Top 10 Consumer Trends for 2014 Places Consumers in the Middle of a Relational Rebirth

Ford 2014 Trend Report Places Consumers in the Middle of a Relational Rebirth

One of the things I enjoy most about my work with Ford Motors is getting a chance to hear what their Global Trend and Futuring Manager, Sheryl Connelly, has to say about consumer trends. This lady is a rock star and must work under an immense amount of pressure but she handles her job and her family responsibilities without missing a beat, at least in public, and offers up some of the most valuable and intriguing information for businesses and consumers to chew on.

Recently, Ford Motor Company released their second annual top 10 trend report for 2014 and the news is that consumers are reevaluating their relationships with technology, time, their health, and our most precious asset on the planet. 

The report – Looking Further with Ford 2014 – highlights 10 global consumer trends for the new year that explore how the technology explosion will affect consumer choices and behaviors.  Insights from the trend report then guide Ford designers, engineers and marketers in development of future Ford products and services.

The top global trend for 2014, Innovation’s Quiet Riot, explores whether people will continue trying to keep up with an always-on society and experience a fear of missing out, or begin to find joy in moments free of digital distraction.

Looking Forward for MORE Meaning In Relationships

Against this backdrop, Looking Further with Ford 2014 uncovers people’s desire to have downtime to reflect on what matters most – friends, family and community. This evokes nostalgia as consumers remember the comfort and character associated with the way things were.

“There is no escaping the impact – both positive and negative – of the rapid pace of technology. What is more fascinating to watch in 2014 is how a culture of reflection is emerging,” said Sheryl Connelly, Ford global trend and futuring manager. “We are seeing a consumer culture that is increasingly mindful of the need to nurture society’s valuable and irreplaceable resources.”

Ford’s 10 Trends That Are Expected to Influence Consumers and Brands in 2014

1.     Innovation’s Quiet Riot: Fast-paced and disruptive innovation is becoming increasingly institutionalized and ubiquitous – fundamentally changing the way consumers work, play and communicate
2.     Old School: Consumers are romanticizing how things used to be, finding comfort and connection in products, brands and experiences that evoke nostalgia
3.     Meaningful vs. the Middle Man: Seeking more intimate connections with retailers and service providers, consumers are hunting for stories of identity and meaning in their products and services
4.     Statusphere: Across the globe, consumers are broadening the ways they display their wealth – sometimes it screams, sometimes it whispers – upending traditional expressions of status and influence
5.     Vying for Validation: In a world of hyper-self-expression, chronic public journaling and other forms of digital expression, consumers are creating a public self that may need validation even more than their authentic self
6.     Fear of Missing Out/Joy of Missing Out: A tug of war is emerging as the traditional FOMO is challenged by the JOMO. On one end, consumers are persevering to take advantage of everything at their disposal. On the other, they are mindful of the need to focus on, and enjoy, what matters most
7.     Micro Moments: With so much information at our fingertips, downtime has given way to filling every moment with bite-sized chunks of information, education and entertainment – seemingly packing our lives with productivity
8.     Myth of Multitasking: In an increasingly screen-saturated, multitasking modern world, more and more evidence is emerging to suggest that when we do everything at once, we sacrifice the quality – and often safety – of each thing we do
9.     Female Frontier: Profiles of women have reached new prominence; demographic shifts are changing household dynamics and definitions. Together, women and men will redefine roles and responsibilities in 2014
10.  Sustainability Blues: The world has been fixated on going green, and now the attention is shifting beyond recycling and eco-chic living to a growing concern for the power and preciousness of the planet’s water

For the full trends report, please visit Looking Further with Ford 2014. 

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