Future trends

Actionable insights from top marketing thought leaders

I had a “pinch myself” moment a couple of weeks ago at the sheer talent in the room during our recent Thought Leaders Connected meeting, with more than 60 top marketing experts representing our eight thought leadership councils.

I posed two questions: What are the top future trends for business that impact marketing as we shift toward a post-pandemic world? And what are the top future consumer trends? 

The business trends included many related to WFH, digitalization, and the rise of purpose-driven brands. And there were many trends that we have loosely categorized as “new business paradigms”.

The consumer trends covered an array of demographic and psychographic developments. Some insights were obvious enough, while others felt new and actionable. For example, people will be more committed to achieving work-life balance and attending to their self-care. They will seek simplified product offerings and more direct contact with brands.

My summary doesn’t do justice to the conversations, which were rich, varied, and – according to the feedback – profoundly useful. You can read a summary of the discussion here.

One of the CMA’s key strategic pillars is to create a strong community. Not just for the sake of networking, but to create thought leadership through synergistic cross-functional collaboration.

If you are an expert in an aspect of marketing and have not joined one of our groups, then you are missing out. Here’s a special call-out to experts who consider themselves to be shy. We want you to step up! And you will be heard. That’s a promise.