Slimmer pickings this year, and one was even behind a paywall, so times are indeed a changing in Trend Report-ville. Here is last year's report if you want to catch up and see how things have progressed (or as it turns out not progressed). The criteria have remained the same from last year but are not limited to; the size of the entity, resources, clarity of thought, likelihood of happening in timescale described, depth and reasoning offered. Each report is scored out of ten and assigned a grade rather than medal this year - a bit more school report-like.
In general, far too much social and wellness, very little realism in the commerce suggestions and minimal demonstration of the Asian app influence that is creeping in in the reports. Less new app mentions and a real shying away from anything of substance with Facebook and Amazon was interesting. Possibly showing lack of clarity on the next steps for these companies, the anti-tech trend or just the power of the big guns. 'The world is a more changeable and scary place...' made it into more than a few first pages. Surprising also because Mary Meeker was clear and companies themselves were more open in guidance this year. Reports featured few mentions of new technologies that are or are set to make waves including eSports, holography, personalised nutrition and dynamic pricing. Unsurprisingly, Nike littered most reports because apparently, all brands are going to become Activists in 2019.
As always, I'll update this until January 20th (*** denotes an update) so get in touch if you want to see yours or have one you think should be included. Drop me a link here or send me a DM.
A* (10)
NONE.
A (8-9)
ECONOMIST: 'World In 2019'
OVERALL: A blistering look at global movements packed with data, opinion and insights you don't find anywhere else...until this is published(!).The calendar of events is both handy and eye-opening. A must-read. $13.95.
FORESIGHT FACTORY: 'Trending 2019'
OVERALL: Trending 2019 is jam-packed with insights, data and advice for brands. The local elements are a unique touch. Best of all, if you use the online version (clients only) stats update in real-time.
B (7)
*** MINDSHARE: 'Trends 2019'
OVERALL: Topics picked range (live, AR, Voice), but a good mix of stats, insights and examples to back up thoughts. The emotional resonance elements and scenarios add an interesting element that other reports lacked. Worth your time.
CARAT: '10 Trend for 2019'
OVERALL: Some nice thinking here, a proper world-view too (a rare commodity in a lot of the reports). 5G made it in, a core area that many reports forgot, omitted or don't know about that is going to impact 2019. A solid collection of fresh ideas that would benefit from a bit more information and a bit more data.
WIRED: 'The WIRED World in 2019'
OVERALL: A great collection of themes that are mostly unseen in other reports. The lack of focus on technology is refreshing and the focus on longer form pieces is a good way of getting into deeper areas. More data and recommendations would have helped this sing.
*** GLOBALWEBINDEX: 'Trends 19':
OVERALL: Despite obvious themes, the deck is bursting with data and insight but little in the way of actionable elements. A highlight is the in-depth look at privacy including a great graph that analyses country-specific attitudes - a helpful dataset for any global brand.
C (6-7)
CB INSIGHTS: 'Top Tech Trends For 2019'
A solid collection of 2018 data that projects into 2019. Smart home targetting the senior citizen market is an excellent example of this. Sleep, wellness and digital swag (a recurring theme in several reports) also made the cut. Informative but information that helps you to implement these into your business would have triggered a higher score.
TRENDWATCHING: '5 Trends for 2019'
OVERALL: Refreshingly short but a bit overly sweet. Trendwatching's five picks are not particularly bold (AR, wellness, big tech) and lack a 'so now do this...' section which would have made their choices much for useful for readers.
FJORD: 'Fjord Trends 2019'
OVERALL: The theme of 'value' and a return to is solid and well sold throughout the 53-pages of Fjords always beautifully-designed report. Some good suggestions after each section is a welcome addition although the depth these go to could be better. Some obvious plays with 'Silence is golden' about anti-tech. Could be improved by going outside of just 'Fjordians'. The 'Inclusivity Paradox' is a good read and a nice take on the aforementioned Nike-esque brand movement that is happening.
FORRESTER: 'Predictions in 2019'
OVERALL: The biggest thinking but the fewest words (perhaps not surprising considering the business model). The straightforward (if a little short) document outlines predictions and meta-trends for the year. The 'pragmatic' theme is an interesting one and echoed in several other reports. Check out the specific predictions page for your industry too.
HOOTSUITE: 'Global Social Media Trend Report 2019'
OVERALL: Obvious picks and little in the way of original calls, a shame considering the reach of the company. Takeaways are too short to be of much use although case studies do add some colour.
D (5-6)
MINTEL: 'Global Consumer Trends 2019'
OVERALL: Solid effort and data throughout but despite the 'Trend in Action' element, there is little in the way of recommendations or help to answer the 'so what should I do?' question.
E (4-5)
TRENDHUNTER: 'Trend Report 2019'
OVERALL: This report is what gives trend companies a bad name. The 150-page report is just existing products and services loosely grouped with little that helps the reader to implement them or even understand how important they are bar a simple key that is 'explained' at the back of the report. Expect topics like 'Branded Podcasts' to 'Clean Confection' that offer little to no data. Spend your time elsewhere for insights but good for inspiration.
JWT INTELLIGENCE: 'The Future 100'
OVERALL: A disappointing collection of 100 ideas that are rarely predictions, loosely grouped and poorly explained. The document is well designed and easy to flip through but goes nowhere and serves to show off rather than help the reader form an opinion and course of action. Good for inspiration but little of substance.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Newswhip: A good look at the social, news and content industry. Mainly interviews. Future Today Institute: A great look at where journalism is headed with interesting scenarios to bring them to life. Capgemini: Solid insights on the banking industry but little to thrill or go outside of comfort zone. Ericsson: Ten picks for consumer trends that are more scenarios and thought starters. An expanded look and action plan would have helped this document sing as there's some good original stuff in here. UX Trends: Always a good read although would benefit from more data. Global Retail Alliance: Obvious picks and little data to back up decisions. 'Make it happen' section is nice but doesn't really help galvanise action.
