GT Briefing January 2013: Looking Ahead — The Best of 2013 Trends

January 2013: Proving yet again that evaluating trends and forecasts requires a healthy dose of common sense, a high tolerance of ambiguity and the ability to determine what is most relevant for you and your organization, the world continues to revolve after the end of the Mayan calendar, the US fiscal cliff (at least round one) and a host of geopolitical shifts. As we look forward to 2013 and beyond, these traits will be more important than ever as new and exciting trends shape how we live, work, consume and think.  Typing Trends for 2011 into Google on January 1^st 2011 gave us around 46 million results but typing Trends for 2012 gave us on January 1^st 2011 gave us around 808 million and typing Trends for 2013 into Google on January 1^st 2013 gave us around 1030 million results! The number of opinions about what’s in store in the forthcoming year is exploding – particularly in a year where we face increasing uncertainty over everything from the geopolitical world order (renewed tension in the Middle East and the China South Sea?) to the economy (recession or not? global or not?) to consumer behavior (to buy or not to buy?). With so many diverse forecasts it can be tough to sort the noise from the merely interesting to the extremely important. 

So, as here’s our annual round-up of where you can find some of the more interesting and important trend forecasts and ideas for 2013. As always, bear in mind that in a world as uncertain as ours such forecasts are not meant to be accurate. Treat them as directional and informed opinions on potential opportunities and challenges that can offer new perspectives to supplement your own thinking on what might be possible, feasible and desirable. And look at both sides of the arguments – as uncertainty and volatility grow, it’s more important than ever to think through all the options! Don’t forget to look at top trends outside your own industry or market space – these may well cross over sooner than you think! We will pick up on many of these trends in our 2013 GT briefings along with examples of how they are being – or could be – translated into action. 

Global Trends/Macro Trends

• The Economist – The World in 2013: The Economist has been producing The World in… for 27 years, and as always this year’s collection of predictions, opinions and ideas is an interesting mix.  From commentaries on the economic battle in Europe, what to expect from the next big report on climate change, to which country will be best for a baby born in 2013, to how the predictions from 2012 turned out, and what countries could face a turbulent year in the Middle East in 2013. Well worth browsing here.
• 10 Key Trends to Watch in 2013!  If you missed out on our December brief we suggest you take a look back at our 10 Key Trends to Watch as they are not only relevant for next year but very likely well beyond 2013. Check outsocial everything, the next “industrial” revolution, the new space race, business stepping up, information is power and more trends here.
• Topics for the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum: “Resilient Dynamism” with the aim of catalyzing and facilitating global, regional and industry transformation. This year the agenda is divided into a global, regional, industry and business themes with topics including: Stable growth and higher employment; leadership transitions among G20 members; ensuring stable, sustainable and affordable supplies of critical natural resources; leveraging rapid and far-reaching advances in science, technology and medicine. For the executive summary click here.
• Monocle: Amongst the usual eclectic mix of forecasts on global affairs, tourism, culture and design, Monocle offers its third annual index of the leading 30 soft power nations – who’s got power through a range of soft attributes from a reputation for design to culture to business assets to green credentials – as opposed to military and industrial might. Everyone wants it, some have it and many more are figuring out how to develop and use it – well worth a look here to see how your country and the countries you are operating in stack up.  (Note: Subscription required or buy the hard copy).
• CNBC – Predictions 2013:  CNBC’s special report is a great mix of industries, investments and issues together with predictions from the CNBC’s Fab Five on the Big Picture. For more CNBC predictions clickhere.
• Booz & Company – Industry Perspectives 2013: Booz & Company has released its Industry Perspectives for 2013 written by the leadership of their industry practices. The papers explore 13 industries, identifying industry-wide trends and key decisions leaders need to make in 2013 as well as the capabilities companies need to build in order to be successful in this challenging global economic environment. Read more here.

