1. Be Honest.  The trend towards Corporate Social Responsibility looks set to continue – which is great in my book.  Consumers are demanding more transparency and honesty and, as a result, more customers are shopping locally again and using suppliers they trust.
2. Mobile Internet.  Teenagers are increasingly using mobile internet, rather than fixed line broadband.  This trend looks set to continue with the increase in mobile phone technology and, if you’re targeting teenagers, it’s something you need to be aware of now.
3. Niche Markets.  In marketing, we used to work off Pareto’s principle – 20% of your customers typically brought you 80% of your business, so you would focus on what that 20% wanted.  But the internet is changing the rules and giving people an endless choice.  As a result, niche marketing can now prove very profitable – particularly since you can tap into niche’s worldwide at the tap of a button.
4. Self Employment.  Throughout last year, many companies down-sized and made people redundant.  Consequently, business start-ups are increasing, as people choose to take their fate into their own hands.  The growing number of start-ups will provide endless opportunities for some companies.
5. Wellness.  Baby Boomers remain a significant proportion of our economy and they have always driven trends.  Now approaching retirement age, they don’t want to grow old and they don’t want to end up in care (as they’ve seen their parents do.)  They are therefore driving a ‘wellness’ revolution for anti-ageing, exercise classes, cosmetic surgery etc. to keep them young.

Check back tomorrow for another 5 trends to watch this year.