Looking Ahead: The Best of 2014 Trends

January 2014: In our briefings on the 10 trends to watch in 2014 (and beyond) we started out by saying: When Moore’s Law was published, its model of exponential rates of change seemed unbelievable. Today it still guides the semiconductor sector. The accelerating global pace of change today is analogous to Moore’s law. Since the turn of the century, emerging markets have moved center stage, the digital revolution has arrived, social networks have become ubiquitous, a sharing economy has been born, scientific advances such as mapping the human genome have changed our lives, and the voice of the people has reinvented markets and overturned governments.

Looking ahead to the next year, and even further, the biggest challenge for leaders, however, is not accurately predicting the future. Rather it is about first having a broad and open understanding of the trends reshaping the world, second an informed point of view on the future and what it means for your organization and third, and most importantly, taking actions today to begin to prepare. In a world of accelerating change, the biggest risk for leaders is not being wrong in their point of view about the future, but beginning to take action too late.

To help you open up to the tremendous opportunities and challenges ahead, here’s our annual round-up of where you can find some of the more interesting and important trend forecasts and ideas for 2014. As always, treat them as directional and informed opinions that can supplement your own thinking on what might be possible, feasible and desirable – not accurate predictions. No surprises in that there are plenty of opinions on economic growth as the world emerges slowly from the slump of the last few years, and that technology (social, mobile, science and more) will continue to radically reshape what we do and how we do it, from retailing to manufacturing. In focus too is a growing tide of concern and opinions around privacy and security as our lives and work become more dependent on the digital world and the rise of the internet of things and big data add to the complex web of platforms and networks we use.

Look out for more on many of these trends in our 2014 GT briefings along with examples of how they are being – or could be – translated into action.

      Global Trends/Macro Trends

• The Economist – The World in 2014: The Economist has been producing The World in… for 28 years, and as always this year’s collection of predictions, opinions and ideas is an interesting mix. From commentaries on the coming tech-lash, how philanthropy meets the market, to how the West can lead again if America recovers its self-confidence, to anticipating the largest election on Earth in India. Well worth browsing here.
• 10 Key Trends to Watch in 2014! If you missed out on our November and December briefings we suggest you take a look back at our 10 Key Trends to Watch as they are not only relevant for next year but well beyond 2014. Check out:From social everything to being socially smart, Who needs shops anyway?, Hubonomics: The new face of globalization, Sci-Fi is here: Making the impossible possible, Growing pains: Transforming markets and generations and more trends here.
• Topics for the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum: Davos 2014 will be about “The Reshaping of the World: Consequences for Society, Politics and Business” with the aim of developing insights, initiatives and actions necessary to respond to current and emerging challenges. This year the agenda is divided into global, economic, regional, industry and business and future themes with topics including: Climate change, multilateral trade and the post-2015 development agenda, unemployment and widening income inequality, as well as new actors, policies and structures that are driving stable and legitimate forms of governance. For the executive summary click here.
• World Economic Forum: Every year WEF forecast the 10 biggest trends for the coming year in the report “Outlook on the Global Agenda 2014”. Ranked by importance, the 10 key trends they identify are: 1. Rising societal tensions in the Middle East and North Africa, 2. Widening income disparities, 3. Persistent structural unemployment, 4. Intensifying cyber threats, 5.Inaction on climate change, 6. The diminishing confidence in economic policies, 7. A lack of values in leadership, 8. The expanding middle class in Asia, 9. The growing importance of megacities, and 10. The rapid spread of misinformation online. For more information on how these trends will influence global and regional, economic, political and social change click here.
• Monocle: Amongst the usual eclectic mix of forecasts on global affairs, tourism, culture and design, Monocle offers its third annual index of the leading 30 soft power nations – who’s got power through a range of soft attributes from a reputation for design to culture to business assets to green credentials – as opposed to military and industrial might. Everyone wants it, some have it and many more are figuring out how to develop and use it – take a look here to see how your country and the countries in which you are operating stack up. (Note: Subscription required or buy the hard copy).
• CNBC – Looking ahead to 2014: CNBC’s special report is a great mix of economy, investments and issues together. Click here to see all the CNBC predictions.