Consumer Trends

• Trendwatching’s 10 Crucial Consumer Trends for 2013: Another round-up of the key consumer trends to watch for the year ahead and most probably beyond, with excellent examples to generate inspiration and innovation. Among the trends: New Life Inside, Appscriptions, Data Myning, and Mobile Moments. Click herefor the briefing.
• Trend Hunter: Consumer trend site, Trend Hunter, has also summarized their top 20 (world, consumer, business, pop culture, eco, fashion, marketing, technology, social media, business, lifestyle, art & design) trends for 2013.  These include:Manufactured Addiction, Shoppertainment, Fashionizing, Physical Virtual, Digi-Tail.  See more trends here.
• JWT Intelligence 10 trends for 2013: While the full reportis only available for purchase, JWT has done a video teaser and an executive summery revealing its top 10 key trends for 2013, along with a video presentation of 100 Things to Watch in 2013 which include: Intelligent objects, predictive personalization, the mobile fingerprint, peer power, and everything is retail. See the videos here.

Economic Trends

• IMF: The IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO) offers the IMF staff’s analysis and projections of economic developments globally, by major regions and levels of development, as well as for individual countries.  It covers major economic policy issues plus prospects. The last full version was October 2012, for which click here.
• World Bank: The World Bank published its World Economic Prospects 2012 in June 2012 (click here), suggesting that developing countries should prepare for a long period of volatility and potentially tougher times. Growth in developing countries is anticipated to slow down to 5.3% in 2012, before strengthening slightly to 5.9% in 2013 and 6.0% in 2014. Growth in high-income countries will also be weak, at 1.4%, 1.9% and 2.3% for 2012, 2013 and 2014 respectively – with GDP in the Euro Area declining 0.3% in 2012. Overall, global GDP is projected to rise 2.5%, 3.0% and 3.3% for the same years. The Global Economic Monitor offers monthly and weekly updates on economic conditions.
• Deutsche Bank: The 2013/14 outlook for the world economy has deteriorated. Chief Economist Peter Hooper writes in the Global Outlook report 2013/14: “While new policy stimulus from the ECB and US Federal Reserve has underpinned equity and commodity prices in recent weeks, disappointing recoveries in the United States and Japan have left us little choice but to reduce our forecasts for global growth.” For more on this report visit here.
• Goldman Sachs: The major commercial and investment banks offer their forecasts for economic prospects in 2013, with a common theme of a relatively weak recovery. A useful video of Goldman Sachs predictions can be found here .
• Credit Suisse: In a video interview Credit Suisse Chief Investment Officer Stefan Keitel offers his views on the economic aspects in in the forthcoming year. Among the key points you will find: Fiscal cliff in the USA, soft landing in China, sigh of relief in Europe, and Asia and real asset classes remain interesting for investors. To watch the video interview visit this  link. 

Financial Markets/Investment Trends

• Bloomberg – Where to invest in 2013: From Bloomberg, the advice of 8 money managers who have distinguished themselves in the recent past with sage predictions and returns that beat rivals. To see the slideshow click here. 
• CNNMoney – Where to invest in 2013: Investing in financial markets, whether equities, bonds or commodities is tougher than ever in the post-crisis world of uncertainty and volatility.  CNNMoney offers some ideas on where they see opportunities for 2013 here.
• FT: The FT offers a range of market views for 2013, (Note: Registration may be required). Georges Magnus and Ralph Atkins discuss in a video the global prospects and risks for 2013, while Robin Wigglesworth gives his view of the global investment market for 2013 here.
• Bain & Company: Bain has identified five imperatives at work in a world awash with money, which will challenge financial investors and corporates to adapt to the changing investment environment. These five trends focus on challenges around interest rates, asset bubbles, balance sheet management, investment channels to emerging markets and the balance of economic power. Find out more here.
• Investopedia: Investopedia offers their top investment trends for 2013 covering technology, emerging markets and gold. For more visit here.
• MSN Money: The IPO market is still not as strong as before the crisis. However the U.S has been doing better than the rest of the world. Going into 2013 it looks like the U.S IPO market will get stronger.  5 IPOs that we might see in 2013 include Gilt, Box, Airbnb, Zendesk and SugarCRM. As the IPO market is highly uncertain the success of an IPO, according to analysts, will depend on the health of the global economy and broader markets. For more click here.

