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Our strategists Anita Hoebe and Frank Jansen elaborate on some of the expected trends for 2021. 

Trend # 1: From FOMO to FOGO

FOGO, Fear of Going Out illustrates how our lives have been changed by the Covid-19 crisis with hyper acceleration in digitization of everything. 2021 is the year with light somewhere at the end of the dark Covid-19 tunnel, eagerly awaiting the moment when Fear of Going Out transforms into Fun of Going Out.

But that accelerated progress in digitization that continues, also in how consumers want to interact with brands. So we would say keep moving forward with the digital transformation of brand experiences, embrace new technologies like AR, explore shopping through live streams, and commit to a future-proof multi-channel eCom approach.

Trend # 2: The Donut problem

Now that we are forced to work from home in large numbers, and also in our spare time are increasingly tied to the immediate environment of our house, our consumption behavior is becoming increasingly local. For example, we are increasingly able to find the bakery around the corner for our bread. This now has direct consequences for the inner cities, which are empty and deserted. The expectation is of course not that this change will continue in this form, but it is indeed expected that people will work from home to a greater extent in the future and will therefore also display different media and purchasing behavior that we must respond to.

Trend # 3: Connected lives

From smartphones to fitness trackers and from smart speakers to smart water leak detectors, more and more everyday devices are getting internet functionalities in a visible or invisible way. With the improvements in connectivity, there are more and more possibilities. You would think that the world is becoming more robotic and cold, but nothing could be further from the truth. More and more people are getting an (emotional) bond with their smart devices and the accompanying services, a fact that can be responded to well. Take Fender, for example, who gave online guitar lessons during the lockdown with the purchase of a new guitar to let buyers explore the new instrument right away.

Trend # 4: Respecting Privacy

It seems obvious, but one that we must always emphasize; Privacy. Much attention has already been paid to this in recent years, and will receive much more attention in the coming years. It is therefore extremely important as a company to continue to deal with this as well as possible and to ensure that consumers know why you need data from them, and especially what value you give them in return.

Haven't read the full trend report yet? Then you can download the report here.