Original Medicare Parts A and B cover most, but not all, health supplies and services. For this reason, you may need to consider a Medicare supplement plan. Unlike Medicare, Medicare’s supplemental plans are provided by private insurance companies. Medigap covers the payment of a portion of the medical and hospital costs not covered by Original Medicare, such as co-insurance, co-payment and annual deductibles.
The Sound explores the perceived fringes of culture to illuminate how emerging ways of being are shaping mass culture and changing the human condition.
FRINGESTREAM is a new way of thinking about mass behaviours and values.
FRINGESTREAM is when fragmentation becomes the new normal.
Mainstream culture used to represent the majority story..
In the pre-digital and pre- globalized world, mass culture dominated with fringe cultures existing only on the, er, fringes...often in direct opposition to mainstream values and behaviors.
Now things have changed. Living in a globalized and digital age, mass culture is now heavily inflluenced and shaped by fringe behaviors and ways of being.
FringeStream is the new Mainstream

Teen culture, the model created in the 1950s and evolved thereafter, looks set for paradigm change in the decades ahead. Young people are connecting with culture - also hitting puberty - at an earlier age. And once teen-specific behaviours and need-states now linger resiliently across older generations.
This could have a major impact on how self-identity is arrived at, and in turn what people want from brands. Given that the marketing communications industry has long been fixated on youth, leveraging teenage tropes and typologies to commercial advantage, the relevance for creative and strategy could be significant.
In this Crowd DNA cultural forecasting report, we explore what's driving the changes and fundamentally shifting teen culture as we know it today and have done for the last 70+ years.
We hope you find this work both useful and thought-provoking. We'd be happy to discuss it further...
Andy Crysell, group managing director (London, Amsterdam, New York)
Original Medicare Parts A and B cover most, but not all, health supplies and services. For this reason, you may need to consider a Medicare supplement plan. Unlike Medicare, Medicare’s supplemental plans are provided by private insurance companies. Medigap covers the payment of a portion of the medical and hospital costs not covered by Original Medicare, such as co-insurance, co-payment and annual deductibles.
The Sound explores the perceived fringes of culture to illuminate how emerging ways of being are shaping mass culture and changing the human condition.
FRINGESTREAM is a new way of thinking about mass behaviours and values.
FRINGESTREAM is when fragmentation becomes the new normal.
Mainstream culture used to represent the majority story..
In the pre-digital and pre- globalized world, mass culture dominated with fringe cultures existing only on the, er, fringes...often in direct opposition to mainstream values and behaviors.
Now things have changed. Living in a globalized and digital age, mass culture is now heavily inflluenced and shaped by fringe behaviors and ways of being.
FringeStream is the new Mainstream

Teen culture, the model created in the 1950s and evolved thereafter, looks set for paradigm change in the decades ahead. Young people are connecting with culture - also hitting puberty - at an earlier age. And once teen-specific behaviours and need-states now linger resiliently across older generations.
This could have a major impact on how self-identity is arrived at, and in turn what people want from brands. Given that the marketing communications industry has long been fixated on youth, leveraging teenage tropes and typologies to commercial advantage, the relevance for creative and strategy could be significant.
In this Crowd DNA cultural forecasting report, we explore what's driving the changes and fundamentally shifting teen culture as we know it today and have done for the last 70+ years.
We hope you find this work both useful and thought-provoking. We'd be happy to discuss it further...
Andy Crysell, group managing director (London, Amsterdam, New York)
Masculinity was more clearly defined when “men were men,” as the phrase goes. Today, as gender conventions blur, men are formulating more nuanced ideas of what it means to be a man. The household in particular is becoming more gender-neutral as men both embrace a more active role and get pushed into it out of necessity.
“The State of Men” examines shifts in male roles, behavior, attitudes and mindsets, focusing on how masculinity is being redefined circa 2013, how men’s role in the home is changing and how men are navigating the new gender order.
The report is the result of quantitative, qualitative and desk research conducted by JWTIntelligence throughout the year. For this report, we surveyed 1,000 adults aged 18-plus in the U.S. and the U.K. from April 29-May 2, 2013 using SONAR™, JWT’s proprietary online panel. The report also includes input from experts and influencers in male trends and JWT’s Planning Foresight group in London, as well as JWT planners around the globe, including Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Australia, Spain, Poland, Japan and Thailand.
Go to JWTIntelligence.com/trendletters to see the full report, with recommendations for brands and additional data.
Brazil’s generation Z has been shaped by the country's spectacular economic rise in recent years, as well as its persistent social inequality. The latest report from the Innovation Group at J. Walter Thompson Intelligence covers emerging trends across technology, media, retail, beauty and more for this generation that represents more than $35 billion in annual spending power and almost 17% of the population in Brazil, one of the world’s most important emerging markets. For the full report, visit www.jwtintelligence.com
You've no doubt heard about Millennials (also known as Generation Y, born after 1980) for years now. ... Born after 1995, members of the emerging Gen Z are expected to become the dominant business influencers of tomorrow
Tired of hearing "Millennials have been decoded, debunked, everything you need to hear" then "everything you've heard is wrong"... This isn't that at all. See why we think this generation deserves more than a few statistics and bold claims to tell their story. There’s a lot contradictory info on this generation, but that’s because they’re full of contradictions themselves.