Technology Trends

• Gartner Strategic Technologies: Gartner defines a strategic technology as one with the potential to make a significant impact on the enterprise in the next three years. It may be an existing or emerging technology that will potentially impact an organization’s long-term plans, programs and initiatives. Among the top 10 Strategic Technologies they identify are: Mobile device battles, the internet of things, enterprise app store and personal cloud. For more click here.
• IBM: In the report Technology Trends for 2013 and Beyond IBM focuses on topics including: From nano devices to nano systems; from petascale to exascale; from disruptive technologies in HPC to transfer to commercial leadership; form big data to big analytics; from programming to systems that learn. Download the report here. 
• CIO Insight: In a world driven by constant technological advances, CIOs have no choice but to respond to the changes that continue to affect business now and in the future. They must either jump on the wagon or be left behind. Among the trends you will find: The increasing importance of smartphones, the cloud is here to stay, social networking security, increasing employee knowledge. Click here to watch the slideshow “10 trends sure to impact CIOs in 2013.”
• Verizon: Verizon has identified five key business-tech trends in 2013 for enterprises: 1.The forecast is bright for hybrid clouds, 2. The mobile majority is taking charge, 3. Connected machines drive new insights, 4. Networks will be smarter than you and invisible, 5. Security is the new arms race. See more here.  
• The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA): In its annual publication about tech trends expected to influence consumer electronics in the coming year the CEA examines five technology trends: 1.The future of 3D printing, 2. Next-generation TVs and displays, 3. The evolution of the audio market, 4. The mobile revolution in Africa, and 5. Technology in education. For more on this report visit here.
• Fox News: 2013 trends from the Hong Kong Electronics Fair which is the largest exhibitor tech trade show in the world. Here manufacturers show off their latest products indicating what will be in the shops next year. For more click here.
• Fast Company: From human-computer interaction gets more humanistic to apps become invisible, to smarter smartphones and more automated cars; technologists, designers, and strategists look at what trends will shape the future and 2013. Read more here.
• Mashable: Among Mashables 11 big tech trends that will make a difference in 2013 you will find:  Second-screen revolution, big data, end of the anonymous trolls, end of privacy, and rise of reporting. For more trends and details click here.

 Cyber Security Trends 

• Symantec: Security software corporation Symantec has been speculating about the cyber security threats we will see next year. Their five predications: 1. Cyber conflict becomes the norm, 2. Ransomware is the new scareware, 3. Madware adds to the insanity, 4. Monetization of social networks introduces new dangers, 5. As users shift to mobile and cloud, so will attackers. For more click here.
• ITPRO: ITPRO asked 13 pros in IT security to look into the crystal ball to identify the biggest cyber security threats for companies in 2013. Predicting cyber threats is hard. But not trying to do so can cost businesses big money. Among the threats highlighted are: Cloud attacks, failure to hire sufficient security specialists, big data deployment, cyber espionage, and Android malware. For a detailed list of the cyber security threats visit here.
• Websense: San Diego based Websense, which specializes in web filtering software, has looked at recent security and attack trends to come up with their version of looming cyber security threats. To mention a few:  More cross-platform threats attacking mobile devices in 2013; legitimate mobile app stores will host more malware in 2013, but legitimate apps behaving badly may become more of a concern; email attacks will evolve to new levels.See more about the threats here.
• Imperva: According to Amichai Shulman, co-founder and CTO of Imperva, you can expect to see the sophistication of attacks increase as hackers leverage emerging technologies to execute new tactics in 2013. Cyber security remains one of the most dynamic and fluid disciplines worldwide and among Imperva’s five trends for next year you will find:  Government malware goes commercial, black clouds on the horizon, and strength in numbers. For more click here.
• Booz Allen: Booz Allen has released their top 10 financial services cyber security trends for 2013 predicting increasing cyber risks and security protection in the financial services industry in 2013. Among the trends are:Business/information risk protection is not just a technology issue, data disruption attacks may become data destruction attacks, nation states and threat actors are becoming more sophisticated, and cyber risk continues to be a board-level issue. For more visit here.   

