How the year 2021 will decisively shape our future in the long term

"Fjord Trends 2021" is the fourteenth trend report produced by Accenture Interactive's global network of designers and creatives. This year's findings reveal that opportunities are now opening up for companies to enter new areas - as they introduce new strategies, services and experiences to meet evolving human needs.

The pandemic shows what is really important

The Annual Report notes that the pandemic has brought clarity and surprises alongside chaos and tragedy. It has shown us what is really important, strengthened public spirit and inspired innovative minds at home. This presents a whole new set of challenges for companies: How can they respond properly operationally and also communicatively, how to meet the ever-changing expectations of consumers and act more empathetically - all while struggling to survive in an uncertain economy? The Fjord Trends for 2021 are recommendations on how companies can help shape the renaissance of the 21st century.

Trends that will shape the year 2021 and beyond

These are seven trends that will shape the economy, customer behavior and society of the future:

1. Collective relocation: How and where we experience things has changed in 2020. We all share a sense of shifting location and are looking for new ways and places to fulfill our duties and pursue our passions. Working, shopping, learning, meeting friends, raising children, and taking care of our well-being have all fundamentally changed for many of us and more. Businesses must accordingly seek new ways to connect with their customers.
2. Do-it-yourself innovation: Increasingly, it is talented people who are driving innovation by developing new "hacks" for new challenges - from the remote worker who uses his ironing board as a standing desk to the parent who becomes a teacher. Technology is playing a new role here: rather than driving innovation, it is supporting human creativity and allowing it to shine through everywhere. Individuals, from politicians to personal trainers, are using sites like TikTok or video game platforms to spread important messages or host concerts. Everyone wants better solutions, but expectations of companies have changed: Instead of delivering ready-made solutions, they should create the framework for private innovation.
3. Dream Teams: Employees who work remotely now live in the office, so to speak. This has huge implications for the reciprocal arrangements between employer and employee and the many assumptions involved - for example, who decides the dress code for video calls at home, whose responsibility is it to protect remote workers' right to privacy? Even if blanket vaccination is already on the horizon: The relationship people have with their work and between employers and their teams has changed permanently. The future will not provide a one-size-fits-all solution - the world of work will remain a field of experimentation for some time to come.
4. Liquid Infrastructure: How and where we purchase products and use services has changed. That's why companies need to rethink their supply chain and their entire physical infrastructure, focusing on the "points of delight" in the last few meters before purchase - such as the immediate joy of the purchase itself, which many took for granted in the store. Companies therefore need to build greater agility and resilience throughout their organization so that they can adapt quickly to change. This also applies to the expected changes related to the need for more sustainable business.
5. Interaction Wanderlust: We spend much more time interacting with our fellow human beings via screens. This has resulted in a certain monotony, with many tools looking almost identical with their template-like designs. Companies need to rethink design, content, audiences, and interactions with their services to make the experience in front of screens more exciting and enriched with the element of chance.
6. Empathy Challenge: Most customers want to know what brands stand for and how they express their values. The pandemic has exposed many dysfunctional and unfair structures around the world - from access to healthcare to issues of equality. As a result, companies must work hard to manage the narratives that shape their brands. To do this, they need to prioritize key issues and build their actions around these key themes.
7. New Rituals: Numerous rituals - from celebrating a birth to saying goodbye at a funeral - were not possible this year. This has a significant impact on the well-being of society as a whole. For companies, this trend gives them the opportunity to accompany their customers in their search for meaning. New rituals are needed that provide joy or comfort. The prerequisite for this is to first recognize the hole left by an abandoned habit. Only then can it be adequately filled.

The year 2021 should be characterized by hope

"Innovation doesn't start with technology, but as we've seen over the past year, it can be a powerful tool for making more room for human creativity - even in the midst of chaos," said Brian Whipple, group chief executive of Accenture Interactive. "The next year should be one of hope. We've seen big changes in our society - we've even been part of them ourselves. These trends are a blueprint for how we think today and what we do next, what we take with us and what we leave behind. We can do better and people deserve better."

Source: Accenture Interactive