It’s time for a move to the Middleburbs, where we take refuge in content safe havens and our brand expectations are continuously rising. And with a new generation of tech-obsessed consumers entering adulthood, today’s cultural landscape is changing and creating new opportunities for marketers. Mindshare North America's latest Culture Vulture Trends report is here, unveiling the latest consumer shifts and cultural trends forecast to grow over the next year.
After the success of our first Ipsos Flair in Brazil, made possible thanks to the great reception of our clients and the commitment of our teams, we are pleased to present the second edition. The scenario has significantly changed within a year, and some of the expected promises were delayed. The most commonly heard ‘when’ words are: recession, protests and disenchantment.
Nevertheless, Ipsos is not here to whine. On the contrary, it is in turbulent waters like these that navigation requires more command; because it opens a safe way.
We invite you to discover our perspective and our outlook for Brazil in 2016. Email consulting.bc@ipsos.com
The notion of family is rapidly evolving, but many brands aren’t yet portraying the new reality of today’s families or fully speaking to their needs. Marriage is no longer a given in many parts of the world, nor are children; at the same time, gay couples are embracing these milestones as attitudes and laws change. Meanwhile, as people live longer, more are forming new families in later decades, and households are expanding to include multiple generations. On the other end of the spectrum, more people are living in households of one, forming families out of friends or even treating pets as family. This report spotlights what’s driving these trends, supporting data and examples of how marketers are responding.
Over the past 10 years men have been portrayed as idiotic, coddled, domestically challenged buffoons, never to be trusted (especially with their own children). However, considering recent reports and failed brand efforts targeting contemporary men ... we thought we'd take a closer look. Check out our latest contextual piece exploring contemporary masculinity.
Generational cohorts in India are never homogenous. In such a complex and diverse country, there are clear distinctions in the context and attitudes of urban, “small-town” and rural groups, even from the same generation, and understanding that is a story unto itself. However, understanding the attitudes and aspirations of the urban young is a great starting point, as these eventually find reflection in the larger groups throughout the rest of India.
India’s urban young aren’t the same as their western counterparts. Yes, living in an increasingly globalised world engages them in similar debates about geopolitics, draws them towards the same content and even leads them towards the same social and environmental causes. But that’s only scratching the surface.
To truly understand this generation, we must understand the context they come from….
Welcome back to The Generation Edge series, our monthly magazine exploring the identity, values, and lifestyle of the post millennial generation. People born after about 1995, the eldest of which are 19 now. We call them Generation Edge.
In this edition we explore Gen Edge's rebellious attitude. This is a generation that fully intends to speak out and shake things up. But it's not rebellion as we know it - Gen Edge has redefined it...
Union of Humans: The Future of the Millennial Generation in the Age of Automa...Ogilvy
It’s not always fun or easy to understand an automating, fissuring, hyper-globalizing economy. It’s not always comfortable to consider that decades-old safe and sage advice (“Go to college!”) might become totally obsolete—if we don’t move quickly to curtail the privatization of our primary schools, and/or colleges fail to modernize their offerings.
However with great crisis comes great opportunity, and Millennials are well-equipped to handle the mammoth issues before them. They are, after all, the most educated, most connected generation in American history.
So why the emphasis on…unions? Well, we really need them, and Millennials happen to love them. But the automation era will require its own union, of sorts—what we’re calling a “union of humans.”
Gen X were the slackers, the latchkey kids, the middle children of generations...but a funny thing happened on the way to Gen X at 50. They became the new middle, holding political and purchase power for themselves and their Millennial and Boomer relatives. Ignore them at your peril.
www.reports.sparksandhoney.com
Masculinity was more clearly defined when “men were men,” as the phrase goes. Today, as gender conventions blur, men are formulating more nuanced ideas of what it means to be a man. The household in particular is becoming more gender-neutral as men both embrace a more active role and get pushed into it out of necessity.
“The State of Men” examines shifts in male roles, behavior, attitudes and mindsets, focusing on how masculinity is being redefined circa 2013, how men’s role in the home is changing and how men are navigating the new gender order.
The report is the result of quantitative, qualitative and desk research conducted by JWTIntelligence throughout the year. For this report, we surveyed 1,000 adults aged 18-plus in the U.S. and the U.K. from April 29-May 2, 2013 using SONAR™, JWT’s proprietary online panel. The report also includes input from experts and influencers in male trends and JWT’s Planning Foresight group in London, as well as JWT planners around the globe, including Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Australia, Spain, Poland, Japan and Thailand.
Go to JWTIntelligence.com/trendletters to see the full report, with recommendations for brands and additional data.