Social Media Trends 

• SAP: SAP has gathered 50+ experts’ predictions for The Future of Social Media in 2013. To see all 50+ predictions visit here.
• Huffington Post: Huffington Post’s Beverly Macy suggests: “That bringing those who simply don’t ‘get’ social media and the importance of becoming a social enterprise to the table is the next big wave inside Fortune 500 organizations. This is one of the biggest management undertakings ever – bigger than pay for performance; bigger than quality management; bigger than Six Sigma; certainly bigger than sustainability. This is the grand-daddy of them all.” Her four social enterprise trends in 2013 are: 1. Beyond marketing, 2. Social meets big data in the cloud, 3. Social architecture and alignment, 4. Social media education. To learn more about these trends click here.
• Dreamgrow: Should we believe Dreamgrow, 1.5 billion people will be using Facebook in 2013. Visit here to find out more about the predicated increases in Japan, Brazil, Russia, South Korea and India.
• Fast Company: Ryan Holmes, CEO of Hootsuite, predicts the biggest social media trends that will unfold next year: Mobile social media usage continues to soar, social advertising grows and evolves, international and niche social networks experience dramatic growth, social media moves beyond the marketing department, big data grows but gets more manageable; social media education gets formalized. To learn more click here.
• Social Media Today: Social Media presents six social-digital predictions for 2013 1. The content economy, 2. Cyborg central, 3. The Smobile web, 4. Sensory intelligence, 5. Social commerce, 6. Data surplus, insight deficit. For more click here.
• Millward Brown: Brand research consultancy Millward Brown has identified 10 emerging digital and media trends for next year. Among the predictions: The emergence of “mobile remote”, omnichannel marketing and brand building, more paywalls on premium sites will lead to a scarcity of “premium eyeballs”, and social TV grows up. To read all the top 2013 click here.

Mobile Trends

• Broadband Convergent: Mobile and wireless services are exploding and consumers are craving ever better, smaller and faster hardware, software and connections. Broadband Convergent are predicting the biggest mobile trends for 2013 will include:  Role of P2P and streaming video, classes of service; need for speed; network visibility. Click here to find out more. 
• iMediaConnection: The mobile world is growing by leaps and bounds with new technologies, new apps, and new networks being built daily. With so much going on, there’s no telling what 2013 will bring. From iMediaConnection five mobile trends to watch: 1. App growth will not slow down, 2. Users will more than ever expect a highly integrated experience as they move from the Web, to the mobile device, and back, 3. The cloud is coming to the office, 4. Content curation is king, 5. The digital textbook is how the new generation of students will learn. Read more here.
• LookOut: Your smartphone knows where you are, has access to your email, appointments, phone contacts, and is part of the way you surf the web, make purchases, access your bank account. It has very little security or privacy built into it and therefore smartphones are increasingly becoming targets for malicious hackers. From mobile security firm Lookout seven mobile threat predictions for 2013.

Retail Trends

• Interbrand/Chain Store Age’s State of the Industry Report: Today traditional business patterns are being disrupted by new technologies. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected through social media and other digital platforms, businesses are increasingly feeling the pressure to be where their customers are. “Location, location, location” is still the mantra – just in cyberspace, and by the way, on the consumer’s terms. Read more about the rapid changes underway here.
• Entrepreneur:  The Entrepreneur has made a list of the biggest trends that will help anchor your business in the coming year. They include among others: Domestic production makes a comeback, beauty seekers favor ‘cosmeceuticals’, healthcare goes digital, using transparency to build consumer trust. For more on business trends visit here.
• The Association for Retail Environments: In the report 13 trends for 2013, Retail System Research predicts that retail payment options will increasingly disrupt the retail landscape. They therefore expect merchandisers to blend old and new techniques in 2013. For more on these trends visit the web seminar Retail Trends 2013: The most important topics for a pivotal year.
• Forbes: According to Forbes there are three important retail trends to look out for next year: Mobile, integration, and more and more social. Find out of more here.

