The Future Laboratory

Martin Raymond & Chris Sanderson

22
Sep

10:20am – 1:00pm

The Future Laboratory

Ever ahead of the pulse, the two forward-looking thought leaders of The Future Laboratory presented their latest Trend Briefing in two parts. Here are takeaways and advice from each part:

Part I – Applying a Focus Filter is Key to Future Success/The Age of Re-engagement Toolkit

Businesses now bear as much responsibility as governments for driving social change amid increased cuts to public spending
The next generation will happily drop profit-driven ventures for those that take a community-driven approach
Go post-nuclear. Images of idealized families no longer speak to consumers whose relationships are far more complex and fluid than the 2.4 children model
Consider your role in parenting. Overworked consumers are increasingly willing to let companies use technology to share the workload of childrearing
The current attention deficit means that brands need to frame their products and services as tools that help consumers to focus and be present
A minimalist approach can create deeper engagement. Reconsider minimalism as a pro-focus solution across audio, graphics, interiors, and architecture
Conviviality needs to be balanced by privacy. Build privacy options into social spaces, such as offices and restaurants, to give people the space and time needed to focus on what is in front of them
Automation is good for creativity. Educate yourself and your employees about the upsides of at-work automation for generating time, and think about where the creative potential of your human expertise lies

Part II – Transcendent Wealth and Creating the Right Experiences

Offer intangible collectors’ items. Consider how you can create experiences that feel like rare, limited editions that only a select few can access
Think transformation. The Experience Economy is maturing and now consumers expect moments of personal transformation embedded in luxury offerings
Wellbeing is the new wealth. In hospitality, especially, this movement towards transcendence opens up opportunities to create new ultra-luxury experiences that improve both body and mind
Enhance reality. The potential augmented, mixed reality could transfer the everyday into luxurious moments
Legacy itself will change. In the distant future, Artificial Intelligence (AI) will mean that thought-leaders could leave behind their life’s work as an avatar