1.
“You never change things by fighting the existing reality.
To change something, build a new model that makes the
existing model obsolete.”
R. Buckminster Fuller; designer, inventor, architect

2.
FOREWARD
Mobbie Nazir
Chief Strategy Officer
The pace of innovation in everyday life is accelerating,
driving ever increasing consumer expectations from
brands. What’s more, these increasing levels of
expectation do not just impact industry sectors in
isolation. They spread and build momentum across
industries, products and experiences. For example, in
the UK 55% of online consumers now expect their
healthcare system to have the same level of customer
service as companies such as Amazon.
In this, our second edition of Think Forward, we have
combined our knowledge of social behaviour with
consumer trends experts TrendWatching.com to take a
look at some of the social trends that are changing
people's expectations of how they engage and interact
with the world around them. These trends provide a
fascinating source of inspiration for brands looking to
get ahead of the impact of shifts in social trends both
now and the future.

3.
INTRODUCTION
David Mattin
Global Head of Trends & Insights
TrendWatching.com
At TrendWatching our obsession is consumer trends.
Where consumerism is now, and where it's heading next.
We know that when it comes to trends around technology,
social connection and new digital behaviours, that's an
obsession we share with We Are Social.
This collaboration on the second Think Forward report
couldn't be a more natural fit. The resulting report
combines We Are Social's deep knowledge of digital and
social with our overview of the global consumer, fueled by
a network of thousands of spotters all over the world.
Looking across the 9 trends featured in this report, it’s
clear that they combine to deliver one powerful message.
That is: while the world around us changes, human nature
– at its most fundamental – remains stable. In 2017 and
beyond it will be the brands and businesses that can use
emerging technologies to serve deep and age-old human
needs that will prosper.
Read, enjoy, and, most importantly, act.

4.
METHODOLOGY
We have trendspotters in each of our 11 global offices
who are briefed to look for key social trends in business,
content, culture and technology. We also use a variety
of external trendspotters, including trendwatching.com.

5.
CONTENTS
TECHNOLOGY
CONTENT
CULTURE
BUSINESS
TECHNOLOGY
1 Chatbots - the rise of instant interaction
2 Facilitating intimacy
CONTENT
3 Helpful voyeurs
4 A living legacy
CULTURE
5 Anti-advocacy
6 Digital equilibrium
BUSINESS
7 The IoST 2.0: winning our trust
8 Behaviour as currency
9 Socially smart money

6.
WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE A DESIRE
TO BUILD CONNECTIONS
We are social animals who are always seeking
opportunities to make new connections and strengthen
existing ones. There will always be opportunities to
cater for this desire, both online, and in the real world.
WE WANT IT NOW
We live in the era of the ‘unreasonable consumer’,
where we expect everything on-demand, with
minimal effort. Thanks to our ridiculous expectations
we are seeing new ideas flourish everywhere.
WHAT’S DRIVING THESE TRENDS
We have identified three overarching drivers that have
had a hand in moving the 9 trends mapped in this report.
These include shifts in our relationship with technology,
as well as psychological drivers that have helped facilitate
these new ideas, movements and businesses.
TECHNOLOGY HAS OUR TRUST
In a world where millennials spend almost one whole
day of every week on their phones, our increased trust
is breaking barriers regarding who we speak to, what we
do online and what we share with others.

7.
TECHNOLOGY
CONTENT
CULTURE
BUSINESS
8

8.
TREND 1:
CHATBOTS - THE RISE
OF INSTANT INTERACTION
The likes of Facebook Messenger and Slack opening up
their platforms to “chatbots” heralds the beginning of a
new era of opportunities for messaging-as-a-platform.
However, while most developers still obsess over
making chatbots that feel close to human, the great
ones understand that it’s not the AI element that makes
chatbots innovative, it’s their ability to fulfil consumer
needs through simple, instant action and interaction.
1EFFORT LEVEL - MEDIUM
TIME TO MAINSTREAM - 6 MONTHS

