As we approach the start of a new decade, here are the key cultural shifts and trends franchise brands should watch out for
1. The traditional way we group people will become less relevant
We are shifting towards a radically individual experience of adulthood. We have seen the rise of ‘single living’. This is a very different experience of adulthood, with different economic pressures and behaviors from those you will experience if you have a family. We are already seeing the impact of this, especially with a tonal shift in marketing towards people who choose to be single.
The negative, patronizing social norms around being single are being upended by people of multiple ages who are newly divorced, proactively divorced and choosing to be single. They are rejecting traditional stereotypes of single people. Equally, nowadays you could be pregnant in your twenties or have a baby in your fifties. Likewise, you could launch a company in your sixties. Traditional life stages are in flux. There are no rules anymore, and we will see more and more of that.
2. We are already reaching a stage of radical inclusivity and inter-sectionality
We have started to see an intersectional approach to feminism. It has begun to look at issues like class and race. There is increasing pressure from Gen Zers for brands to reflect hyper-individuality. Brands now need to be inclusive and to both celebrate and represent people of all different body types and beauty norms.
The idea of brands prescribing what is aspirational is also changing. Older millennials, who are now a decade into their working lives, are starting to look at the fact they are still (even a decade after the global economic crisis) facing massive systemic challenges – they’re struggling to buy a property or, if they have just bought a property and living in the U.K., facing the fact that Brexit may devalue it. Older millennials are asking: ‘what do I want?’, ‘what is my purpose?’, ‘where is my work-life balance?’. Millennials will show greater agency in choosing the way they live and work – whether they move to the countryside, live in Barcelona and commute back to the U.K., or become a digital nomad. Millennials are applying creativity to ‘make it’ in today’s society, where it’s becoming harder to get ahead; especially in places like London and New York, which are incredibly expensive to live in.
3. The role of the city in society will shift
The cost of living in New York is three times the average cost of living in the U.S. As such, it is becoming a very corporate environment and is growing to become more extreme in terms of wealth disparity. Creatives can’t afford to live there anymore, and they no longer want to, because these places are not the cultural melting pots they once were. In the future, creative hubs won’t be in cities anymore; they will be in the countryside. People will flee ultra-wealth centers.
4. Social media’s impact will be reframed
Social media platforms are facing a new wave of criticism from teenagers. This started last year, but what’s interesting is that Instagram is a new target for criticism. It used to be seen as quite an innocuous, ‘cuddly’, visual platform, but teens are starting to see it as damaging. Gen Zers are becoming much more aware of what social media does to their mental health and sense of identity.
There is now an increasing emphasis on influencers being ‘real’. There will also be a shift towards privacy and community; users are becoming more community-oriented and private. People are moving away from broadcasting their lives and using smaller instant messaging circles.
5. We’ll find new ways of traveling
Travel and experience have defined aspiration for the last 10 years, and they have been the fastest growing areas of luxury. A selfie by the pool in Bali, an African safari, or hopping around the planet were markers of success.
However, climate change will necessitate a move away from this. The idea of what is aspirational will change. People will start to explore the ‘staycation’ and find different ways to unwind beyond travel. People will find new ways of traveling. It will become more of a luxury and less of a bragging right.
6. Wellbeing will become even more important
Wellbeing is basically preventative healthcare. People will increasingly try to take control of their health to prevent themselves from needing health services – particularly in places like the U.S. and U.K. People are trying to mitigate the risk of chronic diseases through their lifestyle choices. This will become more sophisticated. Pseudo-professional healthcare – like consumer brands selling HIV tests and the morning after pill – will increase.
There will be a backlash against healthcare fads, and we’ll move towards simpler and more accessible healthcare. Access to good quality food, water, and air is now a socio-economic issue – people increasingly believe everyone should have access to this, regardless of income. Healthcare is also becoming increasingly connected with environmental change. Pollution is not only bad for the environment, it’s bad for your health. Microplastics are not only bad for the planet, they’re bad for you. Veganism is as much a health trend as a sustainability trend.
The author
Lucie Greene is a leading trend forecaster and co-author of the new book The Fast Forward Files
