We’re seeing a surge in client interest around trends strategy and “The future of …” projects. We think this is because so many clients, and particularly those in mainstream markets, are facing into uncertain times; categories from bakery to brewing, and from cat food to cleaning are being disrupted by exciting, creative, artisanal new entrants who do things differently and often in a way that’s hard for the incumbents to defend.
There’s a real need for brands to look towards the future as markets fragment: to know how to shape categories and find competitive advantage; to lead conversations with retailers and not just react; and to demonstrate category leadership through thought leadership.
More and more businesses are asking us the same thing: Help us to lead the future of our category and not just respond to it. We’ve recently delivered significant foresight work for businesses such as Haleon and Unilever (the Future Menus initiative), so it’s clear that this isn’t just a passing curiosity.
And we get it. Trends work is exciting and creative. Done well, it’s where the art and science of brand-building meet. Clients turn to us when the world feels overwhelming, fragmented, or stuck and we help them spot the patterns, build a narrative, and act. But at the same time, trends work can have a bad rap – it can be all sizzle and no sausage; superficially interesting but with no real substance or activation plan.
So let us be clear. Trends work is fun to do but it only delivers real value when it’s actionable and gets used to forge the right strategy. So here are the seven questions every client should ask before diving in, so your next trends strategy doesn’t end up on the shelf, gathering dust.
1. What is the business challenge we’re solving?
Why this is important:
It’s never been easier to generate a trends report. Even considering the need for trends to be based on real-world data and validated by human experts, using generative AI can power up the production of a raft of interesting trends. But if that’s where it stops, you end up with an output that is… interesting at best, useless at worst.
It’s crucial to understand that not all trend strategies are created equal. Some are about inspiring a team. Others are about landing a big innovation bet or reimagining a portfolio. If you’re not clear on the core business challenge – and who the work is for – your project won’t deliver value.
What to think about:
Is this work for marketing? For innovation? For leadership? Are you looking to grow penetration, build salience, or spark new product development? Before starting the process, you need to align on the desired audience and the ambition of the work so you frame it to land with the desired impact.
2. How far (and wide) are we willing to look?
Why this is important:
How far ahead you look is related to how wide a view you need to take on the trends. If you’re looking one or two years out, you might only need to scan adjacent categories as this is where currently emerging trends will be visible. But if you are looking five to ten years ahead, you’ll need to zoom out much further – to culture, tech, society, systems. Over the longer term, how the big trends play out starts to blur across categories – for example, wellness needs are now not just being delivered in the pharmacy – but in food, beverage, tech and beauty.
What to think about:
Are you looking to spark near-term pipeline ideas or future-proof a long-term brand strategy? The further out you’re looking, the broader your aperture must be. That means questioning not just what’s coming, but also what could be coming. Many businesses say they want a bold future but apply too narrow a lens to their trends projects. Conversely, brands say they want a bold future but, realistically, are only set up to take tactical actions, closer in. Doing the thinking about how to frame horizons before you start helps you get to maximum actionability.
3. What even is a trend?
Why this is important:
You’d be surprised how often trend projects unravel because no one can agree on a shared definition of a “trend”. Is it a long-term shift? A sudden spike in culture? A seasonal flavour? Without shared language, the focus and impact gets clouded.
What to think about:
It’s helpful to start with a common language that differentiates between different types of trends and helps the business get clear on what level it can reasonably respond to:
- Macro forces: are slow, structural shifts such as demographic changes and cultural values
- Consumer shifts: shifts in how consumers respond to this changing landscape and frame how they interact with specific categories
- Signifiers: early signifiers of a trend coming to life including movements, aesthetics, or products bubbling up
This lens helps teams distinguish between what’s a longer-term trend vs a short-term fad. It also links directly back to knowing the business challenge (Q1) and framing the time horizon (Q2). The reality is that trends form an ecosystem; it’s not possible to look at any trend in isolation as they impact on those emerging adjacently and are all shaped by macro forces. So a shared language is critical in helping people focus on what will have the greatest impact on the business.
4. Who’s with us?
Why this is important:
You can’t shape the future alone. Trends projects MUST involve people from across all functions because trends take time to manifest – and they only create change when they’re embedded across the teams that need to make that change happen. If you are going to tell the business, “This is the next big thing” or “This is the direction we need to take”, you will need buy-in and consensus.
What to think about:
Which departments do you need to involve? Insights, R&D, brand, design, commercial? Do you have the relationships across those functions that will help you to build that consensus and sense of a shared goal. Most importantly, are you genuinely open to evolving the thinking together?
The best outcomes arise from bringing people together to co-create, to stress test and challenge implications for the business.
5. How do we pick the right trends…?
Why this is important:
Trends reports are ten a penny, and they are often overwhelming. We have all seen a trends deck run to 50, 100 or 150+ slides packed full of rich and varied examples of how the world is changing. What matters more is not just what’s changing – but where and how that change will have the biggest commercial impact. A report that doesn’t frame trends through the lens of your business or category assumes that all trends are equally important. But they aren’t all equally important for your business.
And it’s not just about zeroing in on the right trends, it’s also about understanding how they play out for your consumers. For example, what does the macro trend of global urbanisation mean for washing powder? Or ice cream? Or shoes?
What to think about:
Thinking back to the idea of trend ecosystems that we saw in Q3, it’s helpful to consider where momentum is building in your category, culture, or consumer world. What combination of shifts could unlock the next growth space? Look for friction, unmet needs, outdated norms – places where there is already movement. Future consumer value comes from spotting these shifts early then building your strategy around them. This is where the magic lies.
6. …and how will we unlock them?
Why this is important:
The biggest risk in trend work isn’t that it falls flat – as we said earlier, trends work is exciting and creative. The risk is that people leave inspired but directionless. The most powerful trend strategies don’t just suggest a direction, they articulate how to make the trends accessible through your brands and products. If Q5 was about spotting opportunities, this question is about turning those opportunities into strategies.
What to think about:
The best trend strategies turn inspiration into momentum. We need to have clear workstreams, reverse roadmaps, or idea territories and it means building toolkits that enable prioritisation so we can connect trends to real business levers. It’s not just“What does this trend mean for washing powder?” but what does it mean for our packaging, formats, claims, messaging, rituals, formulation and pricing? How do we access the trend using all of the marketing levers at our disposal?
7. Will it land with impact?
Why this is important:
You only get traction when the work inspires people. Trends work is a mixture of art and science and when it comes to communicating the work, it’s time to lean into the art to build excitement about your new intended direction.
What to think about:
Who’s going to use this, and how? Have you crafted a clear, compelling narrative? Is it designed to be shared, discussed and remembered? The best trends work becomes stories people want to tell that work on the level of logic AND emotion. So, give it bold visuals and punchy language, sprinkle in some WOW moments and finish it with some provocation to make people think.
Final thought
Trends don’t come from nowhere. They grow and evolve over time. The most successful clients we work with don’t just want to plan and project – they want to shape the future. They know that trend work isn’t about chasing what’s hot today. It’s about building a clear, collaborative and creative view of what’s next, and having the courage to make it happen.
