The World in 2020: The End of the People

Thursday 30th January 2020

08:30-09:30

The Fable, 52 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2FD

A new decade, a new dawn, a new life?

Not quite. The next few weeks will be full of stories of healing, fresh starts and clean breaks but consumers, brands, businesses and policy makers cannot outrun the past. The next year – perhaps the next decade – will be shaped by some of the same forces driving our current context.

Politicians and businesses talk about ‘the people’ – when no such collective exists.

We’ve explored polarisation in consumers’ lives extensively in recent years – tracking the economic, demographic and social drivers of fragmentation. As the calendars turn from 2019 to 2020 we can add cultural and attitudinal polarisation to this list as distinct groups of consumers – often not easily pigeon-holed by demographic criteria – express very different visions for the future.

In the post-national trend era, what metrics, behaviours and attitudes do you need to understand the distinct outlooks and values of your consumers?

The implications of this on brands, businesses and public facing organisations is enormous. In an era of sharper and more divisive cultural attitudes how can brands communicate meaning without stepping on the toes of those potential customers that might take a different view? In 2020 we’ll unveil a new Polarisation Index that reveals the social issues on which consumers would most – and least – welcome a corporate voice.

We’ll also explore the other major global forces of change in 2020: the major demographic milestones, macro-economic change and key technology shifts we can expect from the next 12 months. There’s also the small matter of the US Presidential Election.

Join us for breakfast on 30th January to find out what 2020 has in store.

Please email Ruairi (ruairi@trajectorypartnership.com) to reserve your complimentary place and join us for breakfast.

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Our Trends Breakfasts have been running for six years, and each month sees a different topic discussed and debated over coffee and croissants. Taking place on a private floor of a popular city location, an array of figures from different industries hear our thoughts on the chosen topic, drawing on the latest insights housed in our subscription portal, Signal.

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