Consumer Trends

• Trendwatching’s 7 Consumer Trends to run with in 2014: Another round-up of the key consumer trends to watch during the year ahead and beyond, with useful examples to generate inspiration and innovation. Explore the 7 trends in the Trendwatching briefing: Guilt-free status, crowd shaped, made greener by/for China, mychiatry, no data, the internet of caring things and global brain.
• JWT Intelligence 10 trends for 2014: While the full reportis only available for purchase, JWT has done a slideshare presentation revealing its top 10 key trends for 2014 which include among others: Immersive experience, do you speak visual, the end of anonymity, raging against the machine, mobile as a gateway to opportunity. See the Slideshare presentation here.
• Convenience Store Decisions: According to Supermarket Guru, Phil Lempert, the Millennnials will be the shapers of consumers trends in the coming year. Among his trends you will find: The emergence of the “IndieWoman”, brands reach consumers locally through cause initiatives, click to cook, Millennials make the supermarket social, grocery retailers are now even beginning to pin. Visit here for more trends.
• Trend Hunter: Consumer trend site, Trend Hunter, has published their usual (and expanding) range of 2014 trend reports. While these require subscription the free sample highlights some of the hot 20 trends they identify for 2014, including: Micro-adaptation (micro pop-up stores), consumer-controlled innovations, gamble economics (less conceptualizing, more testing) and modest chic. See the sample here.

Economic Trends

• IMF: The IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO) offers the IMF staff’s analysis and projections for economic developments globally, by major regions and levels of development, as well as for individual countries. It covers major economic policy issues plus prospects. The last full version “Transitions and Tensions” was in October 2013. Click here to download the report.
• World Bank: The World Bank published its World Economic Prospects 2013 in June 2013 (click here), suggesting that the bulk of developing countries have fully recovered from the crisis and several countries even risk overheating if policies do not tighten. However, in developing Europe the recovery remains incomplete with unemployment, and spare capacity as central problems. For the Middle East and North Africa, civil and political unrest continues to hold back growth.The Global Economic Monitor offers monthly and weekly updates on economic conditions.
• The Conference Board: Expects slow global growth to see only a moderate rebound in 2014. Their main predictions include: Global GDP rebounding only moderately from 2.8% in 2013 to 3.1% in 2014, with GDP growth in emerging and developing economies as a whole projected to drop slightly by 0.1 percentage point to 4.6% in 2014, while across mature economies the 2014 growth outlook improves a little to a 1.7% growth, compared to 1% in 2013. Click here for more information.
• Goldman Sachs via WSJ: The major investment bank’s economists offer their Top 10 macro themes for 2014. Among the trends you will find: It’s showtime for the U.S./developed markets recovery, forward guidance harder in an above-trend world (so no substantial rate hikes expected until 2016), still not your older brother’s EM (emerging markets)…, ….but EM differentiation to continue, and commodity downside risks continue to grow. More trends can be found here.
• HBR blog: Michael J. Silverstein, Senior Partner and Fellow of The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), describes in a HRB blog that BCG remains optimistic and positive about China’s future. Click here to read BCG’s ten predictions for China’s economy in 2014.
• Credit Suisse via CNBC: The Swiss bank believes that in 2014 strong growth will be led by developed countries, including the U.S. and a resurgent Europe. Overall global GDP growth is expected to accelerate and by the end of 2014 is likely to be above its 30-year average of around 3.5%. Click here for more information.

