Back to your future

In homage to Marty McFly, Doc Brown and co, we look at some of the global trends we predicted would hit the mainstream.

Bleisure

2009: LS:N Global first identified how the traditional working week would be disrupted by digital technology, the rise of start-ups and the ability to work remotely.

2015: Bleisure is now a way of life, with New Balance’s Boston Landing HQ an eco-system complete with shops, hotel, running track and ice rink and served by its own commuter rail network.

The New Sublimity

2012: Exhausted by hyper-connectivity and information overload, we predicted that digital escapism and self-reflection would become major consumer aspirations.

2015: The Slowness movement has gone global, while there are now products and services specifically targeted at introverts such as Sacred Introvert Retreat Tours.

Rurban Revolution

2010: We identified the innovators turning downtown urban areas into rural havens, growing their own food and embracing small-scale micro-brands.

2015: Rurban developments began popping up in unexpected parts of cities worldwide, while the world’s most famous restaurant Noma announced it will close and re-open as an urban farm.

Intuitive Futures

2011: We predicted that consumers overwhelmed by choice would turn to brands with simpler, more efficient user experiences.

2015: The ubiquity of technology now means that brands rely on Big Data and predictive algorithms to introduce personalisation into the online retail experience. Bentley’s Inspirator app is a good example.

Body Temples

2013: As bodies became the new status symbol we predicted that the model of fitness would shift from an unattainable physical ideal to a series of small everyday choices.

2015: Our obsession with fitness has affected the way we shop, where we stay, what we drink on a night out and even how we dress for non-sporting occasions. In Los Angeles there is now an all-day wellness destination at The Springs.