7 consumer trends to run with in 2014 from trendwatching.com

trendwatching.com’s free monthly Trend Briefing

December 2013/ January 2014

7 CONSUMER TRENDS TO RUN WITH IN 2014
Remember, the lazy will NOT inherit the earth in 2014!

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trendwatching.com/trends/7trends2014

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Introduction
No matter what market or industry you’re in, if you’re obsessed with
catering to evolving consumer needs, desires and expectations, you will
prosper through even the most insane global upheavals, whatever their
flavor. In 2014, 2015, 2016 and beyond.
However, as the start of a new year is the time when many of you are doing
some extra imagining and planning and creating, we thought we’d do
our bit and throw in a handful of consumer trends that are begging to be
applied in the next 12 months. By you.

w w w. t r e n d w a t c h i n g . c o m


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6.
7.

GUILT-FREE STATUS
Why in 2014, guilt-free is the new status symbol.

Crowd shaped
The connected crowd comes of age in 2014.

made greener by/for china
Why in 2014, China is going to be where the eco-innovation action is.

Mychiatry
Why in 2014, mind will be the new body.

No Data
Why in 2014, delivering brilliant service without excessive data collection will earn you
consumer trust (and profits won’t be far behind ;)

The internet of caring things
How connected objects will center around people in 2014.

GLOBAL BRAIN
Why our new, free, ‘local’ Trend Bulletins will keep you truly in the know, glocally.


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1. GUILT-FREE STATUS
Why in 2014, guilt-free is the new status symbol.

Growing numbers of consumers can no longer escape an awareness of the damage done
by their consumption: to the planet, society, or themselves. But a mixture of indulgence,
addiction and conditioning mean that most can’t substantially change their consumption
habits. The result? A never-ending guilt spiral.
Which creates exciting opportunities for brands that combine tackling this guilt spiral with
consumers’ endless status seeking (still the driving force behind all consumer behavior).
Indeed, GUILT-FREE STATUS will be the ultimate indulgence in 2014. It’s time to create
products and services that deliver a guilt-free status fix by being one of these:

• Known by all. Iconic, well known GUILT-FREE products such as the Tesla Model S will
act as instantly recognizable signals of great sustainability.

• Visibly guilt-free. High status, chic or fashionable products that are visibly
sustainable, ethical or healthy will deliver a GUILT-FREE STATUS hit. Get inspired by
Nudie’s rugs made from recycled jeans.

• Storied. If a product or service isn’t known or visible, it will need a GUILT-FREE story
that the owner can tell others (and impress them with).
Warning: this trend is NOT about GUILTWASHING. Benefits for people and planet are at the
core of GUILT-FREE STATUS SYMBOLS, not marketing speak and one-dimensional plays on
people’s anxieties.



4

EXAMPLES
Tesla

Nudie

Guilt-free status symbol goes global

Old jeans become limited edition rugs

The Tesla Model S sedan luxury electric vehicle began

Nudie launched a range of limited edition rugs created

shipping to Norway, Switzerland and the Netherlands in

from woven strips of second-hand or donated denim from

August 2013, with right hand drive models scheduled

the Swedish denim brand’s own jeans. Hand-woven using

for March 2014. In September 2013 the Model S was

a manual shuttle loom, the rugs were available at Nudie

the best-selling car in Norway, where electric car drivers

Jeans concept stores across the world, priced at USD

can use bus lanes to skip past traffic jams. Prices for the

599.

Model S range start at USD 62,400.



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EXAMPLES
Liberty United

Firearm jewelry fights gun violence

US based Liberty United is a jewelry line created from
decommissioned guns and bullets. The brand aims to
help take firearms off the streets, working with local
governments to source guns no longer needed for
evidence or collected in buyback programs. These are
then recycled into jewelry by established designers,
with each piece including the serial number of the gun
used to make it. Prices range from USD 85 to 695 and
a portion of the proceeds goes to nonprofits working to
reduce gun crime.



