Wunderman Thompson’s annual Future 100 report details upcoming trends in a variety of sectors including culture, technology, branding and finance. The report identifies creative innovations that are predicted to go mainstream in 2021.

Mel Edwards, global CEO of Wunderman Thompson says, “These insights will help marketing leaders inspire growth for their organisations and move forward into 2021 with confidence and optimism.”

Technology is forecast to dominate cultural trends this year, for example cloud gaming is expected to see video games become the next media to be ‘Netflixized’. Meanwhile live-commerce is predicted to see retail move online using new technologies such as video streaming to interact with customers outside physical stores.

Ethics and sustainability is set to be another big trend, with independent brands leading the way for diversity in sectors previously lacking, including the beauty industry. There is also predicted to be a continued rise in the number of platforms monitoring corporate behaviour, as consumers demand greater transparency and clear brand purpose.

In terms of Covid-19, the report looks at work trends, particularly the shift to home working and the rise in unemployment. As a result, the report predicts a focus on ‘calmtainment’ encouraging mindfulness and self-care for both brands and consumers. Other pandemic prompted trends include a rise in ‘micropreneurs,’ as people are increasingly fuelled by the need for a career move under the threat of unemployment. Immunity wellness has also been identified as a growing interest for consumers with a heightened awareness of immune health in 2021.

The forecasting trends give insight into changing consumer behaviours and provide key takeaways for brands to adopt a competitive edge.