The document discusses 14 emerging global digital trends for 2014, including: - The need for immediacy in fulfilling consumer demands, with products and services being delivered within minutes. - The growth of microstories and short-form video content suited for mobile consumption. - The need for brands to plan digital strategies accounting for synergy across devices and media channels. - Increased personalization of digital experiences and content to provide more relevant interactions for consumers.

2. INTRODUCTION
Our “Top Global Digital Trends for
2014” is a brief look at what we
believe will be the most relevant
trends to follow over the next 12
months. It includes some new trends
as well as developments on existing
ones we shared in our summary
from 2013.
We hope you find this snapshot
useful and look forward to working
together with you, to make the most
of the opportunities that these trends
may present for your business.
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Your PHD
International Team

3. NEED IT NOW
We have long been in a world
where our consumer demands
are fulfilled with the click of a
button. In 2014, this speed of
service will rise to a new level
and transcend purely digital
products and services.
From clothing to sandwiches and
Example
even dates – new products and
The Kate Spade
window shop in
New York was
open 24 hours and
could deliver goods
purchased through
the touchscreen
within an hour of
ordering.
services are rapidly appearing to
satisfy the need for immediacy.
You can now order a product
online and have it delivered to you
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within minutes.

4. MicroStories
The shift towards rich and
succinct content which satisfies
consumers’ mobile first internet
habits will continue due to the rise
of 4G and readily available Wi-Fi
services.
Visual content in social media
will become more commonplace
as people are looking for ease of
consumption in a free moment or
on the go.
Short form video has taken off
with Twitter launching a 6 second
Example
video service called Vine and
Lowe’s provide
home improvement
tips in 6 second
videos using
Twitter’s Vine
service.
Instagram following with its
own video sharing feature,
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Instagram Video.

5. Digital
Synergy
As smartphone and tablet usage
increase and people move
simultaneously between devices,
the role of media channels needs
to be considered as a part of this
complex eco-system rather than
in isolation.
We are going to see more brands
“planning for synergy” with digital
in 2014 and more innovative
solutions for media channels to
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work together.
Example
A “converged”
billboard and mobile
retargeting capability
is being developed
that allows you to
target people who
have been exposed
to out of home
advertising via
mobile ads.

6. Personalisation
With an increasing wealth of data
available to marketers, digital
is becoming more personal as
consumers seek more relevant
interactions with brands.
Personalisation can help guide
consumers through a vast amount
of content and choices online.
However, it should be used in a
way that provides utility and is not
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seen as intrusive.
Example
Instead of searching
in your Gmail
account or Google
Calendar, soon
you’ll be able to type
into Google.com
queries like “What’s
my flight status?”
or “When will my
package arrive?” to
receive personalised
answers at the
top of the search
result page.

7. Location
Awareness
Applications increasingly use
your smartphone’s GPS activity
to deliver localised content. New
technologies are also emerging to
leverage a consumer’s location in
retail environments.
Twitter is testing a feature that
allows you to see Tweets from
users Tweeting nearby even if
you don’t follow them. Similarly,
Facebook local search lets you
find friends and recommended
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businesses nearby.
Example
Apple and PayPal
are both trialling
a new type of low
energy Bluetooth
technology that
allows for greater
communication
with smartphones
in-store, such as
hands-free social
check-ins, payments
and coupons.

8. Context for
Content
Delivery
The old saying around “content is
king” is changing – although great
content is still vital, balancing
content with an understanding
of context is now seen as the
holy grail.
From a mobile perspective, this
could mean:
• Seeing different apps on your
home screen when you’re at
Example
the office versus at home.
Mobile network
InMobi’s new
SmartAd format
can trigger dynamic
creative based on
location, weather,
custom feeds and
other user behaviour
– it can even tell if
someone is on the
move or stationary.
• Increasing the font size for your
emails when you’re on the
move.
• Prioritising numbers in your
address book based on
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location versus alphabetically.

9. Distribution
The discussion around content
driven advertising has been going
on for years and will continue
to be a priority for marketers.
However, for 2014, distribution
will need to be given equal
consideration to ensure content
is given the best opportunity
to perform.
Example
As Karen Nelson-Field, author
of ‘Viral Marketing: The Science
of Sharing’, states: “It’s all very
well being the best violinist in the
world, but if you are playing in
your bathroom, no one will ever
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hear you.”
A strong distribution
strategy was key
in the Dove Real
Beauty Sketches
campaign which
became the
most viewed
piece of branded
content ever on
YouTube with over
121,000,000 views.