9.
DO NOT PAY
TRULIA
@DOMTHEPIZZABOT
Dubbed as “the world’s first robot lawyer”, DoNotPay helps users
contest parking tickets through working out whether an appeal is
possible through a series of simple questions, and then guides
users through the appeals process.
Sick of chatting to dishonest, slimy estate agents? The Trulia
chatbot gives you straight, honest answers about listings and
the neighbourhood, like the median age of residents and the
number of neighbours who are single.
Domino’s Pizza and We Are Social recently launched a bot that
makes ordering pizza quicker and easier than it has ever been
before. Just type “pizza” and through it’s Easy Order account, one
will be sent to your doorstep immediately.
CHATBOTS-THERISEOFINSTANTINTERACTIONS
EXAMPLES

10.
CHATBOTS - THE RISE OF INSTANT INTERACTION
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BRANDS
While there’s a good chance that chatbots will begin to
replace branded apps, developers are often failing to
understand why it is that we want to interact with them.
The fact is that we only enjoy texting when it’s saving us
time, and equally, dislike lengthy “chats” with chatbots.
Brands should make it as easy for consumers as possible,
which means it’s ok to include buttons and suggested
questions in your chatbot interface. Because it’s less about
making them replicate humans, and more about making
them as efficient as possible for the humans that interact
with them.
1

11.
DO IT
THINK
ABOUT
Do it if you have an opportunity to utilise the
chatbot interface to help your consumers get
what they want faster than they could through
any of your other apps and online channels.
While tens of thousands of chatbots have already
been developed, they are still in their infancy. Now
that the rush to market has begun slowing down it
may be worth waiting until the technology is more
solid and it’s easier to create great chatbots.
SKIP IT
If you’re interested in the novelty
value of chatbots we’re afraid
you’re a little late to the game.
CHATBOTS - THE RISE OF INSTANT INTERACTION
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

12.
TREND 2:
FACILITATING INTIMACY
While technology has often been perceived as
something that creates distance between us,
we are finding more and more ways to use it to
reinforce our social bonds and satisfy our
fundamental needs for intimacy and closeness.
EFFORT LEVEL - MEDIUM
TIME TO MAINSTREAM - 6 MONTHS
2

13.
SKOL BEATS
PILLOWTALK
THE JIGSAW
Skol Beats designed masquerade masks that incorporate a
colour-based match system. After syncing Facebook profiles, the
masks connect potential suitors by lighting up green if the pair
have a lot in common.
A wristband that lets long-distance lovers fall asleep to the sound
of each other's heartbeat by transmitting one person’s heart
rhythm and transmitting it to the other via an app.
In Bulgaria 70% of men watch footie games by themselves, so
Heineken set up an outdoor screen divided into 80 squares, each
activated by one of 80 seats in front of it. In order to view the
match, all of the seats needed to be filled, encouraging viewers to
invite friends to come and join them to “unlock” the whole screen.
FACILITATINGINTIMACY
EXAMPLES

14.
FACILITATING INTIMACY
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BRANDS
This presents an opportunity for brands to have a hand in
facilitating new relationships, nurture existing ones and
help to increase mutual offline understanding.
2

15.
DO IT
THINK
ABOUT
Does your brand help bring people
together? If so, this is a great opportunity
to use tech innovation to help your
audience to connect with each other.
Facilitating offline connections, especially
intimate ones, can often be a private affair.
You’ll have to win the consumers’ trust in
order for them to let you help them
connect with others offline.
SKIP IT
If your brand doesn’t champion offline
connections, you’ll have trouble
encouraging people to engage with
any initiatives of this nature.
FACILITATING INTIMACY
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

16.
17
TECHNOLOGY
CONTENT
CULTURE
BUSINESS

17.
TREND 3:
HELPFUL VOYEURS
In the last report we documented voyeurism 2.0 as we
noticed an increasing taste for peering over the garden
fence into the intimate lives of others, from watching
others eating, playing games or dating.
As the stigma of voyeurism wears off, people are finding
ways of using onlookers to their advantage. Those who
want to be in the limelight are inviting people in and
encouraging social feedback to help them in situations
where a second (or several more) pair of eyes can help.
EFFORT LEVEL - MEDIUM
TIME TO MAINSTREAM - 12 MONTHS
3

18.
NATTR
BOOMPI
CROWDPILOT
Crowdsource opinions on relationship messages by tapping
into a phonebook of professional scriptwriters, copywriters
and comedians who will suggest funny, smart or flirtatious
responses to text messages.
Lets women invite girlfriends to eavesdrop and
comment on conversations with date app matches.
Helps you through difficult social situations by inviting a
group of your friends or professional assistants along to
listen in and assist you through your smartphone.
HELPFULVOYEURS
EXAMPLES

