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New York, NY—JWT Intelligence, a division of J. Walter Thompson advertising agency, has released its ninth annual forecast of key trends that will drive or significantly impact consumer mindset and behavior in 2014 and beyond.


This year’s report shows how consumers are both welcoming and resisting technology’s growing omnipresence in their lives. A blessing and curse, technology represents a gateway to opportunity and efficiency, but also an intrusion of privacy and an increase in stress. One result is that more people are trying to find balance and lead more mindful, in-the-moment lives. JWT’s forecast also puts a spotlight on the growth of immersive, personalized experiences; the accelerating shift to a visual vocabulary; and the new appeal of imperfection. Here is an excerpt:

1. Immersive experiences: Entertainment, narratives, and brand experiences will seek to envelope the consumer more fully and capture their attention and imagination.

2. “Do you speak visual?” The old saying that a picture is worth 1,000 words is now truer than ever, as we’re shifting to a visual vocabulary that relies on images, video, and other visual snippets that lessen the need for text.

3. The Age of Impatience. We’ve already gone from written letter to fax to email, making the expectation of an instant response de rigueuer. Our on-demand economy and always-on culture will continue to force expectations of instant gratification—and impatience and impulsiveness—up exponentially.

4. Mobile as a gateway to opportunity. A corollary of the Age of Impatience, mobile devices help people change their lives with access to better services in everything from finance to health care.

5. Telepathic technology. Brain-computer interfaces and emotion recognition technology allows brands to understand consumers’ minds and moods and react in a more personalized way.

6. The end of anonymity. Thanks to both growing technology and increasing demand for personal data, it’s almost impossible to live off the grid. Consumer pushback and increased paranoia about privacy are increasing and will continue to grow.

7. Rage against the machine. As every trend has a counter-trend, the rush to embrace technology has people fretting about what’s been lost, resulting in higher value placed on things that feel essentially human (imperfections) and serious questioning (but not abandoning) technology’s siren call.

8. Remixing traditions. With social norms quickly changing and new anything-goes attitudes emerging, people are blending old traditions with new ideas, creating their own recipe for what feels right.

9. Proudly imperfect. A corollary to #7, we’re embracing the imperfect in a polished and curated world. Imperfection, quirkiness, and even downright ugliness

10. Mindful living. The antithesis of multitasking, this Zenlike focus on living in the moment and focusing on the present is moving from yoga retreats to everyday life.

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Top image: Cochrane.org