Marketing Trends

• Dreamgrow: Priit Kallas from Dreamgrow has looked into the crystal ball and is suggesting that the trends for social media and content marketing in 2013 will include: Consumers want information! They want to feel in control and make their own decisions, business blogging, creating enough content will be the greatest challenge, social media will be the most popular channel to distribute the content. Click here to see more trends from Dreamgrow.
• Search Engine Journal: Today more than ever people are sharing information over the internet, making it possible for business to get firsthand information for marketing. From Search Engine Journal a few 2013 of their emerging trends that focus on how to measure, analyze, and engage audiences effectively on social networks: Locating your audience, analyzing the site, thinking multi-platform, finding the (right) influencers, measuring the effect. For an explanation of the trends click here.
• Branding Strategy Insider: From the Branding Strategy Insider, 13 critical brand marketing trends for 2013 include: The expectation economy, me-tail, (e)tail everywhere, siri-ously soon, app savants , story telling tales. For more visit here.
• Business 2 Community: Online is where you want to be. Giving the consumer a unique experience is the key so they come, stay, engage, convert and form an enduring relationship with your business. Among the online marketing trends to look out for in 2013: Gamification; be mobile; data, data, data; personalization; agile marketing. Find out of more here.
• The Luxury Institute: It is time to get ready for the loyalty marketing renaissance of 2013. From the Luxury Institute a few guidelines to use when planning your customer loyalty programs for 2013: Don’t just be social, be helpful; forget gamification, learn the game; feel the power of post-PC;  learn to outsmart “showrooming”; remember that likes don’t equal loves; make love. Visit here for more. 
• ExactTarget: Are you interested in what the future of marketing holds? Then read the Inspired Marketing Predictions for 2013 – 25 predictions from industry leaders gathered by ExactTarget.

Job & Recruiting Trends 

• ILO: The annual Global Employment Trends 2013 report from the International Labour Organization has been released highlighting  how the crisis is increasingly raising unemployment rates, partly driven by sectoral shifts of jobs triggered by the crisis. The depressed growth prospects have started to spread to the developing world, where low productivity and wage growth continues to remain an issue in most regions, preventing improvements in employment and disposable incomes, in particular among poorer countries, and adding to a rise in global inequality. Click here to read the report.
• Wall Street Journal:  From Wall Street Journal four must-have-skills for next year if you want to get a promotion or a new job: Clear communication, personal branding, flexibility, and productivity improvement. For more on these must-have-skills click here.
• Monster.com: Monster.com, one of the largest employment websites in the world, has taken the temperature of the 2013 small business trends in recruitment and hiring, and according to the company the climate is decidedly mixed. Read more here.
• TALENT2050 – Multicultural@Work: Divided into 7different headlines: Technology-related, metrics, competitive analysis, recruiting targets, college recruiting, general recruiting, and current recruiting; TALENT2050 – Multicultural@Work has looked at how different trends will develop within these headlines/areas. Visit here to get more information.

Design & Fashion Trends

• IKEA: Each year many design trends find their way into the pages of the IKEA catalog. The IKEAFANS website highlights some of the trends you should expect to see based on their own observations from IKEA’s 2013 range. Look out for these in homes near you soon! Click here to learn more about: Influence from craftsmanship and traditions of Asia, Africa and South America, and the accessory palette focused on soft colors of yellows, purples and blues.
• The Boston Design Center: The Boston Design Center has released the hot trends they are expecting for 2013, with classic beach house colors and patterns forecast to be among next year’s style trends. For more information click here.
• Fashion Trendsetter: What is set to be in in 2013 in terms of color trends? It looks like 2013 will bring us colors among other that are high class kitsch, overtone, and subversive. For more visit here.
• Europa Regina: And if you want to know even more about what will be trendy in the fashion, interior design, color and decorations arena visit here.

