JWT identifies global trends that will drive consumer behaviour

JWT has released its fifth annual year-end forecast of key trends that will drive or significantly impact consumer behaviour in the year ahead.

According to the forecast, 2010 will see more brands disclosing everything from calorie counts on menus to carbon emissions to sourcing details; a proliferation of products and services catering to the over-65 set; and an explosion of location-based or -aware services that leverage data from a user’s mobile phone.

“As we approach a new decade, many of the trends we’re identifying are consequences of the Great Recession—for instance, the emergence of consumers who are willing to put significant time and energy into purchases and the accelerating power shift to Brazil, India and China,” says Ann Mack, director of trendspotting at JWT. “As in past years, technological, demographic and geopolitical changes are also key drivers.”

JWT’s “10 Trends for 2010” is the result of quantitative, qualitative and desk research conducted throughout the year. It also pulls from the input of more than 50 trendscouts around the world. 

Other key trends cited in the report include: Trickle-Up Innovation -- Products designed for emerging markets are increasingly filtering into the developed world, where customers are welcoming them as cheaper and simpler alternatives to existing choices; Life in Real Time -- The Web is evolving into a constantly updating stream of real-time information, conversation, memes and images. This is creating an increasingly mass culture and shifting perceptions of “current,” moving modern life into the “now”; and Visual Fluency -- The ongoing shift from words to images will accelerate, and we’ll see increasingly innovative ways to explain and illuminate complex topics.

“Trends don’t happen in isolation—they tend to intersect and work in tandem with each other. And many are extensions or outgrowths of older trends,” added Mack. “After all, trends with real significance can’t be assigned to just one calendar year. The trends we’re exploring for 2010 indicate shifts that are likely to be with us for a while.”

The 32-page “10 Trends for 2009” report is available at JWTIntelligence.com. Additional trendletters on JWTIntelligence.com cover topics including the energy race, the collective consciousness, and the recession’s impact on luxury and health and wellness.

The wrap-up of the report can also be viewed here: