Six 2019 Consumer Trend Reports to Get Ahead in the New Year
November 28, 2018
Here’s how to bolster strategic planning and start 2019 off right.
It’s that time again – ‘tis the season for annual planning! We’re back with a curated list of the best free 2019 trend reports to get your team ready for the year ahead. Read on for valuable insights about key shifts happening in retail, media, marketing, Gen Z, customer experience and more.
Miss last year’s trend report roundup? Click here to check it out.
#1 – The Future of Retail
Whether your business is digital, brick and mortar, or some interesting mix of the two (it’s 2019, after all. Whose business isn’t a mix of the two?), Trendwatching’s report digs into five important macro shifts happening right now around retail. Among the many useful points is one we discuss often with Kelton clients: the rising consumer expectation that a brand’s messaging strategy is reflective of internal culture and company values. Radical transparency is here to stay, people.
BONUS! Also check out Trendwatching’s Future of Customer Experience
#2 – Ten Insights Shaping the Media and Entertainment Landscape in 2019
Media trends move fast – PR professionals, ad planners and marketers have to stay 10 steps ahead in order to execute on a strategy that delivers. Global Web Index summarizes their broader report with the 10 most important takeaways you need to know about media and entertainment in 2019: what consumers are reacting to, what they expect from advertising and product placement, which channels and platforms are projected to have big payoffs in 2019, and which to steer clear of.
#3 – Six Content Marketing Trends for 2019
If content was king in 2018, it’s safe to say it will remain on the throne in the year ahead. Investment in content marketing initiatives have increased across sectors in just the past couple of years alone – which makes sense, as more and more customers have come to expect compelling content from brands they love (i.e., content works). Forbes’ 2019 predictions are a useful springboard for all things content in the new year. We especially love the nod to increased expectations around Authenticity – or Character-ful Brands, as we’ve described in previous reports.
#4 – Gen Z Marketing: The Art of Social Self-Expression
There’s no question about it: 2019 is the year of the Gen Z consumer. Now that Gen Zers are graduating into the workforce, they own even more purchasing power and invest their dollars in experiences and items that cultivate their own unique forms of self-expression. Digital media has propelled Gen Z self-expression into hyper drive, revealing not only who Gen Z is today, but who this group wants to become tomorrow.
hbspt.cta.load(3402952, ‘646a4344-4f86-4288-9281-cbaaf3aec1e6’, {}); to discover emerging trends in Gen Z values and expressions, and learn how your brand can make its mark on the most powerful generation of consumers yet.
#5 – Consumers in the Age of Digital Experience
We’re huge fans of Think With Google’s interactive reports, each stuffed full of insightful resources that help us understand how consumers search – and subsequently, shop. Given the growing importance of digital in 2019, their report on mobile-savvy customers is an invaluable resource for the year ahead. Be sure to click into each section to reveal a bevy of data on how people search for (and research) what they need, what their expectations are once they find it, and how you can help make the whole process easier.
#6 – Five Retail Trends That Will Transform the Industry in 2019
There’s no question Hubspot identifies trends earlier than most. After all, the brand helps other companies understand their customers’ needs on the daily. In this article and more comprehensive report, they share five interesting shifts projected to impact all things retail in 2019. Spoiler alert: technology that improves customer experience will take a front seat, both in-store and online.
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