The consumer trends 2017

The annual study was developed by the Innovation Group, part of the in-house research department J. Walter Thompson Intelligence. The study is now being published for the third time and divides the 100 trends into ten categories - in the coming year, the focus will be on topics such as augmented reality, halal tourism and artificial nature.

"Anyone who wants to keep pace in our dynamic industry must constantly keep abreast of the latest developments in order to maintain a feel for upcoming trends. Innovative technologies in particular, but also the changing needs and expectations of younger consumers, open up many opportunities for brands. The Future 100 Report offers brands and marketing decision-makers sound insights into tomorrow's consumer behavior," says Bernd Adams, Chief Operating Officer at J. Walter Thompson Germany.

Highlights of the study include:

Culture: Artificial intelligence does not even stop at Rembrandt. J. Walter Thompson showed what is possible with artificial intelligence and 3D printing by designing "The Next Rembrandt" - a Rembrandt created after the grand master's death based on his 346 known works. Engineers and scientists created an algorithm from the collected data that mimicked both Rembrandt's style and the colors he preferred. The use of new technologies for artistic purposes is still in its infancy, but companies like Google are specifically promoting artists and projects that want to use technical innovations.

Technology: At the latest since Pokémon Go, augmented reality (AR) has gained a great deal of attention - compared to virtual reality, AR merges with the real world. Consumers are now developing a feel for AR - as a result, brands, especially in the retail sector, will be able to experiment with it in a more targeted way in the future and use the technology for their own purposes.

Brands and Marketing: The virtual reality segment is also still in its infancy in terms of widespread use - but lower-cost devices will facilitate access in the future. Brands that are already experimenting with the new technology are laying the foundation for future business success. That's because Greenlight Insights forecasts that virtual reality will generate $38 billion in revenue by 2026.

Retail: In the retail sector in particular, representatives of Generation Z are considered opinion leaders. Of these so-called post-millenials, 92% are online every day, a quarter of them even constantly. Retailers' websites are losing their importance as touchpoints. Social media platforms, on the other hand, are becoming more important as a point of contact for winning over this important target group. For brands, however, it will continue to be important to present a consistent image across all platforms.

Lifestyle: Consumers are increasingly focusing on mobile devices and moving away from TV. This development will continue in 2017: Daily TV consumption by adults in Germany will fall by 0.3 percent, while digital media consumption will rise by 5.8 percent. TV content is increasingly being played out on digital platforms. Users and access to content are becoming increasingly flexible, leading to a merging of the so-called "first screens" and "second screens".

Luxury: The hipsters of older generations - baby boomers, for example - celebrate high-end consumer experiences as part of their retirement culture and are looking for a high-end version of those products that currently appeal to millennials. In this way, generations that have already been forgotten are renewing their relevance to brands.

Access to the full report including all 100 trends can be found at here.