Think forward 2017

“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

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.

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.

METHODOLOGYWe 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.

CONTENTSTECHNOLOGYCONTENTCULTUREBUSINESS

TECHNOLOGY1 Chatbots - the rise of instant interaction

2 Facilitating intimacy

CONTENT3 Helpful voyeurs

4 A living legacy

CULTURE5 Anti-advocacy

6 Digital equilibrium

BUSINESS7 The IoST 2.0: winning our trust

8 Behaviour as currency

9 Socially smart money

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 NOWWe 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 TRUSTIn 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.

TECHNOLOGYCONTENTCULTUREBUSINESS

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

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.

CHAT

BOTS

- THE

RISE

OF I

NSTA

NT IN

TERA

CTIO

NS

EXAM

PLES

CHATBOTS - THE RISE OF INSTANT INTERACTION

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BRANDSWhile 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

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 ITIf 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

TREND 2:FACILITATING INTIMACYWhile 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


2

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.

FACI

LITAT

ING

INTIM

ACY

EXAM

PLES

FACILITATING INTIMACY

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BRANDSThis presents an opportunity for brands to have a hand in

facilitating new relationships, nurture existing ones and

help to increase mutual offline understanding.

2

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 ITIf 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

17


TREND 3:HELPFUL VOYEURSIn 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.



3

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.

HELP

FUL V

OYEU

RS

EXAM

PLES

HELPFUL VOYEURS

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BRANDSWith 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

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 ITNot 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

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

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.

A LIV

ING

LEGA

CY

EXAM

PLES

A LIVING LEGACY

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BRANDSWhile 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

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 ITOnly 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

26


TREND 5:ANTI-ADVOCACYBigotry 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.



5

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.

A LIV

ING

LEGA

CY

EXAM

PLES

ANTI-ADVOCACY

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BRANDSWhile 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

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 ITThis 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

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.


TIME TO MAINSTREAM - ONGOING

6

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.

DIGI

TAL E

QUILI

BRIU

M

EXAM

PLES

DIGITAL EQUILIBRIUM

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BRANDSIf 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

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 ITIf 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

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

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..

THE I

NTER

NET O

F SOC

IAL T

HING

S 2.0

EXAM

PLES

THE INTERNET OF SOCIAL THINGS 2.0

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BRANDSAs 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

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 ITIs 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

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.



8

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.

BEHA

VIOU

R AS C

URRE

NCY

EXAM

PLES

BEHAVIOUR AS CURRENCY

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BRANDSTraditionally, 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

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 ITIs 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

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


9

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.

SOCI

ALLY

SMAR

T MON

EY

EXAM

PLES

SOCIALLY SMART MONEY

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BRANDSAs 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

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 ITThis 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

NEXT STEPSSo 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:

[email protected]

Marketing

Think forward 2017