19.
HELPFUL VOYEURS
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BRANDS
With voyeurism shaping up to become more interactive
than ever, brands have an opportunity to help consumers
connect with the public and encourage friends or even
strangers to help them out with everyday situations.
3

20.
DO IT
THINK
ABOUT
Do you work for a brand that prides itself in
helping people? Do you think your consumers
have the courage to open up their lives to
others and accept help from them? Then there’s
a real potential for you to tap into this trend.
To create opportunities for both
voyeurism and real time social feedback
requires money and time, so you need to
be dedicated.
SKIP IT
Not all companies want to or should get
involved in trends that involve this kind
of radical transparency, especially if
there’s privacy concerns in your sector.
HELPFUL VOYEURS
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

21.
TREND 4:
A LIVING LEGACY
Counter to the rise of ephemeral communication, the
prospect of living on as data is making us think about
how we want to be remembered. While society
encourages us to seek personal fulfillment, it also fuels
our desire to make a meaningful contribution and ensure
our impact will be remembered long after we have
departed this mortal coil. In the future our social footprint
will play an increasingly important part in this legacy.
4EFFORT LEVEL - HIGH
TIME TO MAINSTREAM - 2+ YEARS

22.
LUKA AI’S @ ROMAN
SAFEBEYOND
ETERNI.ME
When the founder of AI startup Luka AI’s best friend
passed away she built a chatbot based off his online
footprint as a digital memorial for everyone to interact with.
Allows a person to leave a virtual legacy after they have
passed away, so that they can continue to communicate
with their loved ones beyond the grave, and provide them
with words of wisdom and encouragement.
Preserves your most important thoughts, stories and
memories for eternity. Reconstructs your memories and
mannerisms from your social content to create an “avatar”
that people can interact with.
ALIVINGLEGACY
EXAMPLES

23.
A LIVING LEGACY
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BRANDS
While insurance brands or end-of-life services may find
direct opportunities, we see the real value in tackling
the underlying motivation here, and helping people to
create an online footprint that ensures they leave a
legacy they are proud of.
4

24.
DO IT
THINK
ABOUT
This is a tricky path for brands to tread. But
if you have the power to influence what
your consumers do online in a substantial
way, you can find a way to help them leave
a meaningful legacy.
Mortality and death is not an easy topic to
approach for any brand, so only embrace
this trend if you are serious about helping
your consumers in a meaningful way.
SKIP IT
Only a handful of brands have a
relationship deep and trusting enough
with their consumer base for them to be
able to credibly broach a topic like this.
A LIVING LEGACY
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

25.
26
TECHNOLOGY
CONTENT
CULTURE
BUSINESS

26.
TREND 5:
ANTI-ADVOCACY
Bigotry in the social sphere is as old as social
media itself, but until now we haven’t been able to
do much else than look on in horror and click
delete as quickly as possible. Counter to the trend
of amplifying positive sentiment, now people are
combining technology with wit to publicly
disapprove and shame the trolls who previously
thought they could hide behind their screens.
EFFORT LEVEL - MEDIUM
TIME TO MAINSTREAM - 6 MONTHS
5

27.
VIRTUAL RACISM, REAL CONSEQUENCES
CALAISAID TROLLAID
TRUMP TEXT BOT
Brazil had a problem with racist tweets, so a local
organisation identified the geo-locations of these tweets and
enlarged them onto billboards for all the perpetrators’
neighbours to see.
The refugee aid organisation had a problem with people
posting hostile comments, so they launched a bot that would
reply to each comment with a link to donate money to the
cause - the more the trolls trolled, the more they were helping
bring in donations to Calais Action.
The Hillary for America campaign developed a “Text the
Trump” bot that responds with controversial or offensive
statements from a database of things he has publically said.
ALIVINGLEGACY
EXAMPLES

28.
ANTI-ADVOCACY
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BRANDS
While it is common for brands to take a stance on a
wide range of ethical and political topics in a bid to
align their values with those of their consumers, they
have often been scared to take a more proactive
stance amidst fear of creating conflict. However, it’s
now time to switch from defense to offense and help
society to publicly shame the trolls.
5

