The document discusses the relationship between consumer behaviors and emerging trends driven by technology and connectedness. It emphasizes the desire for brands to be trustworthy, ethical, and community-oriented, while encouraging the use of innovative tech and tools to enhance customer experience. The text suggests a shift towards valuing local businesses and the importance of adapting to consumer needs through strategic engagement and ongoing research into trends.

1. Looking forward while grounded in research.
@cloudspark

2. EX:FR

3. Tools and technologies enable and amplify trends.
People and their behaviors create trends.

5. Our behaviors, experiences, expectations, and perceptions
are all influenced by our online connectedness.

6. It’s gone so horribly wrong. X

7. Stop Saying,“Bae.”

8. Taking the difficult path to improve both individual lives, or
the community, or the wider world.
1

9. Startup bring together
causes and Instagram
photographers for content
creation and campaigns.
image source: gramming for good

10. These Mophie pups rescued
mobile-users with low
batteries at SXSW this year.
image source: mophie

11. Hosted by a cancer
awareness group, Shadow
Wi-Fi, installed on a beach
in Peru, will deliver Wi-Fi
access only to beach-goers
out of the sun's rays.
image source: psfk

12. The accelerated curve of consumer-driven expectations –
rising quality, positive impact, and personal expression.
2

13. Manage them? You control
so little of them.
image source: psfk

14. THEIR EXPECTATIONS DO NOT

15. Forget history and heritage, consumers expect newer
brands to be more trustworthy, ethical, and simply better
than established brands.
3

16. A newer brand that still finds
ways to keep their cause
top-of-mind and their efforts
aligned.
image source: toms

17. A desire to support local artisans, makers, and businesses. 4

18. With the pervasiveness of
“corporations who try too
hard” there’s been a renewal
of interest in local makers.
image source: source tonic

19. Exclusivity forces consumers to actively prove their worth.
5

20. A button that automatically
switches on the TV, launches
Netflix, silences the phones,
dims the lights and can even
order takeout.
A risk, but also a reward.
image source: netflix

21. How do you bring
exclusivity to digital free-
for-alls?
image source: 1930bar

22. Flaunt your internal company culture.
6

23. Contrary to the industry
norm, what part of your
internal culture would you
put in a release or on a
billboard?
image source: rei

24. Showing value in shocking new ways for radical new appreciation of what
you have to offer.
7

25. Reframe your product or
service as something else
altogether in order to offer a
perspective shift on the
value you bring.
image source: dutch aids foundation

26. Artificial intelligence? All your customers want is intelligence that benefits
them.
8

27. For all my shoppers,
Paribus.
How can you use open-
source AI to meet a
customer need?
Open-sourced machine
learning libraries :
IBM Watson
Google
Facebook
image source: trendwatching

28. Predicting delays for
customers hours in
advance? That’s beneficial.
image source: trendwatching

29. Is it real or is it scripted?
9

30. Go beyond the app to
immersive experiences.
Tools:
Google Cardboard
Oculus Rift
Microsoft HoloLens
image source: google.com/cardboard

31. Time to bring tech to the
table.
Tool:
VideoBlocs

32. Like reality, but with less
commitment and more
exciting.
image source: crayola, yelp, google play

33. What if we blend our digital
world and work with our
physical space?
Tools:
Blippar
Layar
Zappar
Aurasma

34. You don’t have to be everywhere. Be where your customer has needs or
wants you can meet.
10

35. Right place, right time, and
super easy.

36. This all sounds great, but I have a budget and realities.

37. Designate team members to investigate emerging tech and
tactics on an on-going basis.

38. Don’t look through the lens of technology, look through the
lens of people’s behaviors.

39. Remain committed to the customer, always. Look for
different ways to delight, engage, excite, and help meet a
need or a want.

40. Use events to start or continue a conversation.

41. Layer in new trends, technologies, tools instead of being
enchanted by “shiny new objects.”

42. EX:FR

43.  Read (or subscribe to feeds from):
 PSFK
 Springwise
 Trendwatching
 Accenture Digital
 IBM
 Georgia Tech Research Center
 MIT Media Lab
 AdWeek
 And your industry-specific blogs that feature trend info

44. Jenny-Rebecca Schmitt
@cloudspark
jschmitt@cloudspark.com