Health & Wellness Trends

• American Council on Exercise (ACE): Among key findings suggested by more than 1,700 experts, ACE trends for 2013 uncover an encouraging shift in the public’s understanding of the gravity of the American obesity epidemic as well as a growing trend towards more individuals and employers collaborating with fitness professionals in an effort to inspire healthier lifestyles. Also, there is a growing trend toward “no-frills” exercise such as high-intensity and interval workout options, along with yoga, that will take precedence in 2013. For more click here.
• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM):  A worldwide survey among 3,346 certified health and fitness professionals shows, as last year, more people are turning to experienced fitness pros and fitness programs. The survey predicts the top 10 worldwide fitness trends for 2013. Among the top 3 you will find: 1. Educated, certified and experienced fitness professionals; 2. Strength training; 3. Body weight training. For more visit here.

Food & Beverage Trends

• Restaurant Hospitality: Ad agency/food brand consultancy Sterling-Rice Group has looked into the crystal ball to find the 10 dining trends they think will move from the cutting edge into the mainstream in 2013. Among the dining trends: Sour gets its day, chefs watch your weight, Asian infiltrates American comfort food, kids’ menus grow up. Visit here for more.
• Baum+Whiteman International: Baum+Whiteman International who create high-profile restaurants for clients around the world have come up with the 17 hottest food & beverage trends in restaurants & hotels for 2013: Bars are where the flavor action is; everyone wants to be Chipotle…even Chipotle; aye, robots; two bread trends; and fields of green, are among the trends that can be expected to take off in the coming year. For more click here.
• The Food Channel:  As we head into the new year the Food Channel has looked at what we will see in the world of food next year.Among the top ten food trends you will find: 1. Kickstarting new food concepts, 2. Smokin’ hot, 3. Home bakers hone skills, 4. The fix is in. Prix-fixe, that is. For more on these trends visit here.
• CNN Money: From CNN Money eight food fads that will be coming in 2013: 1. The return of eating out, 2. Superior sweeteners, 3. International flavours go mainstream, 4. Treats with a healthy twist, 5. Supplier-owned stores, 6.  Fullness as a selling point, 7. Sour, tart and bitter flavors, 8. Fancy fast food. For more information click here.

Travel Trends

• Lonely Planet:So where do we want to spend our vacation in 2013? Lonely Planet has released the top 10 countries and the top 10 cities for 2013. Among the top 5 countries you will find Sri Lanka, Montenegro, South Korea, Ecuador and Slovakia. Among the top 5 cities you will find San Francisco, Hyderabad, Londonderry/Derry and B?ij?ng. 
• Independenttraveler.com: According to the Independenttraveler.com some of the top travel trends for next year will be: Onboard Wi-Fi will become more ubiquitous (if not affordable), mobile travel booking will improve markedly, alternative lodging options will become mainstream, and travelers and businesses will start to measure non-financial costs of travel. For more travel trends visit here.
• Condé Nast Traveller: In their latest magazine, Condé Nast offers its Gold List of 2013 which is its view on the best hotels in the world, along with the best bargain breaks, diving destinations and more. Worth a look here, once the holidays are over and you are planning the next one.
• Cox & Kings: The annual travel trends to watch in 2013 has been released by Cox & Kings and among the top experiences, travel styles and destination picks to look forward to are: Insta travel, the return of the big trip, safe solo female travel, retracing footsteps: historical trails. For more click here. 

In February: Look out for trends in action on reshaping the future of work.

Happy New Year from the GT Team!