Brazil’s generation Z has been shaped by the country's spectacular economic rise in recent years, as well as its persistent social inequality. The latest report from the Innovation Group at J. Walter Thompson Intelligence covers emerging trends across technology, media, retail, beauty and more for this generation that represents more than $35 billion in annual spending power and almost 17% of the population in Brazil, one of the world’s most important emerging markets. For the full report, visit www.jwtintelligence.com
You've no doubt heard about Millennials (also known as Generation Y, born after 1980) for years now. ... Born after 1995, members of the emerging Gen Z are expected to become the dominant business influencers of tomorrow
Tired of hearing "Millennials have been decoded, debunked, everything you need to hear" then "everything you've heard is wrong"... This isn't that at all. See why we think this generation deserves more than a few statistics and bold claims to tell their story. There’s a lot contradictory info on this generation, but that’s because they’re full of contradictions themselves.
It’s time for a move to the Middleburbs, where we take refuge in content safe havens and our brand expectations are continuously rising. And with a new generation of tech-obsessed consumers entering adulthood, today’s cultural landscape is changing and creating new opportunities for marketers. Mindshare North America's latest Culture Vulture Trends report is here, unveiling the latest consumer shifts and cultural trends forecast to grow over the next year.
After the success of our first Ipsos Flair in Brazil, made possible thanks to the great reception of our clients and the commitment of our teams, we are pleased to present the second edition. The scenario has significantly changed within a year, and some of the expected promises were delayed. The most commonly heard ‘when’ words are: recession, protests and disenchantment.
Nevertheless, Ipsos is not here to whine. On the contrary, it is in turbulent waters like these that navigation requires more command; because it opens a safe way.
We invite you to discover our perspective and our outlook for Brazil in 2016. Email consulting.bc@ipsos.com
The notion of family is rapidly evolving, but many brands aren’t yet portraying the new reality of today’s families or fully speaking to their needs. Marriage is no longer a given in many parts of the world, nor are children; at the same time, gay couples are embracing these milestones as attitudes and laws change. Meanwhile, as people live longer, more are forming new families in later decades, and households are expanding to include multiple generations. On the other end of the spectrum, more people are living in households of one, forming families out of friends or even treating pets as family. This report spotlights what’s driving these trends, supporting data and examples of how marketers are responding.
Over the past 10 years men have been portrayed as idiotic, coddled, domestically challenged buffoons, never to be trusted (especially with their own children). However, considering recent reports and failed brand efforts targeting contemporary men ... we thought we'd take a closer look. Check out our latest contextual piece exploring contemporary masculinity.
Generational cohorts in India are never homogenous. In such a complex and diverse country, there are clear distinctions in the context and attitudes of urban, “small-town” and rural groups, even from the same generation, and understanding that is a story unto itself. However, understanding the attitudes and aspirations of the urban young is a great starting point, as these eventually find reflection in the larger groups throughout the rest of India.
India’s urban young aren’t the same as their western counterparts. Yes, living in an increasingly globalised world engages them in similar debates about geopolitics, draws them towards the same content and even leads them towards the same social and environmental causes. But that’s only scratching the surface.
To truly understand this generation, we must understand the context they come from….
Welcome back to The Generation Edge series, our monthly magazine exploring the identity, values, and lifestyle of the post millennial generation. People born after about 1995, the eldest of which are 19 now. We call them Generation Edge.
In this edition we explore Gen Edge's rebellious attitude. This is a generation that fully intends to speak out and shake things up. But it's not rebellion as we know it - Gen Edge has redefined it...
Union of Humans: The Future of the Millennial Generation in the Age of Automa...Ogilvy
It’s not always fun or easy to understand an automating, fissuring, hyper-globalizing economy. It’s not always comfortable to consider that decades-old safe and sage advice (“Go to college!”) might become totally obsolete—if we don’t move quickly to curtail the privatization of our primary schools, and/or colleges fail to modernize their offerings.
However with great crisis comes great opportunity, and Millennials are well-equipped to handle the mammoth issues before them. They are, after all, the most educated, most connected generation in American history.
So why the emphasis on…unions? Well, we really need them, and Millennials happen to love them. But the automation era will require its own union, of sorts—what we’re calling a “union of humans.”
Gen X were the slackers, the latchkey kids, the middle children of generations...but a funny thing happened on the way to Gen X at 50. They became the new middle, holding political and purchase power for themselves and their Millennial and Boomer relatives. Ignore them at your peril.
www.reports.sparksandhoney.com
When Marian Salzman, president of Euro RSCG Worldwide PR, North America, and industry-renowned trendspotter, released her annual list of trends this year, she noted that social media would be a key driver in all of them in 2010. “Companies have begun paying attention to, and actively engaging in, social media,” she said. “As this continues, what began as a campaign strategy for Barack Obama might prove to define next year’s version of total convergence, and a further blending of business roles and responsibilities.” Click on the button below to read her in-depth forecast of these trends and others.
