2016. How glad I am to see it go. The past 12 months have proved to be a little too much for me. Too much change. Too much hate. Too much violence. And, far too many ugly, hurtful and dangerous words hurled around from every side.
Brexit and Trump in. Bowie and Prince gone. And, Syria no closer to peace than when the year started.
So what can possibly be next? As 2017 looms, there is undoubtedly a pall of uncertainty around geopolitics and the economy. But there is also a hopefulness. We possibly can’t have two in a row.
Perhaps that’s wishful thinking. Perhaps I just want to escape the dreariness of news (or fake news as it seems) that has been relentless. And I’m pretty sure I am not alone.
After periods of political upheaval, societies normally conspire to offer fresh means of escapism. Think rock-‘n’-roll swagger in the ’50s or the neon nightlife of the ’80s.
Given the political earthquakes of 2016, the fallout that may follow, and the continued pressure on living standards, the world is ripe for a surge in escapism.
This time around, expect elaborate self-improvement, more adventure challenges and mainstreamed E-sports.
People will be seeking adventure, new experiences, creativity and self-improvement.
Companies need to think about ways to facilitate these attributes and seize this opportunity. Whether it is travel, eSports, health, there is a new mentality to tap into and a chance to offer people something that they crave – freedom from the everyday.
As communicators, we need to be connecting with this mind-set. We should harness our creativity and authenticity to create campaigns that resonate and be confident in advising our clients for some out-of-the-box thinking that help people focus on something other than the constant sense of uncertainty.
No one knows what the future holds. We can hope for the best and prepare for the worst. We can make sure that if we are bracing ourselves for even more changes, we are also taking the opportunity to dream big and escape it all for a little while.
There are further trends predictions from Ketchum here: https://blog.ketchum.com/the-new-normal-is-that-there-isnt-one/