Future business trends based on the here and now

A survey of the platform specializing in market and consumer data Statista reveals that at least 70% of the populations of several regions around the globe have an online presence, with Northern Europe (98%), Western Europe (94%), and North America (93%) leading this ranking. In South America, 78% are on the grid. And that fundamentally changes consumer relationships. Here's why.

New flow and new posture

According to a study by the Pew Research Center Ideas Lab, about 31% of American adults report that they are almost constantly online, 10% higher than in 2015. In addition, the typical working-age internet user spends six hours and 37 minutes using connected devices and services daily (which totals about 100 days a year), according to the DataReportal 2022 Digital Overview Report.

These unprecedentedly high levels of connectivity have altered the flow of information and the power of influence that comes with it. If, before, the strength of communication was concentrated in a few institutions (such as companies, brands, media, and governments), the internet increased the reach of people's voices - who, from mere consumers, also began to produce content.

The flow, which was vertical and market-oriented, became horizontal and behavior-oriented, reshaping how companies operate.

It occurs because, in this scenario, people seek to consume what they want. For every desire, there is a solution - and for a company to thrive and be relevant, it must benefit people and the planet. If brands don't solve problems, consumers will seek answers for themselves.

Role of companies, impacts, and emerging business trends of the future

The Ipsos Global Trends 2021 Survey highlights that 70% of consumers say they buy from brands that reflect their values. The publication, “The Strength of Purpose Zeno 2020” indicates that 94% of global consumers say the companies they engage with must have a vital purpose. That is, all organizations and their audiences are connected and must act beyond their core business. A company's innovation system can now expand its spectrum of industries in which it exerts impact. First, you need to understand how to play this game.

We gathered four of these future business trends in the following stages.

Digital abundance

The continuous stimulation of the senses, caused by constant multitasking, multi-screening, and high distraction, forces people to seek moments of calm even in the most stressful situations. Building constant but respectful communication with consumers, understanding their lifestyles and needs, and getting their input on when and how to interact with them, is a crucial step. 
Continuous digital immersion requires digital literacy - teaching about the basics of user interfaces and digital tools - and a balance of digital experiences - connecting the different points of customer data to create a personalized and relevant total experience.

Economy and labor

Another trend in the future of business: it's time to learn from previous attempts and incorporate intelligent ways of working. After all, the morphology of communities will be driven by shared ideologies and interests, and global currents will mix cultures from around the world. In addition, emerging talent will be found through local networks and micro-communities, increasing the need for hybrid businesses.

If anxiety is something to fight against, changing the way that people see their jobs and what they need to do to keep them can help to transform the "culture of competition and exhaustion" - and based on the need for agility, business models, strategies, and creativity must be highly adaptable to survive without saturating employees.

Environmental and social sustainability

If the environment, resources, communities, and individuals are interconnected, when one of them is harmed, they are all affected. Since scarce resources no longer meet growing demands, business decisions must be simultaneously positive for the planet, people, and society. 

Several new and robust models will soon make way for more substantial and efficient value chains, in which value is added to resources rather than taken from them in a circular fashion.

Biotechnology

Companies from all sectors are expected to provide science-supported solutions that improve and prolong healthy lives and promote data democratization. A significant component of this is the acceleration of the green transition, the development of technological tools that support the maintenance and restoration of capabilities and skills, and the development of holistic healthcare geared towards individuality in order to provide truly personalized solutions.

According to the Pew Research Center, there will be 3.7 million centenarians worldwide between now and 2050. Consumers of all ages expect the data collected from them - at various touchpoints - to provide, in return, helpful information - a comprehensive and complex journey, but translated into palatable insights that are easily applicable.

Looking forward

More than a mere finish line, the new configurations, including those presented above in general and several other specific ones (applied to certain market contexts), are a starting point for a revised ideal of consciousness and give companies the opportunity of being protagonists of their futures.

People, brands, governments, and communities belong to a system of interactions made possible by a connected global network. The future, therefore, is systemic. 

Finally, be sure to read the CI&T Trends for the Future report. The report provides an immersion in everything that circulates in the market in order to offer a global view of the studied universe. It also serves to debate the tremendous behavioral and technological movements that are connected to the digital universe and related scenarios that impact business in various categories.

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