The Meta Trending Trends: 2019
Top 11 Overlapping Cultural Trends From 14 Reports
Last year I conducted a meta-analysis of 14 trend reports for 2018, identifying the 19 most prevalent “predictions” of the year to come. With requests to continue, I’m at it again keeping the trend going…
This year, I combed through 300+ trends from 13 reports by: Mindshare, Frog, Edelman, Mintel, Fjord, Space 150, JWT, Forrester, Trend Hunter, Landor, Global Web Index, Trend Watching, Sparks & Honey, & Facebook IQ (developed with JWT, Stylus & PSFK).
Why do this? Conducting a meta-analysis increases our “sample size” of trends and accounts for individual author bias, allowing us to recognize what’s agreed upon. We can calculate reliability as a proxy for accuracy.
After my analysis, I’m excited to share the top 11 prevalent, overlapping trends for 2019. Below, you will find the most recurrent trend themes, personal descriptions, and how each organization named their trend.
The 2019 Meta-Trends —
01. Sensational Sustainability ♻️
Manufacturers will cautiously cater environmentally-friendly products
New Sustainability — JWT
Sustainability Beats Convenience — Fjord
Green Consumption — Global Web Index
Beauty Goes Green — Facebook IQ (Stylus)
Environmental Beauty — Trend Hunter
Everyday Eco-Products — Facebook IQ
Anti-Package — Trend Hunter
Circular Economy — PSFK
The Last Straw — Fjord
Rethink Plastic — Mintel
Open Source Solutions — Trend Watching
Purpose Regains Meaning — Forrester
Zero Waste Retail — Trend Hunter
02. Digital Health 💊
With addiction, prioritization of mindful tech usage and detox will thrive
Social Isolation — Mintel
Social Media Wellbeing — JWT
Semi-Presence — Sparks & Honey
Mindful Media — Mindshare
Ethical Internet — JWT
Silence is Golden — Fjord
Data Minimalism — Fjord
Digital Minimalism — Sparks & Honey
Unplugging is the New Luxury — Space 150
03. Voice Evolves 🔊
Voice assistants and sounds will amplify in both ubiquity and intelligence
Voice Technology — Global Web Index
Voice Campaigning — Trend Hunter
Sound Empires — JWT
Micro-Moments Will Rule Search — Frog
Look Who’s Talking — Mindshare
Smarter Sound — Facebook IQ
Branded Podcasting — Trend Hunter
04. Ethical Dilemmas 🗯️
Among outrage, brands will be forced to take sides, frequently ill-prepared
Brands Enter the Outrage — Forrester
Don’t Get Stuck in the Middle — Landor
Legislative Brands — Trend Watching
Inclusivity Paradox — Fjord
End of Gender Generalization — Landor
Branded Commentary — Trend Hunter
05. Digital Identity Blur 👩🏽💻
Our on- and offline lives will continue to meld, making distinction difficult
Digital Identity — Edelman
Identity Integration — Sparks & Honey
Designing Our Off-Screen Lives — Frog
Fantasy IRL — TrendWatching
Delving into Digital Worlds — Facebook IQ
Virtual Influencers — JWT
On Display — Mintel
06. Immersive Retail 🛒
Brick and mortar will become participatory, hoping to remain relevant
Retail Gets Experiential — Frog
Retail Retreat — Trend Hunter
Hip Experiential Stores — JWT
Brand Experience — Landor
Space Odyssey — Fjord
Outdoor Immersion Store — JWT
07. Obsessive Wellness 🥑
Elevation of self-care will become farther-reaching and more quantifiable
Total Wellbeing — Mintel
Lab Rats — TrendWatching
Wellness as Luxury — Facebook IQ (PSFK)
Every Company is a Wellness Company — Landor
Brand Therapists — JWT
08. Digital Faith 🔐
Trust in institutions will diminish, especially surrounding data ownership
Paradox of Trust — Frog
World Goes to Zero Trust — Forrester
Trust in Data Privacy — Global Web Index
Traceable Transparency — Trend Hunter
Consumer-Champion Tech — JWT
09. Questionable Reality ⁉️
With tools to manipulate and channels to seed, truth becomes debatable
Synthetic Reality — Fjord
Negotiated Reality — Sparks & Honey
Accepted Deception — Sparks & Honey
Real or Replica — Mindshare
10. Workplace 2.0 💼
The traditional office will witness transformation via structure and tech
New Workanomics — JWT
Workplace as Interface — Frog
Intelligent Workplace — Trend Hunter
11. Anthropomorphization 🤖
The application of human traits to the inanimate will become extensive
Humanizing Tech — JWT
Everyday Objects as Empathetic Devices — Frog
Matt Klein is a cultural theorist and strategist analyzing the psychosocial implications of our technology to consult on business decisions.
Complete series: The Trending Trends: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 & 2022
This piece is an educational review and does not infringe upon any copyright material as covered by Fair Use, Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. § 107.