Ecco lo studio di Ipsos Mori "Global Trends 2014". Uno studio sulle tendenze attuali in tema di comportamenti e preferenze dei cittadini e dei consumatori, ma anche un tentativo di capire cosa accadrà in futuro. 16mila interviste, 20 paesi in tutto il mondo. Brand, salute e benessere, società, attivismo politico, comportamenti dei consumatori, annunci pubblicitari e advertising e molto altro.
Womenomic Luxury, Cognitive Technology, New Wave Boomer Beauty—just a few items from our Future 100 list of what’s next in the year ahead.
It’s a wide-ranging compilation that reflects developments surfacing across sectors including technology, retail, food and beverage, travel, sustainability and luxury. The list also includes new types of goods or businesses, new behaviors and ideas with the potential to ladder up to bigger trends.
Change is a constant
Society is transforming. Powerful trends are reshaping businesses, driving new technologies, shifting talent needs, and changing human behaviour. It is crucial for all industries to stay up to date with these changes, and respond accordingly.
We’ve mapped these trends for over 20 years by collaborating with industry leaders across the world. We use the insights to shape our programs, so that our talented students meet market demand. With these reports we are sharing our insights with the world.
This is the second issue of the trend report Changes of Tomorrow. It builds on the first report released in Spring 2015. The focus stays the same with four themes framing the research, and we’ve collaborated to define new trends and update existing ones.
Regardless of your industry, it’s essential to consider the impact of these changes on your work. The “Reflect” sections at the end of each trend will help you do that. You will also find tips, tools, and methods to support you to stay up to date and lead the change.
More than 230 million “millennials” in China—or about 17% of the total population—are undergoing the biggest change of their young lives: becoming adults. Hundreds of millions of young Chinese from the 90s generation are getting older, becoming more mature and shifting their perspectives from self-focused to society-focused.
The Digital Social Contract
The Millennials and generation Z together comprise the most engaged, mobile, and enticing consumers of our time, but brands and agencies have largely misunderstood how these coveted digital natives interact.
We have missed a fundamental truth: There is a new social contract emerging—a digital social contract—that, like Rousseau’s original, has been proposed, ratified, and enforced by those it governs—most especially online video creators and their legions of fans who together stand at the apex of the digital revolution.
In Ogilvy & Mather's latest Red Paper, "The Digital Social Contract", Ogilvy's Jeremy Katz and Robert John Davis join with Alta Sparling and Bing Chen from Victorious to uncover the unspoken social rules governing the digital world and explain to brands how to thrive in it.
It’s time to reject FOMO and embrace Borecore, along with mindfulness apps, myth debunking, and a shift in focus away from Millennials. Mindshare North America's annual Culture Vulture Trends report is here, unveiling the latest consumer shifts and cultural trends forecast to grow over the next year.
The groundswell of peer-to-peer exchanges across mobile and social platforms empowers people everywhere and anywhere to produce and share with as much authority as they are able to consume and buy. This presentation was developed to explain our SxSW panel entitled: Digital Anarchy: the "bitcoin" effect.
Bitcoin is not only giving banks a run for their money, it threatens to disrupt the centralized power of all sorts of business, political and social infrastructures. Most importantly, bitcoin enables a true "peer economy." This interactive panel discussion will explain how bitcoin is fast becoming a catalyst for change and how the blockchain has the power to uproot a number of our most recognizable dot coms. “The peer economy is inevitable, because humans cannot survive unless we significantly increase what we share as equals.”
For too many years marketing and sales have operated in silos...while in some forward thinking companies, the two organizations work together to drive new opportunity development and revenue. This session will explore the lessons learned in that beautiful dance that can occur when marketing and sales work together...to drive new opportunity development, account expansion and customer satisfaction.
No, this is not a conversation about MQLs and SQLs. Instead we will focus on a framework that allows the two organizations to drive company success together.
It's another new era of digital and marketers are faced with making big bets on their digital strategy. If you are looking at modernizing your tech stack to support your digital evolution, there are a few can't miss (often overlooked) areas that should be part of every conversation. We'll cover setting your vision, avoiding siloes, adding a democratized approach to data strategy, localization, creating critical governance requirements and more. Attendees will walk away with actions they can take into initiatives they are running today and consider for the future.
In this presentation, Danny Leibrandt explains the impact of AI on SEO and what Google has been doing about it. Learn how to take your SEO game to the next level and win over Google with his new strategy anyone can use. Get actionable steps to rank your name, your business, and your clients on Google - the right way.
Key Takeaways:
1. Real content is king
2. Find ways to show EEAT
3. Repurpose across all platforms
SEO as the Backbone of Digital MarketingFelipe Bazon
In this talk Felipe Bazon will share how him and his team at Hedgehog Digital share our journey of making C-Levels alike, specially CMOS realize that SEO is the backbone of digital marketing by showing how SEO can contribute to brand awareness, reputation and authority and above all how to use SEO to create more robust global marketing strategies.
