By focusing our caring efforts, we will yield better results, thus driving down levels of anxiety and upping productivity.
Selective apathy also means being able to accept imperfections.
The strive for perfectionism is on the rise and is driving rising anxiety levels, according to a 2016 study by the University of Bath and York St John University. The survey also found that Gen X and Boomers are more accepting of imperfection, while Millennials are obsessed with perfectionism.
The study reveals that "Millennials are 33% more likely to believe their environment demands perfection ('socially prescribed' perfectionism); 16% more likely to expect perfection from others ('other-oriented' perfectionism); and 10% more likely to harbour an irrational desire to be perfect themselves."
Apathetic subculturesA number of subcultures are emerging that embrace the joy of imperfection and even laziness.
Kalsarikännit, directly translated, means “getting drunk in your underwear" and is a growing social movement in Finland.
In China, urban youth are embracing the "sang movement", named after a Chinese character associated with the word "funeral". Internet celebrities, music, mobile games and TV shows are using sang references to permeate youth culture, and in Beijing the Sung Tea shop sells teas with names such as Achieved Absolutely Nothing black tea.
India's Wallflower Girls community celebrates all the dirty and cringeworthy aspects of being a twenty-something woman. Cartoons with hairy legs, unplucked eyebrows and regular bodies sit alongside phrases such as "It's only 3pm. No you can't take out the wine", and "Don't let the existential dread set in".
Image on the right says, “I don’t want to lean in, I just need to lie down.
Imperfect adsBrands such as Glossier and Diesel celebrate physical imperfections, but we're seeing a switch to embracing failure with dark and subversive humour. A much needed reprise from the same visual targets.
Case studiesOkCupid's latest campaign plays on the slang acronym DTF (Down to F**k) by using slogans such as "Down to four twenty" and "Down to fight about the President".
Stock footage company Dissolve and creative group And/Or Studio took tone-deaf advertisers to task with the commercial parody "This Is a Generic Millennial Ad".
Let’s take a look at the video:
While we expect technology companies to be more ethical and responsible, we can't skirt our responsibilities towards managing our tech reliance. Like it or not, there's no turning back from our co-dependent relationship with technology.
This isn't a new phenomenon – from cavemen making hunting tools to the dawn of the industrial revolution, technology has advanced our species. Unlike the previous technological eras, the current speed of innovation makes many feel that the machines have gained control.
There is truth in this fear – rising levels of smartphone addiction, a decline in social skills and our reliance on GPS (a 2016 study found that 67% of 18 to 44-year-olds can't read a printed map) shows we're OK swapping control for convenience.
Enter the Augmentalists, a cohort that embraces tech advancement but demands it optimises, not consumes, their lives.
Techno optimism
Not everyone is running from the robots
Turns out, people are broadly optimistic about machine learning if it enhances their daily lives. A 2017 Harvard Business Review survey which polled people in the US, Canada, the UK, China and Brazil, found that 52% of respondents believe AI will have a positive impact, and 82% reported that their recent interactions with AI had been positive.I nterestingly, 92% surveyed acknowledged that AI will arrive eventually, indicating a mindset shift of "if you can't beat them, conjoin them”.
And that may be the way forward. NEXT SLIDE
NEXT GENERATION INTERFACES: EXPERIENCES AROUND PRODUCTS THAT STAY ON THE FOREFRONT OF INNOVATION
THE IMMERSIVE ECONOMY: ON-DEMAND BRAND IMMERSION WILL ELEVATE EDUCATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCES
VISUAL AND VOICE SEARCH: SEARCH OPTIMISATION WILL PAIR VOICE ENABLED SEARCH WITH VISUAL DISPLAY
Next Generation InterfacesWanting seamless connectivity with technology, this group leans towards companies and products that stay on the forefront of innovation.
In addition to voice technology, the next big movements for mobile UX are gestures and how brands can integrate these actions (a shake, swivel, tilt or swipe) as part of the user interface to create richer experiences and, more simply, to trigger contextual actions that foster usability and retention.
