It used to be considered risky, but e-commerce has gone mainstream and is here to stay. The role of physical stores will shift massively towards somewhere to experience brands. The future is about being able to stay true to your own brand. The challenge is about finding the customer base online then growing and keeping them by involving them with the brand values.

- Physical stores are about brand experience.
- Online brands need to involve their customer base.

The brand personality that was once strongly related to an image of large, hushed, chilly marble buildings which older people trusted, is shifting towards younger generations who require on-demand information, support and control from the convenience of their mobile devices. Differentiating yourself from competitors in this sector is about being up-to-date with modern data, analytical tools, artificial intelligence capabilities and a strong understanding of your target group, while maintaining professionalism.

- Up-to-date technology
- Mobile interaction with customer base

The convenience of online availability brings a wider audience to the table, who take for granted that products are top quality but who are now increasingly interested in the supply chain and moral compass of brands. Getting the message across will be all about honesty and transparency in the near future.

- Honesty & transparency the length of the supply chain

The availability of information for everyone makes it challenging for consumers to make decisions and know what to do about their energy needs. In the near future we will see that it will be the corporates in this sector who set out to help both individuals and the masses with a strong drive for a better world who will be listened to. The difference will be made by brands delivering a clear message, and those who can be trusted will gain the most traction.


- Improving the world for future generations

To join this sector is to enter a price-war that just spirals ever downwards. This opens up new opportunities for clothing companies such as Patagonia to push hard in the other direction. Durable, lasting and ethically produced clothing at a high price point from brands with a strong moral compass. The new cool is in the brand and what it stands for.

- Durable, ethically produced clothing
- Brands with a strong moral compass.

Perhaps privacy will become a thing of the past as new generations rapidly adopt new technologies without questioning. There is an opportunity here for brands to care about and protect its users. Furthermore the data centres on which we have all become so reliant will increase in size, and their energy consumption will become a matter of concern.

- 5G & the internet of things
- Privacy & energy consumption

Governments do their best to try and ensure this sector acts for the best, but in the near future the responsibility for a healthy lifestyle will shift to the individual. With the increase of digital wearables, the availability of information and of new insights from big data, this will help corporate growth. Those corporations with brands that seek to celebrate health and improve society at the individual and/or the global level will gain traction.


- Improved health and knowledge
- Individual and global level

The improvement in additive technologies (3D printing) is also gaining ground and has the potential to spawn a new sector of low volume, highly customised production of high quality parts. Brands that adopt these technologies, know how to make their production lines CO2 neutral, and are able to educate their low-skilled workers will be aligned to the purpose movement that is continually gaining traction.

- Automation of mass production
- Additive technologies
- Educating low-skilled workers

As consumers become increasingly educated, their demands are having a transformational effect on this industry. Both in terms of the way food is packaged and in the choices people are making of what to put on their plates, and what effect this has on the environment.

Additionally, as people educate themselves, they also becoming increasingly critical of the health impact of foods and we can expect brands to have to address their concerns about both social and environmental impacts, as well as health, and to have to act in the best interests of what their consumers want.

- Packaging
- Environmental & social impact of the food-chain
- Health

This sector will continue to face the challenge of closing the gap between government organisations and residents, especially in an era of increased complexity and increasingly complex demands, while budgets remain more or less the same. A shift towards data-driven systems and a strong leadership that is able to demonstrate the benefits of long-term goals will mean that communication agencies have their work cut out for them.

- Increased complexity
- Bridging the gap between organisations and residents

As consumers shift towards online purchasing across all sectors, the expectation of fast and flexible delivery can only increase. Additionally, the environmental impact of this sector will also attract more criticism, and those corporates who pay attention to this and know how to deal with this at a brand level will differentiate themselves from their competitors and gain traction with their stakeholders.

- Efficiency through digital technology is a given
- Demand for environmental consideration and solutions will attract increasing focus.

The new challenge is to bring into the homes of consumers various ways of escaping the stresses of daily life, and other services, that were once considered only possible outside the home. Eventually life will return to pre-covid conditions, bringing a spike in travel. However some of the new trends will persist and may even spark a whole new sector of companies.

The question is whether those hit hardest are postponing the inevitable or they will be able to bridge the gap until better days return.
Whether it's a time of challenge or a time of opportunity depends on a brand's ability to survive change.
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- Adapt to stay relevant.
‍- Closer to home