The digital marketing industry is changing faster than ever and those who don’t adapt with the times are losing market share. Where should marketers be focusing their efforts? What strategies are the experts seeing get the best results? Get up-to-speed with the latest industry insights, trends and predictions for the future in this panel discussion with some leading digital marketing experts.
10 Video Ideas Any Business Can Make RIGHT NOW!
You'll never draw a blank again on what kind of video to make for your business. Go beyond the basic categories and truly reimagine a brand new advanced way to brainstorm video content creation. During this masterclass you'll be challenged to think creatively and outside of the box and view your videos through lenses you may have never thought of previously. It's guaranteed that you'll leave with more than 10 video ideas, but I like to under-promise and over-deliver. Don't miss this session.
Key Takeaways:
How to use the Video Matrix
How to use additional "Lenses"
Where to source original video ideas
AI-Powered Personalization: Principles, Use Cases, and Its Impact on CROVWO
In today’s era of AI, personalization is more than just a trend—it’s a fundamental strategy that unlocks numerous opportunities.
When done effectively, personalization builds trust, loyalty, and satisfaction among your users—key factors for business success. However, relying solely on AI capabilities isn’t enough. You need to anchor your approach in solid principles, understand your users’ context, and master the art of persuasion.
Join us as Sarjak Patel and Naitry Saggu from 3rd Eye Consulting unveil a transformative framework. This approach seamlessly integrates your unique context, consumer insights, and conversion goals, paving the way for unparalleled success in personalization.
First Things First: Building and Effective Marketing Strategy
Too many companies (and marketers) jump straight into activation planning without formalizing a marketing strategy. It may seem tedious, but analyzing the mindset of your targeted audiences and identifying the messaging points most likely to resonate with them is time well spent. That process is also a great opportunity for marketers to collaborate with sales leaders and account managers on a galvanized go-to-market approach. I’ll walk you through the methods and tools we use with our clients to ensure campaign success.
Key Takeaways:
-Recognize the critical role of strategy in marketing
-Learn our approach for building an actionable, effective marketing strategy
-Receive templates and guides for developing a marketing strategy
[Google March 2024 Update] How To Thrive: Content, Link Building & SEOSearch Engine Journal
March 2024 disrupted the SEO industry. Websites were deindexed, and manual penalties were delivered—all to produce more helpful, more trustworthy search results.
How did your website fare?
Watch us as we delve into the seismic shifts brought about by Google's March 2024 updates and explore strategies to not just survive, but thrive in this dynamic digital landscape.
You’ll learn:
- How to create content that is valuable to users (not just search engines) using E-E-A-T.
- How to build links that can boost rankings and withstand algorithm updates.
- Best practices for content creation and link building so you can thrive during algorithm updates.
With Vince Ramos, we'll examine the implications of the latest algorithm changes on content creation, link building, and SEO practices, and offer actionable insights from businesses like yours that have remained steadfast amidst the volatility.
Using real-life case studies, we’ll also show you the effectiveness of manual link building techniques and person-first content strategies.
Whether you're a seasoned SEO professional, a budding content creator, or anyone in between, this webinar will help you weather the changes in Google's algorithms and capitalize on them for sustained success.
Check out this webinar and unlock the secrets to thriving in the new Google era.
5 big bets to drive growth in 2024 without one additional marketing dollar AND how to adapt to the biggest shifting eCommerce trend- AI.
1) Romance Your Customers - Retention
2) ‘Alternative’ Lead Gen - Advocacy
3) The Beautiful Basics - Conversion Rate Optimization
4) Land that Bottom Line - Profitability
5) Roll the Dice - New Business Models
Influencer marketing isn't just for big brands or consumer products anymore. In 2024, marketers face hurdles like escalating paid channel costs, diminishing organic reach, and building trust in their ideal customer accounts. This session offers practical ways to bring influencer marketing into your organization, to provide cost-effective access to niche audiences, countering budget constraints and rising CPMs. We'll discuss the impact of social algorithms on reach, the trust deficit in traditional advertising and how influencer partnerships offer genuine connections with audiences. Attendees will gain actionable insights to integrate influencer marketing into their strategies, leveraging influencers for impactful campaigns in both B2B and B2C environments. Join us to unlock the potential of influencers in navigating the evolving marketing landscape of 2024 and driving meaningful business growth.
Key Takeaways:
- Educate on the various types of influence we can use as marketers
- Establish the problems that make influencers a priority
- Walk through some practical tactics on HOW to run a program leveraging several of these influence channels
When most people in the industry talk about online or digital reputation management, what they're really saying is Google search and PPC. And it's usually reactive, left dealing with the aftermath of negative information published somewhere online. That's outdated. It leaves executives, organizations and other high-profile individuals at a high risk of a digital reputation attack that spans channels and tactics. But the tools needed to safeguard against an attack are more cybersecurity-oriented than most marketing and communications professionals can manage. Business leaders Leaders grasp the importance; 83% of executives place reputation in their top five areas of risk, yet only 23% are confident in their ability to address it. To succeed in 2024 and beyond, you need to turn online reputation on its axis and think like an attacker.