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A recent global study
identified 2.5 billion
‘aspirational consumers’
(representing one third of
the global consumer class).
These consumers are defined
by their love of shopping
(78%), desire for responsible
consumption (92%) and their
trust in brands to act in the
best interest of society (58%).
BBMG, GlobeScan and SustainAbility, October 2013

2. crowd shaped


In 2014, more people will pool their data, their profiles, their preferences, in groups (small
and big) to shape new goods and services.
Via social media, histories, ecommerce, endless read/watch/play lists, smartphone GPS
services and more, connected consumers are creating vast profiles and data trails that
relate to everything from their music preferences to their daily movements. No news there.
Now 2014 will see two certainties:

1. The technologies that facilitate the creation and passive sharing of those data
streams will become ever more ubiquitous (yes, we’ll say it, Google Glass).

2. Consumer expectations are amplified – yet again – by that ubiquity.
Meaning the connected crowd comes of age, via CROWDSHAPING: new products and
services shaped by the aggregated preferences or behavior of (small and big) groups of
consumers, as expressed via their data.



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2. crowd shaped


Two kinds of CROWDSHAPING to watch (and run with):

• SMALL CROWDSHAPING: Real-time shaping (and reshaping) of a service around the
preferences of the people in an office, a restaurant, on a plane: any space right now.
Consumers might not care about the tech that makes CROWDSHAPING possible, but they
will care about increased relevance – via the accommodation of their own preferences –
and a novel mode of discovery via the newly-experienced preferences of their peers. See
how CheckinDJ (below) delivers both.

• BIG CROWDSHAPING: Services intelligently reshaped by the aggregated data on the
preferences or behavior of large numbers of consumers.
One next step for good, old-fashioned crowdsourcing. Consumers get a more functional,
efficient service shaped not by opinions of the crowd, but around the way people really
behave. And – unlike with many existing crowdsourced solutions – they get it effortlessly,
via passive sharing of their data. That’s what IBM promised when it CROWDSHAPED bus
route improvements in Africa (below).
OK, we know: privacy! But keep collection and use of data transparent, and many will embrace
the benefits*.
Alternatively, dive into the NO DATA counter-trend (Below), also begging to be applied in 2014.



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EXAMPLES
CheckinDJ

Crowdshaped playlists match
patrons’ tastes

CheckinDJ is a crowdsourced jukebox that arranges a
venue’s music playlist to match the overall taste of its
current patrons. Users register online or via an app, and
enter their favorite music genres. Once at a participating
venue, they use an NFC-enabled device to check-in. The
playlist at the venue automatically adjusts to reflect their
taste. Individuals can earn influence points by syncing the
app with their social networks, and by checking in with
groups of friends. The platform was developed by UKbased Mobile Radicals.



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*57% of consumers are
willing to share additional
personal information, such
as their location, top five
Facebook friends’ names
and information about
family members, in return
for financial rewards or
better service.
Coleman Parkes, April 2013

EXAMPLES
Kutsuplus

IBM

On-demand minibus service calculates
optimal route for those on-board

Following a successful pilot scheme, October 2013 saw

During May 2013, IBM’s Dublin research lab used cell

Helsinki’s transport authority increase its on-demand

phone data to aid the re-design of bus routes across

minibus service Kutsuplus. The service allows Helsinki

Abidjan, the Ivory Coast’s largest city. Researchers

residents to request a minibus via their cell phone,

used time and location data – collected from calls

choosing a start and end destination. Each bus can carry

and SMS – to assess commuters’ frequent routes and

nine passengers. Users can opt for a private journey or a

then compared these to the existing public transport

shared ride, with Kutsuplus calculating the quickest routes

infrastructure. According to the data, there were 65

for multiple drop-offs. Rides cost EUR 3.50 plus EUR 0.45

possible improvements that could reduce travel time by

per kilometer (USD 4.70 / 0.60).


Using cellphone data to improve bus
routes in Africa

10%.


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1

2014 Trend Report

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than monthly Trend Briefings...

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Innovation Database

Introducing our
2014 Premium Service
Your complete trend and innovation solution.

4 Industry Updates

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1-page Trend Handouts

3. MADE GREENER BY/FOR CHINA
Why in 2014, China is going to be where the eco-innovation action is.

In 2014, perceptions of China will take another significant turn, as consumers come to
realize China is fast becoming the epicenter of truly innovative, superior green consumer
innovations, too*.
* Alongside leading Chinese brands in sectors such as mobile tech, luxury and fashion (from WeChat
to Bosideng, from Shang Xia to Xiaomi and more) that are simply MADE BETTER IN CHINA.

That shift will be driven by China’s relentless, large-scale efforts to address massive
environmental challenges such as energy, transport, construction and more (see a few
examples below).
In fact, the idea among many consumers worldwide that Chinese brands and businesses
lag behind when it comes to green thinking might just be one of the last great competitive
advantages that ‘Western’ brands enjoy.
When that preconception is overturned in 2014, one of the last barriers keeping Chinese
brands and global consumers at a distance is lifted. Just another small, yet pivotal moment
in the remapping of global consumerism ; )



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EXAMPLES
Haworth

Beijing Subway

Beijing showroom is world’s first v4
LEED beta certified project

Rewards commuters for recycling
plastic bottles

In October 2013, furniture manufacturer Haworth

In May 2013, the Beijing Subway introduced 40 ‘reverse

announced that its Beijing showroom had been

vending machines’, which enable passengers to offset

recognized as the world’s first certified LEED v4 beta

their travel costs by recycling plastic bottles. For every

project by the United States Green Building Council’s

empty plastic bottle recycled using the machines,

(USGBC) new program. The USGBC’s Leadership in

commuters receive discounts of between CNY 0.05 and

Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system

0.10 on their travel pass.

considers the building’s eco-credentials, including
location, energy performance and water efficiency.
The showroom is located inside Parkview Green, and
incorporates reconfigurable workspaces, and eco-friendly
lighting and furniture.



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EXAMPLES
Philips & CEC

Nike

Intelligent street lighting in Chinese cities

Shanghai store made entirely from trash

The Philips and China Electronics Corporation (CEC)

Opened in Shanghai in August 2013, Nike’s concept

partnership, announced in July 2013, marked an attempt

store is entirely constructed from trash, including drinks

to develop and implement intelligent road and street

cans, water bottles and old CDs and DVDs. The store

lighting in cities across China. The joint venture will focus

can be adapted to different retail layouts and the no-glue

on LED fixtures and lighting management, including

construction ensures all materials can be reused.

Philips CityTouch, a web-based system that allows
streetlights to be used when and where they are needed.



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EXAMPLES
Chinese Academy of Science

Tianjin Eco-City

‘Smart’ window saves and stores
solar energy

Resource-efficient city prioritizes
pedestrians

Scientists at the Chinese Academy of Science have

Tianjin Eco-City is a sustainable city initiative developed

unveiled a ‘smart’ window that can save and generate

by the governments of Singapore and China. Located

energy. Coated with temperature-sensitive vanadium

150km from Beijing, and with a footprint of 30 sq. km, the

oxide (VO2), the window can regulate the amount of

city is designed to be socially harmonious and resource-

energy entering a building and store light energy in solar

efficient. Pedestrians, non-motorized vehicles and public

cells within the window frame.

transport take priority alongside green urban spaces. Due
for completion in 2020, the Tianjin Eco-City will house
around 350,000 residents.



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4. MYCHIATRY

Why in 2014, mind will be the new body.

In 2014, consumer interest in ‘Quantified Self’ products and services will continue to grow, as
smartwatches and other powerful yet affordable wearable tech products enter the market.
Much of the sector’s focus has been on physical health to date. The next step? Consumers
will increasingly see their smartphones as devices for total lifestyle assistance. Improving
techniques for self-treatment, developments in stress-detecting technologies and near-total
smartphone penetration in many markets, means consumers will lap up innovations that
help track and improve mental wellbeing too.
Two types of consumers are fueling this trend:

• Those for whom mental health is (like physical fitness, career progress, and academic
achievements) a new benchmark, yet another area for them to outperform their
peers.

• Those time-starved, overworked, stressed and anxiety-plagued consumers for whom
MYCHIATRY innovations offer much needed relief from the pressures of modern life.
And no matter which industry you’re in, the MYCHIATRY trend should spur plenty of
discussions around where the mega-trend of tech-driven consumer empowerment and selfservice will head next.
NB: Of course, we aren’t suggesting that MYCHIATRY is an adequate
solution for everyone’s mental health needs or that it should replace medical

Whatever the outcome, consumers are already just an app store away from a boost to their

counsel.

day-to-day happiness ;)