29.
DO IT
THINK
ABOUT
Consumers are increasingly looking to
brands to not only share their values,
but expect them to use their power,
media budget and influence to really
make a difference.
Fighting back against unfairness takes
courage and forces your brand out of
the comfort zone. Are you ready to
make that commitment?
SKIP IT
This is about taking a legitimate stance.
If you’re looking for a PR stunt, this isn’t
for you.
ANTI-ADVOCACY
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

30.
TREND 6:
DIGITAL EQUILIBRIUM
In the last Think Forward we covered the “anti-social”
trend, where consumers were beginning to reject an
‘always on’ lifestyle. But rather than technology being
all-or-nothing, we are now beginning to find a halfway
point between digital dependency and analogue bliss.
EFFORT LEVEL - MEDIUM
TIME TO MAINSTREAM - ONGOING
6

31.
PUNKPOST
VILLA STÉPHANIE
THE LIGHT PHONE
Pining for a time when we’d all receive personal letters and
cards in the mail, Punkpost is an app that allows you to send
hand-written cards without the pain of actually writing them.
All you have to do is type your copy in a text message and
an illustrator will do the rest.
The luxury spa provides guests with a digital detox retreat
by successfully blocking out 96% of cellular signals and WiFi.
However, guests are able to flip an activation switch to
reengage with their tech.
Simplified phone the size of a credit card that is designed
to be used as little as possible. Connects to your actual
phone, forwarding on those important calls from your mom
and boss, but ignores everything else.
DIGITALEQUILIBRIUM
EXAMPLES

32.
DIGITAL EQUILIBRIUM
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BRANDS
If your brand can offer an experience that straddles the
vacuum between the ubiquity of technology and our desire
for digital detox, you’ll be able to resonate with those that
seek a more healthy relationship with their screens.
7

33.
DO IT
THINK
ABOUT
Do this if your brand can offer an experience
that can provide a form of digital detox without
cutting them out completely. You’ll find that
people will pay good money for this.
As the anti-social movement becomes better
integrated into our lives, solutions shouldn’t
just be about putting a stop to digital habits,
but about helping people develop a more
balanced relationship with with their devices.
SKIP IT
If your brand has always been about
championing the transition to digital,
suddenly pushing for healthier screen
habits may seem a little disingenuous.
DIGITAL EQUILIBRIUM
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

34.
35
TECHNOLOGY
CONTENT
CULTURE
BUSINESS

35.
TREND 7:
THE INTERNET OF SOCIAL
THINGS 2.0:
WINNING OUR TRUST
Common household appliances, products and skills are
already part of the sharing economy. But mistrust of
strangers and the internet of social things has kept this
trend from expanding into more niche services that
involve areas like our health, loved ones and luxury
services. But as our trust of online peers increases, we
are accepting the internet of social things into these
areas of our lives.
7EFFORT LEVEL - MEDIUM
TIME TO MAINSTREAM - ONGOING

36.
ZUM
UBER POOL
STRATAJET
Safe and on-demand car trips for children
from (certified and trusted) drivers.
If ever there was an indication that the this trend
is becoming mainstream then uber’s ride sharing
service ‘POOL’ is it. Thousands of users are taking
POOL trips with complete strangers during
commutes five times per week.
Now that the ultra high-net worth individuals of this
world are beginning to trust the sharing economy with
their everyday transport, the “uber of private jets” has
launched, serving reassuringly luxury routes between
London, Paris and Geneva..
THEINTERNETOFSOCIALTHINGS2.0
EXAMPLES

37.
THE INTERNET OF SOCIAL THINGS 2.0
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BRANDS
As a brand, the increased trust and salience of the sharing
economy means there’s a stronger opportunity than ever
to get involved if you have the right product for your
consumers to share, or have the ability to connect them to
something valuable.
8

38.
DO IT
THINK
ABOUT
The sharing economy used to only be
reserved for robust, everyday products
(think houses, cars), but now there’s an
opportunity for brands that offer more
niche, exclusive and personal products.
You still have to ensure there’s high
enough demand for the goods or
services for this to work.
SKIP IT
Is the product or service cheap or
accessible enough without an app?
Then move along.
THE INTERNET OF SOCIAL THINGS 2.0
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