One-touch screen mechanics will evolve to in-air gesturing. Users will be able to virtually swipe, pinch and zoom without touching the phone. Sci-fi fantasy aside, this user interface is already on its way to market. Two of Apple’s new suppliers are Lumentum and Finistar, both 3D-sensing companies that will likely be paired with Apple’s AR to create in-air controls.
Automotive is also pushing next-gen interfaces. Nissan's B2V prototype interprets signals from the driver’s brain via a headset that helps to anticipates their moves, like turning or braking.
"When most people think about autonomous driving, they have a very impersonal vision of the future, where humans relinquish control to the machines," says Daniele Schillac, Nissan’s executive vice president. "Yet B2V technology does the opposite, by using signals from their own brain to make the drive even more exciting and enjoyable.”
Despite poor showings by Google Glass and Snapchat, augmented glasses remain a technology investment point.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said the end-goal for AR is lightweight glasses that display virtual objects in the real world. The company has filed a patent for “waveguide display with two-dimensional scanners” with Facebook’s virtual reality subsidiary, Oculus. Michael Abrash, chief scientist of Oculus, says that AR glasses "won't start replacing smartphones until as early as 2022" but early adoption will be in place by 2020.
Apple is quietly entering the market too, partnering with Quanta to manufacture lenses for AR-enabled smart glasses.
The immersive economyEnough about the experience economy. By 2020, next generation interfaces will allow for on-demand brand immersion with an educational or entertainment experience.
Examples
At the 2018 Detroit Auto Show, Honda partnered with HoloLens to demo its new cars. When inside the vehicle, virtual arrows highlight customisable options on the "infotainment centre" (the dashboard) and interior accessories.
Live sports events are banking on AR/VR experiences to gain more fans and increase the advertiser spend. In the US, Major League Baseball has partnered with Intel to broadcast live games in VR. The NFL and UEFA Champions League are trialling VR, with both citing high levels of engagement.
The live events game changer? Intel is teaming up with the International Olympic Committee to show off 5G wireless, immersive VR and AR viewing, and AI reporters at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Visual and voice searchThe next area for search optimisation pairs voice enabled search with visual display. Accurate keywords and tagging are crucial moving forward. Sales of voice assistants rose by 104% during the fourth quarter of 2017, according to an Adobe Consumer Electronics Report, with over half of the people who own a voice assistant using it at least once a day.
Shop you’re world.
One we are looking at is Vuzix: Launched in 2018, Vuzix's first Alexa-enabled smart glasses enable wearers to ask Alexa questions, with results displayed onscreen. A search question for a little black dress will yield choices based on the wearer's shopping history.
• The 5G network will create seamless connectivity and drive record m-commerce sales. Companies need to factor in speed (fast-loading pages are a must) and payment optimisation (one-click ordering) to compete in 2020.
• New ethnic and racial majorities are key growth areas. There are considerable white space opportunities around event-based design and drops (Quinceañera, the two Eids and Ramadan), but be aware of disruptive local brands that will emerge behind these opportunities, as they will threaten market share.
• It's less about marketing to consumers and more about mattering to people. How companies embed their values into the value chain will be the difference between growth and stagnation in 2020.
• 5G will drive mass adoption for AR/VR experiences and impact the future of advertising. Marketers need to consider how their collateral will live on multi-platforms (mobile, desktop) and surfaces (smart glasses, VR screens).
• Next-generation interfaces will drive new points of sale. Companies need to have a focused approach towards tech innovation to fully harness market penetration. From in-air gesturing to voice and visual search, what will your company go all in for to win market share in 2020?
• As the experience economy becomes more saturated, people want deeper connections with brands. From Watch Now, Buy Now to the rise of flash-markets, your company needs to create meaningful moments to drive awareness and create sales.
• Psychographic services targeting micro-consumer segments will result in higher penetration rates. From busy urban mums to Millennial road warriors – determine the underserved market opportunities and design services and products accordingly.
• Think big. Plan ahead. Contact WGSN Advisory for ways to set these strategies in motion.
Look, these are uncertain times, which are changing the way we operate as humans
As companies embrace the future it is important to to realize that our customers know that the use of their data does is commodifying them
So the transaction has to be giving them something back that matters and that has meaning.
Its about Being MEANINGFUL OR BEING LEFT BEHIND – IT’S THE MEANING ECONOMY.