Trends Identified
Into the Abyss
A cascading series of economic/financial crises overwhelm political and policy responses
2018
The Global Risks Report 2018
World Economic Forum (WEF)
Inequality Ingested
Bioengineering and cognition-enhancing drugs widen the gulf between haves and have-nots
2018
The Global Risks Report 2018
World Economic Forum (WEF)
War without Rules
State-on-state cyberattacks escalate unpredictably owing to a lack of agreed protocols
2018
The Global Risks Report 2018
World Economic Forum (WEF)
Identity Geopolitics
Self-determination around contested borders sparks regional conflict
2018
The Global Risks Report 2018
World Economic Forum (WEF)
Walled Off
Regulatory, cybersecurity and protectionist concerns lead to the fragmentation of the internet
2018
The Global Risks Report 2018
World Economic Forum (WEF)
Transparency trailblazers
Why a new wave of brands are placing honesty and openness at the heart of their marketing
2018
Most contagious
Contagious
Modern masculinity
Brand feminism has been one of the most discussed themes in our industry recently and forward- thinking companies are working hard to improve the way women are portrayed in ads. But some brands are now adopting the same approach to challenge male stereotypes. From husbands doing housework to guys in heels, last year brands began to embrace more diverse representations of men. Since then, the cultural conversation around ‘toxic masculinity’ has gained momentum, pressuring marketers to adapt to the shift or risk irrelevance.
2018
Most contagious
Contagious
The man in the cardboard castle
‘Amazonification’ has become the watch word of 2017. The retail giant has subsumed more than just Whole Foods this year. It has its eye on the whole economic enchilada, the appetite to create an ecosystem and the ambition to build an empire. And as Jeff says, it’s still Day One.
2018
Most contagious
Contagious
The political lifestyle
Pepsi practically invented life- style marketing in 1963, when it struck upon the idea for the Pepsi Generation, and the brand has been distilling the essence of youth into its ads ever since. In previous years, this involved montages of clean-cut teens cavorting at swimming holes and collaborations with the Spice Girls, but in 2017 Pepsi decided it meant protests and social conscience.
2018
Most contagious
Contagious
The march of the bots
News of machines taking human jobs has caused widespread nail-biting for some time, but the tension reached fever pitch in 2017. More than 70% of people in the US are now anxious about a future where computers perform human tasks, according to a study by think tank Pew. Sinovation Ventures founder Kai-Fu Lee, for example, believes that half of all jobs globally will be replaced by AI over the next decade.
2018
Most contagious
Contagious