Key Takeaways:
- New framework for examining and safeguarding an online reputation
- Tools and techniques to keep you a step ahead
- Practical examples that demonstrate when to act, how to act and how to recover
Come learn how YOU can Animate and Illuminate the World with Generative AI's Explosive Power. Come sit in the driver's seat and learn to harness this great technology.
2. We almost didn’t bother issuing trends for 2014 when
every Tom, Dick and Harry—and Jane, Megan and
Martha—have anointed themselves trendspotters.
And maybe they should, since 2013 is what we’re
calling the Year of the Everyday Trendspotter.
As with cooking, today’s short-order trend observer and
fabricator has more or less replaced the master chef in serving up
bits and bytes of observations about the next. Mommy bloggers
know the parenting horizon, hipsters know the urban landscape,
fashionistas design the blend of black meets blue.
With smart search and up-to-the-second updates, anyone with a
deep interest and a keen eye in their chosen field can gather the
latest, interpret what’s happening and talk trends. Not everyone
who pitches in will hit the jackpot, but the law of averages says
that the new wave of trendspotters will yield some real talent.
Is trendspotting knowing, or just seeing right around the corner?
Who knows. (And does knowing even matter in the age of instant
answers and real-time gratification?)
With all that, what we do know is that this might well be the
last year for an annual roundup. So here goes for what’s on the
horizon.
2
4. TINKERING AND
EXPERIMENTATION
—THE ÜBERTREND
IN A WORLD THAT’S
DYSFUNCTIONAL,
STUCK OR BROKEN
The world has perhaps become too complex and too fast-moving
for complicated top-down solutions to work in government,
corporations or big organizations. Fortunately, other approaches
are emerging. If geeks have taught us anything, it’s that innovation
and solutions come from a whole lot of people tinkering with existing
technology and seeing what they can come up with.
The old and much maligned notion of computer hacking has
morphed into more benign forms of tinkering such as Lifehacker
and HackingWork. This spirit of hacking is the übertrend of our
times as people struggle to deal with a whole stack of problems:
economic woes, political polarization, gridlock social problems and
environmental crises. Whatever the problem, you can be sure that
somewhere out there, some smart people will be tinkering quietly
with it or boldly challenging the status quo.
4
5. GUILT MONEY DOES GOOD—
LOTS OF GOOD—
THROUGH NEW AND INNOVATIVE
PUBLIC-PRIVATE
PARTNERSHIPS
2
5
6. GUILT MONEY DOES GOOD—
LOTS OF GOOD—
THROUGH NEW AND INNOVATIVE
PUBLIC-PRIVATE
PARTNERSHIPS
Fewer and fewer ills and issues will be solved by decrees that
are more driven by ideology than based on practical experience.
Fortunately, the rise of the collaborative society means that
personal monies will be channeled into state schools, city parks
and even federal highways, if that is what it takes to restore our
peace of mind or some semblance of a competitive quality of life.
Some of that money will be motivated by guilt (being part of the
1 percent can be pretty uncomfortable), some will carry the stamp
of ego, some will demonstrate donors’ political principles and some
will flow from good old public spiritedness. But who cares, as long
as the money moves and things start to happen? Some will work,
some won’t. Right now, there are no hard-and-fast rules and no
surefire formulas. Time will tell.
6
7. TO BREAK UP,
OR NOT TO BREAK UP:
THAT IS THE QUESTION
—FOR COUNTRIES
AND STATES IN 2014
3
7
8. TO BREAK UP,
OR NOT TO BREAK UP:
THAT IS THE QUESTION
—FOR COUNTRIES
AND STATES IN 2014
Maybe big nation-states are too cumbersome for today’s fastchanging world. Many were patched together by nation-builders who
appealed to people’s common language, culture and interests. Now
hyperconnectivity not only shrinks time and space among countries, but
it also makes people realize the value of their local ties within countries.
It enables small, cohesive states to make a big, global impact without
needing to be big. Think: Nordic countries, Singapore and Hong Kong.
In Europe, Scotland is preparing for a 2014 referendum on leaving the
U.K. and becoming an independent country, and the U.K. Independence
Party is rooting for its country to leave the EU. There are even
suggestions that London become independent from the U.K. In Spain,
Catalonia wants its own referendum to leave Spain. And the States are
looking increasingly less united as talk of secession sweeps the country,
with separatist movements brewing in Texas, Alaska and Vermont.
8
10. OVER-60s
SEEK NEW ROLES
AS THEY RETHINK
THE MEANING OF LIFE
BEYOND MIDDLE AGE
Back before the economic bust, turning 60 meant getting ready
to leave the world of work and easing through the twilight years,
passing the time with easy-on-the-body leisure activities. It was a
time for winter months in warmer places, hobbies, a little travel and
lots of hanging out with the grandchildren. Now longer life spans
and threadbare retirement plans are forcing a big rethink of what
life can be about into the 60s and beyond.
