How do the World’s Best Brands Understand the Needs of the Future Consumer?

The customer is always at the heart of a company’s decision making, but progressive companies look beyond how their customer is living and behaving today and use specific methods to anticipate how they will be different in the future. They identify how their existing customers will change, and who their new audiences might be in two to five years’ time.  

Understanding the future customer is one of the biggest challenges facing modern businesses. At TrendBible, we anticipate how consumer values, behaviours, tastes and expectations will evolve and help brands respond to that. 

Understanding the Future Customer Matters 

Most organisations invest time and budget into understanding their current customers through market research and focus groups. While this insight is valuable, it doesn’t do the job of investigating what will be different for your customers in the coming months or years. 

• What change is coming that will shape what your customer will think, feel and do? 

• What social, cultural and lifestyle shifts will drive new behaviours?

We use a blend of trend forecasting and foresight methods to help companies uncover how cultural shifts, societal change, and emerging values will reshape their customers’ decisions in the future.

Changing Consumer Attitudes Drive Innovation 

Can you imagine a world where we openly welcome strangers into our home when we’re not there? Ten years ago, this mindset might have been deemed deeply undesirable, but with the emergence of convenience culture, and 24-hour parcel and grocery deliveries, householders are open to allowing permitted strangers access to their homes. This Nuki door lock innovation responds to this changing attitude, by allowing time-limited access code for delivery drivers, carers and service providers.

• How might an innovation like this create risk and opportunity for other home-centred brands? 

• How might your company better understand future consumer attitudes and use them to inform your innovation pipeline?

Leading Positive Change

As a trend leader, you are part of a group of decision makers responsible for creating a balanced dynamic between commercial success, connecting with your customer and shouldering the responsibility that all companies should feel to make a positive societal impact.

Businesses play a huge part in how we drive positive change. They are considered the most trusted institutions – more so than governments or the media – both in general terms and when it comes to introducing new innovations into society.

Key Takeaways 

• Applying a futures lens provides clarity and foresight into how consumer behaviours will evolve 

• Understanding your future consumer ensures long-term relevance and brand trust 

• Businesses that align with values-driven consumers strengthen both reputation and growth 

• Trend leaders have a responsibility to drive positive change for society, balancing profit with purpose 

Ready to start your Trend Leader journey? 

If you don’t know where to begin introducing trends to an organisation that is not yet adopting them, Trend Leader is for you. Purchase from Amazon to start your journey.