This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on January 5, 2016.

TRENDS are ever-evolving and now that we have bid adieu to 2015, the market is replete with predictions for this year. As always, the year is bound to be filled with a fair share of hits and misses. Although some trends may fizzle off almost as soon as they take off, each year bears the possibility of the beginning of an evolution in that sector. 

The Future 100: Trends and Change to Watch in 2016 report, the second annual report by J. Walter Thompson’s Innovation Group offers some insights on what we can expect in 2016. It looks at 100 trends that are categorised across 10 sectors, including culture, technology and innovation, brands and marketing, food and drink, beauty, retail, health, lifestyle and luxury.

Nicole Tan, managing director of J. Walter Thompson Kuala Lumpur, sums up three major characteristics relating to trends that are set to hit local shores next year. Firstly, we can expect industries to be more social good-driven, a characteristic that is hugely attributed to the Gen Z segment of consumers that have most recently entered the market. “Gen Z is very close to baby boomers. They are activists at heart and fundamentally believe that they can and they do change the world,” Tan explains.

According to Tan, “Social good (from the aspect of) hospitality may not be something new. Hotels have always had signs that encourage reusing towels, for instance.” However, it is predicted that the new wave of social good hospitality goes beyond that, placing an emphasis on how the business model and day-to-day business at the hotel impacts society. “It is not enough to just have a corporate social responsibility (CSR) project once a year anymore,” Tan says. 

The next characteristic involves the breaking down of traditional walls, a continuation of the move from brick and mortar stores to e-commerce based ones, as it is predicted that gamethletes would soon come to be recognised as a career and professional virtual gamers will command celebrity salaries. 

Lastly, the rise of a take-charge attitude amongst consumers especially in terms of health and wellness. If the fitness-related wearables that were extremely popular last year wasn’t a good enough indication, people will be making more conscious health decisions this year simply because it is good for their body and for considerations beyond aesthetic reasons. “There is a rise of marathons in Malaysia as well as cycling as a form of exercise. Companies, too, are expected to promote wellness,” Tan says. 

Looking at the prevailing trends, there are critics who argue that certain buzzwords, like organic or artisan for instance, have been overused, resulting in an anti-authenticity backlash from consumers who prefer simpler and realistic claims. However, with predictions like self-healing materials — that could mean not having to face the problem of a cracked smartphone screen ever again — or wearable tech concept band that keeps track of carbon emissions, it is indeed exciting to see what 2016 has to offer.

Brands and Marketing

In terms of brands and marketing, the report predicts the rise of neuromarketing as indicated by the emergence of boutique neuromarketing firms in recent years like New York-based firm Neuro-Insight that has partnered with AdNews to study how the brain responds to nominated ads using a technique called steady-state topography. 

Instagram may not be limited to posting flatlay photos of weekend brunches anymore as some brands have taken advantage of the social media platform’s high character limit and the 400-million strong user base, as at September last year, by creating Instastories that rely on text as much as images.

Food and drink

One of the predicted trends is by product brands that use formerly discarded by-products to create entirely new products. The White Moustache, a Brooklyn-based yogurt company, uses excess whey from its production process to create a probiotic health drink. New Zealand beer brand DB Export recently created a biofuel from a by-product of the brewing process.

Drinking cocktails may be a thing of the past, if breathable cocktails — like the ones served at Alcoholic Architecture, a pop-up bar at Bompas & Parr in London — that allow guests to immerse themselves in a cloud of gin and tonic becomes a hit. 

This year also, we could shift to cooking with algae-based ingredients like Thrive, the first culinary algae oil in the United States’ market, made its debut at an upscale California grocery store last October.

Culture

One example of social good hospitality in the report is the Good Hotel Amsterdam, a pop-up housed in a converted pontoon building that until recently was used as a detention centre for undocumented migrants and opened to guests in June this year after a makeover.

Another interesting trend is pushing the boundaries of diversity in the fashion industry and as seen in the rising number of models with amputated limbs and genetic conditions on the runway and marketing imagery. 

Luxury

The surge in the demand for personalised and gourmet experiences continues and extreme dining is one such experience. The revelation of a multilevel treehouse restaurant at the Maldives luxury resort Per Aquum Niyama whisks diners into the heart of the Dhaalu Atoll jungle and up 20 feet of spiral staircases into the banyan trees to reach open-air dining pods.

The report also predicts the new direction taken by fashion brands that include venturing into the culinary aspects of luxury by investing in pastry stores, restaurants and private members clubs like Ralph Lauren’s launch of a branded coffee shop (pic) in its New York flagship last year.

As for travel, vacation photos may go beyond those taken on smartphones with the reintroduction of professional travel photographers who promise memorable images the most stunning backdrops. The Flytographer app, for instance, connects travellers with professional photographers in dozens of destinations throughout the world.