What can over-60s’ working life be about when jobs are in short
supply for young people looking to get a start in work? What can
over-60s contribute to a world where digital savvy is essential and
life happens at warp speed? There are no ready-made answers, but
there’s a huge demographic with every incentive to invent worthwhile
new roles. Watch as the word senior morphs from an embarrassing
arms-length euphemism to a badge of pride and respect.
10
11. WHO’S NEXT AFTER
POPE FRANCIS MOVES AHEAD
WITH REBRANDING
THE WORLD’S OLDEST
ORGANIZATION?
5
11
12. WHO’S NEXT AFTER
POPE FRANCIS MOVES AHEAD
WITH REBRANDING
THE WORLD’S OLDEST
ORGANIZATION?
It’s tempting to wonder whether Pope Francis took a behind-thescenes doctorate in branding and marketing. Less than a year into
his papacy, he has thoroughly refreshed an ancient brand brought
low by scandal. Out of the blue, he personally calls people for a
chat, he tweets and he thinks differently than his predecessors
about a whole range of key issues. The Pope Francis effect has
scored stellar media coverage but no significant uptick in people
identifying as Catholics—yet.
It’s not just in the Vatican that a new style is emerging. In Iran, new
president Hassan Rouhani celebrated his position with an MTVstyle video that’s apparently inspired by Barack Obama’s 2008
“Yes We Can” classic. Like the pope, Rouhani has decided that
having his own Twitter account is a smart way to connect with the
wider world.
12
14. MINTS MAKE THE
RUNNING AS
BRICS DROP
OFF THE PACE
It has been more than a decade since economist Jim O’Neill
flagged the BRIC countries as the world’s hot investment tip. And
sure enough, the market indices of Brazil, Russia, India and China
grew 154 percent between 2004 and 2012 compared with around
28 percent for the S&P 500. But now the BRICs have lost a lot of
their PR shine. It’s touch and go as to whether Brazil will be ready
in time for the 2014 soccer World Cup. Before then, expect Russia
to face controversy in the runup to the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
India’s economic outlook is getting worse, and China’s economy is
looking shaky.
O’Neill is now tipping a new foursome, which he has dubbed MINT
(Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey), with big, young, dynamic
populations and strong economic prospects. Will the MINTs have
what it takes to freshen up a stale world economy?
14
16. THE WORKPLACE
LOOKING MORE
AND MORE LIKE
MILLENNIALS
The next normal? Constant feedback and networking, no negative
phrases, and two steps sideways to take three steps forward will
evolve as social business begins upstaging the business practices
of the last decade. Like them or not, the aspirations, values and
style of millennials are shifting from intern oddities to mainstream
normal in the workplace and marketplace.
Watch Stanford’s d.school replace Harvard’s B School as the gottaget-to, and the Summit Series become more Davos than Davos for
young dealmakers. Move over, boomer. Park your sarcasm, Mr. and
Ms. X. The millennials have risen, and they will reshape the world in
their image.
16
18. TALKING ALTERNATIVES
TO CAPITALISM
AS WE KNOW IT
TO DELIVER JOBS
With aftershocks from the 2007-08 economic earthquake still
rippling around the world, a lot of people are losing faith in the letit-rip free-market capitalism that drove the long boom. Where did
all the money go? Where did all the old jobs go? Where will new
jobs come from? Are long years of economic pain inevitable?
Money woes for the majority and gigabucks for the fortunate few
are fueling a rise in economic populism. In floundering France, the
right-wing firebrand Marine Le Pen’s National Front is denouncing
banks and cross-border capitalism, helping to make it the most
popular party in the country. In the United States, left-of-center
Sen. Elizabeth Warren has become a hot political ticket by going
to bat for the middle class and criticizing big corporations and
financial institutions. It looks like an idea with legs. As behavioral
economist Dan Ariely found, Americans want to live in a much
more equal country, but they just don’t realize it.
18
20. GETTING DOWN
AND DIRTY
WITH PREBIOTICS
AND THE MICROBIOME
There’s usually an eager market for miracle cures, especially if they
don’t involve a whole lot of effort or a major change of lifestyle. As
health foods go, it’s hard to beat the appeal of red wine, coffee and
chocolate—all in moderation, of course. One of the most promising
new approaches to all-around health might take a little longer to
gain traction, though, as it’s about cultivating bugs rather than
zapping them.
Scientists are exploring the health effects of the body’s microbiome—
the billions of bacteria, viruses and fungi that live all over the body,
outside and in. Having the right bugs in the digestive tract plays
a crucial role in health. Encouraging them with prebiotics (that’s
pre-, not pro-) and even fecal transplants is shaping up as a solid
approach to tackling a whole range of health problems including
obesity, allergies and autoimmune conditions.
