Seven Macro-trends to Watch

We are witnessing some interesting transformations in the consumer landscape. They vary in terms of stage of development. Some are nascent and a little blurry, others sharper edged and closer. Stark or subtle, these trends signal the likely shifts in how consumers live and what they want.

1. Redefining Work (i): The information age will spawn self-managed, nomadic knowledge workers. Thanks to 24/7/365 connectivity, people will work without synchronism – anytime and anywhere. As a result, task, not time – a model that dominated employment until a century ago – will be the key building block for work. Consumers will demand real convergence and convenience that is easy to use on their terms. Screen shifting will grow, as consumers will want to move seamlessly from computer to television to mobile.

2. Recasting of Primary Reference Group (ii): The construct of friends and family will be more encompassing, extending to networks not necessarily related by blood or encumbered by geography. The basic need to connect will be fulfilled better by smaller online communities sharing similar interests, aspirations and values. Successful marketers will build a brand commune where like-minded individuals can congregate. Taking a cue, Toyota set up Toyota PlanetKaizen website. Toyota enthusiasts and auto aficionados alike gather and share their experiences, industry grapevine, and auto trivia at the website. Toyota, in turn, rewards them by serving detailed technical information, including Toyota’s innovation and manufacturing procedures.

3. P2P Networks (iii): Many-to-Many flow of information will gain the ascendancy over traditional One-to-Many. Collaborative P2P sharing will engender a self-serve, no-wait world. P2P exchanges will use personal currencies. Information or ideas will be transacted in exchange for counsel, shopping tips and social introductions. Marketers will need to build a genuine symbiotic relationship with “network transmitters” who want to influence, produce and distribute content among members.

As a corollary, P2P networks will build new business opportunities. Peerflix.com is an online service that enables members to legally swap DVDs. Kiva.org lets individuals extend micro-credit to budding entrepreneurs in developing countries.

4. Multisensory Life (iv): On-the-go technology tools with fast online connectivity will become integral parts of everybody’s lives. However, the engagement levels will differ. Millennials will be the most comfortable leading a hyperlife. They are used to overstimulation through multimedia. GenXers will slip in and out, walking a tight line between being plugged-in and a quiet life sans wireless. Many boomers/matures will see hyperlife as part of a love-hate relationship with technology. They will like the convenience but hate the intrusion.

5. Quest for Authenticity (v): Virtualization of life will build a yearning for the real. As the consumers see the world around them turn more contrived, they will want their products to connect them to history or to a cause. Consumers will be guided not only by price, quality and availability, but also authenticity. Consumers will search for authentic experiences complemented by authentic possessions. Corona projects an authentic carefree, fun-in-the-sun image, holding a 30% share of the import beer pie in the U.S.

6. Sustainability Check (vi): Eco-friendly business practices will become a price of entry for reaching mainstream consumers. Plug-in hybrid automobiles with potential to quadruple our miles per gallon will be zealously embraced. Food miles will be regularly checked on packaged foods. EDS has developed a grocery cart system that will provide shoppers with information about the environmental impact of their selections. All these steps will help reduce carbon emissions as well as loss of biodiversity.

7. Thrift Consciousness (vii): American consumers have seen their savings to disposable income ratio decline in the past few years. They are maxed out in mortgage and credit card debt. Conspicuous consumption will slow down, overtaken by conscientious consumption. Less will be the new more.

By Sanjeev Bhatt
Strategic Research Architect, Cheil USA


i. Erickson, Tamara J. “Task, Not Time: Profile of a Gen Y Job.” Harvard Business Review. Feb. 2008, p. 19.
ii. Macro-Trends, www.iconoculture.com.
iii. Macro-Trends, www.iconoculture.com.
iv. Macro-Trends, www.iconoculture.com.
v. Cloud, John. “Synthetic Authenticity.” Time. 24 Mar. 2008, p. 53.
vi. Macro-Trends, www.iconoculture.com.
vii. Fox, Justin. “The New Austerity.” Time. 24 Mar. 2008, p. 56.