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EXAMPLES
PIP

Shadow

Stress-sensing video games help
players relax

App allows users to record, share and
analyze dreams

Created to help consumers reduce stress levels, PIP is a

Surpassing its Kickstarter funding target during October

wireless biosensor developed in Ireland that reached its

2013, Shadow is an app that allows users to record and

funding target on Kickstarter in July 2013. Users hold the

remember their dreams. An escalating alarm clock wakes

device while playing a game (synced via Bluetooth to a

the user up gently, increasing the likelihood of dream

monitor or smartphone), and it captures a Galvanic Skin

recall, and the app prompts the user to record the dream

Response from their fingertips in real-time. To succeed

via audio or text. Tracking dream and sleep patterns

in a racing game for example, the player must be more

allows curious users to make connections between daily

relaxed than their competitor, as characters respond

life and dream habits. Each entry is saved to a journal

aversely to stress signals. The creators will release a

and can be anonymously pushed to the cloud, creating

Software Development Kit so others can develop apps.

a global database of dreams, which shows users the
sentiment and dream content of other participants around
the world.



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EXAMPLES
Mico

Melon

Smart headband tracks focus

Headphones detect user’s mood and
play music accordingly

The Melon headband and companion app allows wearers

Developed by Japanese product design brand Neurowear

to track, monitor and understand their mental focus

and unveiled in March 2013, the Mico headset consists of

during a range of activities. The headband measures

headphones and an EEG reader that rests on the wearer’s

brain activity using EEG and algorithms detect focus

forehead and senses neural activity. Brain signals allow

levels, using the data to give personalized feedback.

the device to detect the user’s mood (such as sleepy,

Users can input external factors via the app to discover

stressed or focused), which is shown on an LED earpiece

how time of day, weather conditions and environment all

display. The headphones relay the information to a mobile

influence their ability to generate and sustain focus. Melon

running the Mico app and mood-appropriate music is

surpassed its Kickstarter target in June 2013, and is due

selected from the database.

to ship to backers in Q4 2013.



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5. NO DATA
Why in 2014, delivering brilliant service without excessive data collection will earn you consumer
trust (and profits won’t be far behind ;)

Last year, in the introduction to DATA MYNING, we warned you:
“Brands will have to walk a fine line between offering consumers a valuable (and ideally
seamless) service, and freaking them out with aggressive if not downright scary ‘services’.
Yes, consumers want to feel served to, but they don’t like to be watched.”
Well, with 2013 seeing a seemingly-endless stream of brands suffering ‘privacy breaches’
that revealed customers’ information, and the leaked actions of a government agency (who
is probably reading this over your shoulder as we speak) – it’s no longer a paranoid minority
who is freaked out. Remarkably, two of the most renowned encrypted communications
providers in the world (Lavabit and Silent Circle) had to shutter their email services
because they no longer felt they could guarantee privacy from government agencies. They
(regrettably) recognized that once data was collected, it could be harvested.
This all leads to opportunities in 2014 for NO DATA brands: brands that simply offer brilliant
service, while also loudly and proudly eschewing the collection of personal data.



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5. NO DATA
Why in 2014, delivering brilliant service without excessive data collection will earn you consumer
trust (and profits won’t be far behind ;)

93% of email users believe that users should be able to
opt-out if they don’t want the content of their emails to be
scanned in order to target ads.
GfK & Microsoft, November 2013

86% of US internet users have attempted to remove or
mask their online activities, despite only 37% believing it
is possible to be completely anonymous online.
Pew Research Center, September 2013

The challenge for businesses will be finding a balance between the very real benefits of
data collection and utilization (recommendations, cross-selling, personalization, enhanced
ad revenue and more), and earning the trust of increasingly HACKED OFF consumers.
Why aren’t we accompanying this trend with examples? Because NO DATA is so against
the “BIG, BIGGER, BIGGEST” data strategies sweeping through the business world that we

82% of global consumers believe that companies
collect too much information on consumers.
Adobe, June 2013


haven’t seen anybody doing it well… yet!
So which major B2C brand will make NO DATA a central promise in 2014, and simply offer,
“Great service, for everyone, all of the time. No data required”?


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6. THE INTERNET OF CARING THINGS
How connected objects will center around people in 2014

In the media (and in countless innovation labs around the world), the
Internet of Things in 2014 will be about the same two things as in 2013:
massive numbers, and, well, things.
And when say ‘massive’, we mean:

In 2009, there were 2.5 billion connected devices, most

But something else will happen, too: you will see innovations pop-up left and right,

of these were personal devices such as cell phones and

centered around the Internet of CARING Things.

PCs. In 2020, there will be up to 30 billion connected
devices, most of which will be products.

Anything exceptional that ‘connected objects’ can do for consumers, whether that’s
monitoring or improving health, helping them save money or getting chores done, will be
warmly welcomed next year and beyond.

The Internet of Things will add USD 1.9 trillion dollars of

Oh, and in case you want to start your own trend, there’s nothing stopping you from

economic value to the global economy in 2020.

coining your own Internet of Things prefixes in 2014. Internet of Mobile Things? Internet of

Gartner, October 2013

Security Things? Internet of City Things? Internet of Costly, Loved Things? All yours!



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EXAMPLES
Xkuty

OMsignal

Xkuty One is a smart electric scooter which automatically

Canadian technology company OMsignal has announced

alerts the relatives of a rider in the event of a crash.

plans to launch a compression shirt which can monitor an

Developed by Spain-based Electric Mobility Company,

individual’s heart rate, breathing and movement. Sensors

the bike-scooter hybrid includes an iPhone dock in the

woven into the fabric collect data which is then sent to

handlebars. Using the phone’s gyroscope (which monitors

the wearer’s cell phone, where they can track and analyze

orientation and momentum), Xkuty’s app can detect

information. Fully machine washable, the shirt is designed

crashes and automatically sends accident and location

to be worn underneath garments or at the gym.

Scooter sends alerts in the
event of a crash

notifications to selected contacts. Xkuty One retails at
around EUR 2800.



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Sensor-integrated shirt monitors
medical data

EXAMPLES
Ford

Riddell InSite

In September 2013, Ford unveiled the S-MAX Concept,

October 2013 saw US-based Riddell, who manufacture

an intelligent multi-purpose vehicle that includes multiple

American football helmets, unveil their InSite Impact

smart, ‘caring’ features. The driver’s seat, which contains

Response System. The helmets contain sensors,

an ECG heart rate monitor, can help avoid mid-journey

which send an alert to the sidelines when they detect a

driver heart attacks and subsequent accidents. An

significant impact. Trained medical professionals can

onboard glucose level monitoring system alerts drivers

then assess the player for signs of concussion.

‘Intelligent’ car’s seats include heart
rate monitor

of critical blood sugar levels. The vehicle is capable of
communicating short-range via wifi with other similarly
equipped cars, allowing warnings of road hazards to be
relayed from car to car.



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Football helmet contains sensors that
alert coaches in event of trauma

7. GLOBAL BRAIN

Why our new, free, ‘local’ Trend Bulletins will keep you truly in the know, glocally.

2014 will see the consumer arena become even more global, local, flatter, cosmopolitan and
so on. Which means that, on a daily basis, you can expect an orgy of compelling consumerfacing innovations emerging from all corners of the globe.
Hence, in addition to this Monthly Trend Briefing, we’re delighted to announce our new free
Trend Bulletins for and by Asia, Africa and South & Central America.
Below are only a handful of the trends exclusively featured in the just-launched editions:

• CIVICSUMERS: Why South & Central America’s urban consumers will agitate for and look
to effect social change in 2014.
Check out the South & Central America Trend Bulletin »

• FABA - For Africa, By Africa: African solutions to African challenges, done the African way.
Check out the Africa Trend Bulletin »

• FAITHFACTURING: How age-old faith practices will adapt to and reflect modern Asian
consumers’ lifestyles.
Check out the Asia Trend Bulletin »
Don’t miss out!



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apply
Which leads to the most important point… Trend watching is all about applying. If
you don’t use consumer trends to inspire new, profitable innovations, they’re just ‘nice
to know’.
So run with them, combine them, take them in new directions. If you don’t know
where to start, check out our CONSUMER TREND CANVAS, which contains tips on
how to unpack and apply trends step by step.
Ideally, you’ll end up driving the evolution of a trend, too.



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NEED even more?
Last but not least, if you’re really serious about staying on top of all the latest
consumer trends and related innovations, check out our globally relevant, instantly
available, online Premium Service. At a ridiculously affordable all-inclusive price, it’s
guaranteed to give you an unfair competitive advantage. Today ;)
No budget to spend? Then do make sure you’re subscribed to receive to our free
Trend Briefing and our region-specific Trend Bulletins: many more to come in 2014
and beyond!
Happy tracking, evaluating, initiating and innovating!



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