39.
TREND 8:
BEHAVIOUR AS CURRENCY
Thanks to sharing economy businesses like Uber, it's
no longer just celebrities and politicians whose
behaviour is under scrutiny. Our behaviour is now held
to account wherever we are. Now we - like brands -
must remain vigilant of how our behaviours are
perceived, we rely on this reputation more than ever.
EFFORT LEVEL - MEDIUM
TIME TO MAINSTREAM - 6 MONTHS
8

40.
PEEPLE
ART SERIES HOTEL REVERSE REVIEWS
DISCOUNTS FOR POLITENESS
Peeple is a reputation application that allows you to
recommend and be recommended by the people
you interact with in your daily lives. These people are
grouped into three categories: Personal,
Professional, and Dating.
The Australian hotel chain turned the tables on
traditional hotel review systems and implemented
a new programme called Reverse Reviews where
the hotel staff review its guests.
The Seven Miles Beach Kiosk in New South Wales,
Australia offers coffee at progressively cheaper prices
depending on how polite you are when you order.
BEHAVIOURASCURRENCY
EXAMPLES

41.
BEHAVIOUR AS CURRENCY
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BRANDS
Traditionally, the commonplace priority for most brands
has been to focus all attention on making the customer
happy. But now the brand-customer relationship has
begun to fundamentally shift.
Businesses are beginning to realise that making sure that
you have nice customers means you make your staff
happy, and in turn, happy staff make happy customers.
8

42.
DO IT
THINK
ABOUT
Does your business operate in an environment
in which a rude customer can have immediate
and direct negative impacts on other customers?
If you’re in the hotel, restaurant, theatre, or gym
game this is a particularly powerful opportunity.
Just like traditional consumer ratings should
always be taken with a pinch of salt, so
should ratings that staff give. It’s a potent
equalizer, but it’s not an exact science.
SKIP IT
Is staff / customer interaction limited within
your business? Then there’s little point
investing in a two-way rating system.
BEHAVIOUR AS CURRENCY
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

43.
TREND 9:
SOCIALLY SMART MONEY
We’ve been using social platforms to send money to each
other for a while. Now the way we manage and save money
is becoming more social, seeing conversations with AI
replace the traditional meetings with your bank manager.
EFFORT LEVEL - HIGH
TIME TO MAINSTREAM - 12 MONTHS
9

44.
EMBARQ
ABSA CHATBANKING
CLEO
We love to travel but sometimes we need some help to make
our globetrotting dreams come true. Air Canada has launched
a scheme where you can ask friends and family to help you
raise funds for your flights.
Communicating through 140 characters has increasingly become the
norm, so this South African bank launched ChatBanking on Twitter,
allowing customers to complete day-to-day banking actions such as
buying airtime or data and checking their balance through tweets,
making banking more conversational rather than transactional.
What if your bank app acted like that responsible friend that always
has your back? Cleo is an A.I. assistant that you can chat with about
your personal finance, providing you with regular budget readings
and reminders to help you keep track of your spending.
SOCIALLYSMARTMONEY
EXAMPLES

45.
SOCIALLY SMART MONEY
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BRANDS
As we accept social currency into our lives, brands and
businesses are finding opportunities to design their
services in a way that reflects our increasingly social
relationship with money.
9

46.
DO IT
THINK
ABOUT
People are increasingly looking to complete all
their day-to-day tasks on the same platforms
and in the same ways that they’re familiar with,
so providing a social way of offering services or
helping them manage their money will hit home.
If you’re in the financial industry this trend is
particularly relevant. There’s a whole industry
vying to steal your customers through innovations
that tap into ways in which we can integrate our
social and financial lives, so it’s time to start
looking into it too if you haven’t already.
SKIP IT
This is still very much a trend adopted by
millennials, so if you’re engaging with an older
audience, the adoption rate will be low.
SOCIALLY SMART MONEY
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

47.
NEXT STEPS
So what should you do with all these trends?
We can help you take these social thinking trends and turn
them into actions for your brand. If you’ve got the appetite
to innovate we can walk you through the process one step
at a time.
The first step is below:
talktous@wearesocial.net