Last year I conducted a meta-analysis of 13 trend reports for 2018, finding the 19 most prevalent “predictions” of the year to come. Looking back, while some forecasts like “The Cannabis Norm” and “Crumbling Big Tech” were on the money, “Participatory Entertainment” and “Mainstreamed AR” still haven’t quite landed.In hindsight, many of these “trends” were (and still are) more reactionary than anything — they project behaviors stemming entirely from prior events, rather than reading between the lines to calculate possibilities. More so, many of these trends are not necessarily “annual”, as last year’s “Mindfulness in Vogue” and “Craving Detox” continue strong into 2019. Regardless…After curating the 13 most reputable reports this year, and analyzing +300 trends from Mindshare, Frog, Edelman, Mintel, Fjord, Space 150, JWT, Forrester, Trend Hunter, Forrester, Landor, Global Web Index, TrendWatching, Sparks & Honey, and Facebook IQ* (developed with JWT, Stylus & PSFK), I’ve noted the top 11 prevalent, overlapping trends throughout. Below, you will find the most recurrent themes, personal descriptions, and how each organization named their trend.

01. Sensational Sustainability ♻️

• Manufacturers will cautiously cater clean, environmentally-friendly products
• New Sustainability — JWT
• Sustainability Beats Convenience — Fjord
• Green Consumption — Global Web Index
• Beauty Goes Green — Facebook IQ (Stylus)
• Environmental Beauty — Trend Hunter
• Everyday Eco-Products — Facebook IQ
• Anti-Package — Trend Hunter
• Circular Economy — PSFK
• The Last Straw — Fjord
• Rethink Plastic — Mintel
• Open Source Solutions — TrendWatching
• Purpose Regains Meaning — Forrester
• Zero Waste Retail — Trend Hunter

02. Digital Health 💊

• With addiction, prioritization of mindful tech usage and detox will thrive
• Social Isolation — Mintel
• Social Media Wellbeing — JWT
• Semi-Presence — Sparks & Honey
• Mindful Media — Mindshare
• Ethical Internet — JWT
• Silence is Golden — Fjord
• Data Minimalism — Fjord
• Digital Minimalism — Sparks & Honey
• Unplugging is the New Luxury — Space 150

03. Voice Evolves 🔊

• Voice assistants and sounds will amplify in both ubiquity and intelligence
• Voice Technology — Global Web Index
• Voice Campaigning — Trend Hunter
• Sound Empires — JWT
• Micro-Moments Will Rule Search — Frog
• Look Who’s Talking — Mindshare
• Smarter Sound — Facebook IQ
• Branded Podcasting — Trend Hunter

04. Ethical Dilemmas ⚠️

• Among outrage, brands will be forced to take sides, frequently ill-prepared
• Brands Enter the Outrage — Forrester
• Don’t Get Stuck in the Middle — Landor
• Legislative Brands — TrendWatching
• Inclusivity Paradox — Fjord
• End of Gender Generalization — Landor
• Branded Commentary — Trend Hunter

05. Identity Blur 👩🏽‍💻

• Our on- and offline lives will continue to meld, making distinction difficult
• Digital Identity — Edelman
• Identity Integration — Sparks & Honey
• Designing Our Off-Screen Lives — Frog
• Fantasy IRL — TrendWatching
• Delving into Digital Worlds — Facebook IQ
• Virtual Influencers — JWT
• On Display — Mintel

06. Immersive Retail 🛒

• Brick and mortar will become more participatory, hoping to remain relevant
• Retail Gets Experiential — Frog
• Retail Retreat — Trend Hunter
• Hip Experiential Stores — JWT
• Brand Experience — Landor
• Space Odyssey — Fjord
• Outdoor Immersion Store — JWT

07. Obsessive Wellness 🥑

• The elevation of self-care will become farther-reaching and more quantifiable
• Total Wellbeing — Mintel
• Lab Rats — TrendWatching
• Wellness as Luxury — Facebook IQ (PSFK)
• Every Company is a Wellness Company — Landor
• Brand Therapists — JWT

08. Digital Faith 🔐

• Trust in institutions will further diminish, especially surrounding data ownership
• Paradox of Trust — Frog
• World Goes to Zero Trust — Forrester
• Trust in Data Privacy — Global Web Index
• Traceable Transparency — Trend Hunter
• Consumer-Champion Tech — JWT

09. Questionable Reality ⁉️

• With tools to manipulate and channels to seed, the truth will become debatable
• Synthetic Reality — Fjord
• Negotiated Reality — Sparks & Honey
• Accepted Deception — Sparks & Honey
• Real or Replica — Mindshare

10. Workplace 2.0 💼

• The traditional office will witness a transformation in both structure and tech
• New Workanomics — JWT
• Workplace as Interface — Frog
• Intelligent Workplace — Trend Hunter

11. Anthropomorphization 👁

• The application of human traits to the inanimate will become more extensive
• Humanizing Tech— JWT
• Everyday Objects as Empathetic Devices— Frog
• Matt Klein is a Strategist and academic at heart, fascinated with the relationships between mind, behavior, technology, culture and business. Find him on Twitter, LinkedIn and everywhere online as KleinKleinKlein.
• Further reading: The Trending 2018 Trends
• This piece is an educational review and does not infringe upon any copyright material as covered by Fair Use, Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. § 107.

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