10. Gamification
As a planet we’re spending 7
billion hours a week fuelling our
desire to be engaged with games.
If brands can replicate even a
small slice of that engagement,
then the payback will surely be
substantial.
Example
Adapting the gamification
philosophy to create a meaningful
experience for the consumer
is going to be key. It goes far
beyond just rewarding the user/
customer.
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You can find out more on gamification
in our new book “Game Change”. If
you would like to receive a copy please
contact carine.poot@phdnetwork.com
Source: Game Change and Kuato Studios: Hakitzu Elite
Hakitzu is a game
released last year
that allows you
to control a robot
through a set of
command lines
that simultaneously
teaches you how
to code Javascript.
It was developed
to improve the
learning experience
and teach children
a valuable skill of
being able to code.

11. Seamless
Money
Expect to see payment become
even easier and buzz around
virtual currency continue as
retailers adapt to new ways
of working.
Ecommerce platform Shopify
recently announced a move
to accept digital currency
Bitcoin alongside Reddit
and Virgin Galactic.
Example
Starbucks launched a programme
Coin is a new device
that looks like a
credit card but can
store your payment
information, loyalty
cards and gift cards
in the one device. It
works with existing
systems in store to
mimic the right card
at the right moment.
called Tweet-a-Coffee that lets
you buy a gift card through Twitter.
Xaoimi sold 150k smartphones
via WeChat, a popular messaging
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app in China, in less than 10 mins.
Source: TechInAsia and Coin

12. More Smart
Things
It’s becoming easier and more
affordable to link just about any
object to the internet, which is
driving the continued trend of
“The Internet of Things.”
Cisco believe by 2020 there is
the potential for 50 billion internet
connected devices.
These “Things” are becoming
Example
communication channels. Tapping
Heineken developed
a “smart” beer
bottle that responds
to sound and
movement with
different light
effects to enhance
the experience
while drinking the
beverage in a club
environment.
into them doesn’t necessarily
require a high tech solution
either. Diageo allowed customers
to associate a personal video
message to an individual bottle
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through the product code.

13. 3D Printing
3D printers are getting smaller
and cheaper making them
more obtainable. Although it
will be some time before most
households can afford one, we’re
seeing brands experiment in this
space and applications expand.
Yahoo in Japan created a tool
called “Hands on Search” that
enables children who are blind
to search the web by printing
images of results in 3D e.g. a
model Giraffe when they say
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“Giraffe” into the search engine.
Example
Warner Bros
partnered with
Microsoft to let
fans print props
from the Hobbit
movie. Porsche
shared 3D printer
friendly blueprints
for the 2014 Porsche
Cayman.

14. 7.24
Distance
Wearable
Tech
14800
steps
9.02
1230
Time
calories
When we talk about smart things,
there is a big increase in wearable
technology – especially for fitness
and health applications.
Juniper Research estimates smart
wearable device shipments,
including products like smart
watches and glasses, will near
130 million by 2018.
The opportunity for marketers
will be in the new streams of
data that these devices create.
Take notice of new devices being
released and think about these in
the context of what data could be
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relevant to your business.
Example
Manufacturers,
such as Sony,
Samsung and LG,
are launching new
smart wristbands
alongside more
established players
Nike, Fitbit and
Jawbone. These
types of devices
let you track steps,
distance, calories
and even sleep.

15. Live
Streaming
The vast amount of content
now available on demand
doesn’t mean a shift away
from live content.
This is especially true for gaming.
Twitch, the leading video platform
for gamers, has 45 million visitors
a month. Twitch allows players to
instantly broadcast game play for
others to watch.
Example
When Sony unveiled
PlayStation 4, one
of the new features
announced was the
ability for people to
share live streams of
themselves playing
video games.
Assumptions can be made
about content that will appeal to
audiences, but demand speaks
for itself with manufacturers and
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advertisers playing catch-up.
Source: Twitch

16. Collaborative
Creation &
Consumption
There is a growing trend of
consumers co-creating and
co-consuming content, products
Example
and services.
An example of
collaborative
consumption
is peer to peer
accommodation
site Airbnb which
continues to grow
with more than 10
million guest stays
since launch.
An example of co-creation is the
first episode of Joseph GordonLevitt’s new show “hitRECord
on TV” which features 426
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contributing artists.
Source: Airbnb

17. Keep on top of
digital trends
If you are interested in staying
up to date with how these digital
trends are evolving then be sure
to read our weekly “This Week in
Digital” newsletter. This newsletter
is tailored to your business
and covers the top stories in
digital in an easy to read format,
highlighting also competitor
activities in the digital space.
To find out more or to be added
to our distribution list, please
contact our PHD International
digital specialist:
Carine Poot
t +44 (0) 20 7446 7190
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carine.poot@phdnetwork.com

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