20
22. FORGET
DUMBING DOWN:
TV IS SMARTING UP
WITH LONG-FORM EPICS
Although the Internet is arguably making attention spans shorter and
Hollywood is doubling down on sugar-rush blockbusters for young
audiences, TV is steering hard in the opposite direction with a growing
body of complex long-form dramas. The recently finished fiveseason epic “Breaking Bad” joins an illustrious roster including “The
Sopranos,” “The Wire,” “Mad Men,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “Homeland”
and dark Nordic thrillers such as “The Killing,” out of Denmark.
So much for instant gratification. It takes a lot of commitment and
concentration to follow complex storylines that unfold over dozens
of episodes delivered weekly over months. For impatient long-form
addicts, on-demand streaming services are taking the waiting out
of watching, delivering back-to-back episodes for binge viewing.
With hundreds of hours of compelling drama accumulating in
box sets, on DVRs and on VOD services, the market for consumer
attention is getting even tougher.
22
24. CARS ARE
GETTING SMARTER,
BUT WALKING
WILL BECOME THE
ULTIMATE LUXURY
Cars are a lot smarter than they used to be, that’s for sure. Engine
management technology makes them more efficient, GPS and sat
nav guide your trip, and proximity sensors help you avoid fender
benders on the way. Pretty soon, cars will be even smarter. Google’s
pioneering driverless cars are facing competition from more
established automotive brands such as Volvo and Mercedes-Benz.
But as smart as cars might become, getting around by that mode
of transportation increasingly seems much less smart than it
used to. Americans spend a lot of time in their cars—as much as
18.5 hours a week, according to one estimate—and an average of
38 hours a year stuck in traffic. That’s a lot of sitting that doesn’t do
much for productivity, let alone improve weight or fitness. Living
within walking distance of stores, restaurants and work will emerge
as an all-around quality-of-life luxury.
24
25. mPOS WILL DO
TO CASH AND CARDS
WHAT ONLINE DID TO
BRICKS AND MORTAR
12
25
26. mPOS WILL DO
TO CASH AND CARDS
WHAT ONLINE DID TO
BRICKS AND MORTAR
It has been almost two decades since the end of cash was seriously
mooted. Since then, the world has moved onto the Internet and
embraced online banking and e-commerce. Toting all that bulky
loose change and an awkward wad of bank notes is sooooo last
century, now that we can carry around a convenient wad of credit
cards and debit cards and store cards, plus a little cash just in case.
On second thought, those stacks of plastic cards are looking pretty
last century, too. Check out the Kenyans. They’ve become world
leaders in using cellphones for most of their financial transactions,
from paying taxi drivers to transferring money. Now other countries
are catching on to the idea of the mobile wallet, or mPOS. Over half
of Americans (51 percent) believe that cash registers are just too
old school. Cellphones are already serving as newspapers, music
players, health trackers and destination finders; it’s a short step to
using them for payments.
26
28. THE YIN OF
VIRTUAL LIVING
DRIVING THE YANG
OF HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES
It’s hard to imagine life without ever-present screens. American
adults now spend an average of just over five hours a day with
digital media devices and more than 4.5 hours with TV. In the U.K.,
it’s estimated that people spend over 11 hours a day on screens.
Whether all that screen time is with TVs or digital devices, that’s a
lot of static time when the hands are doing little more than typing,
touching a screen or wielding a remote.
It’s causing health concerns and driving a desire to engage in
hands-on creative activities. Watch the spread of fabrication
laboratories—“fab labs”—giving inventors, innovators, hackers
and DIYers the tools to put bits and bytes to work in the real world
of atoms.
28
30. ARTISANAL EVERYTHING—
COMBINING SAVOIR FAIRE
WITH ENTREPRENEUR
TO CREATE
JOIE DE VIVRE
Sooner or later, the world gets around to adopting the best of French
words and ideas. Despite popular legend and national stereotypes, the
French do have a word for entrepreneur, which is a French word. Now
the hottest Gallic meme is “artisanal,” which translates as “crafted” but
with a certain je ne sais quoi that only a French concept can have. With
its nuances of small-scale, traditional and patient expertise, it’s perfect for
people who value authenticity and terroir over mass-produced blandness.
There’s infinite scope for artisanal products. Anyone who can’t make the
trip to France can check out Brooklyn, “ground zero of the artisanal-food
universe” with its pickle beer and beef jerky. And anyone who can’t get
to Brooklyn or San Francisco or Omaha or Portland can check out the
possibilities for doing it themselves. Amazon has thousands of books
on everything from baking bread and making cheese and chocolate to
welding, making jewelry and building timber frames. And in case you
were wondering, there’s nothing on artisanal trendspotting—yet.
30
31. @havasprus
200 Madison Ave.
New York, NY 10016
Marian Salzman, CEO
E: marian.salzman@havasww.com
C: +1 646-361-1837
T: @mariansalzman