Financial Markets/Investment Trends

• Yahoo Finance: Where do you invest in uncertain times? Yahoo Finance has gather 14 ideas from investment firms and advisors for 2014. Among the ideas:Take a fresh look at income investments, prepare for a weaker dollar, look for good global brands that may be undervalued and beat-up emerging markets are worth watching. To see the remaining ideas click here.
• Entrepreneur: Crowdfunding is hot and 2013 has been a good year for the industry. Entrepreneur is betting their money on the investment trend Equity Crowdfunding in 2014. Visit here for more information on how it may develop.
• Financial Times: The FT offers a range of market views for 2014, (Note: Registration may be required). Richard Madigan discusses the impact of the political game being played in Washington for the markets here. For more 2014 market views click here.
• Deutsche Bank: Deutsche Bank believes that the global economy is on a promising path, with 2014 set to be a solid year for investors in international financial markets. In its Capital Markets Outlook 2014: “The trees are growing, but not blossoming” the bank summaries the outlook for 2014 as: Economy: 1. Developed nations will drive global growth, 2. Equities: Gains globally, but less than in 2013 and with higher volatility, 3. Bonds: Normalization of interest rates; real positive returns in a few markets, 4. Foreign exchange: US dollar fundamentally strong, 5. Alternative assets: No real estate bubble in Germany, 6. Asset allocation: European equities are the top pick. For more, click here.
• Barron’s: JPMorgan’s David Kelly in the magazine Barron’s offers a 5-point list of the best investment tips for 2014, (Note: Registration may be required). The list includes following advice: Remember to rebalance, income is more important than yield, avoid buying high and selling low (Our note: an oldie but still relevant!), whether you have enough invested overseas, and don’t irrationally hide long-term money in short-term investments. Click here to see more.
• Wall Street Journal: Cheryl Costa, principal at Forteris Wealth Management, with offices in Purchase, N.Y., and Framingham, Mass.; Matthew Quinn, director of research at Lee Financial Corp. in Dallas; and Mark Willoughby, chief investment officer, principal and wealth manager at Boston-based Modera Wealth Management sat down to discuss what they are expecting for the economy and markets in 2014. See their thoughts here.
• Bankrate: From Bankrate the best and the worst investment ideas for 2014. See here for more.
• CNBC: Hedge funds were not the best investment for 2013 but will it change in 2014? From CNBC three big hedge fund predictions: Hedge funds will not advertise during the Super Bowl, short sellers will make a ton of money when the market corrects, and alternative mutual funds will keep coming—and disappointing. Click here for more.

Technology Trends

• Gartner Strategic Technologies: Gartner defines a strategic technology as an existing or emerging technology that will potentially have a significant impact an organization’s long-term plans, programs and initiatives. Among the top 10 Strategic Technologies they identify are: The internet of everything, the era of the personal cloud, smart machines, and 3-D printing. For more click here.
• Forbes: From Forbes, 7 technology trends that will dominate 2014:1.Consumers will come to expect Smart TV capabilities, 2. Smart watches will become ‘smarter’, 3. Google Glass will still be in “wait and see” mode, 4. Other applications and uses for Apple’s TouchID will emerge, 5. Xbox One and PS4 will blur the lines between entertainment and video gaming, 6. 3D Printing will begin to revolutionize production, 7. The movement towards natural language search will make search more accurate and intuitive. Visithere for more information.
• InfoWorld: Technology is reshaping the world with a mixed bag of trends; among InfoWorlds premixed predictions you will find: Cloud is the new hardware, big data gets ahead of itself, the future is powered by JavaScript, and developers continue to rule. For more trends click here.
• CIOL: Constant change is a part of everyday life for organizations. To help embrace change, deliver a positive user experience and focus on solving business performance challenges, the managing director of Riverbed Technology has put together a list of the Top 10 Trends for CIOL that will impact IT organizations in 2014. Among the trends you will find: DevOps teams become the norm, not the exception; enterprises start monitoring personal clouds; consumerization forces IT to measure customer satisfaction; government’s role in innovation increases (globally); and mature app stores shift focus to proprietary apps for the enterprise. Clickhere for more trends.
• Verizon: Verizon has identified five key enterprise tech trends for 2014: 1.The Customer of One comes of age, 2. M2M “as a service” simplifies the path to the connected world, 3. The shortage of security expertise forces changes to cybersecurity management, 4. IT decentralizes, 5. Providers add gravity to the cloud. See more here.  
• Huffington Post: Huffington Post’s Beverly Macy suggests that what’s hot in 2014 will be: 1.Social-mobile-data in the cloud is the competitive advantage, 2. Predictive matching in B2B content, 3. Workplace transformation, 4. Wearable tech. To learn more about these trends click here.
• The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA): In its annual publication about tech trends expected to influence consumer electronics in the coming year the CEA examines: 1. Internet of things, 2. Driverless cars, 3. Digital health, 4. Robotics, and 5. Content curation. For more visit here.
• Forrester via Forbes: Technology and market research company Forrester has predicted its 10 top technology trends for 2014 and beyond. Among these you will find: Digital experience delivery makes or breaks) for firms, the business takes ownership of process and intelligence, and sensors and devices draw ecosystems together. For more on these trends visit here.
• IDC: Frank Gens, Senior Vice President and Chief Analyst at IDC say that 2014 will be the year where “.. we’ll see every major player make big investments to scale up cloud, mobile, and big data capabilities, and fiercely battle for the hearts and minds of the developers who will create the solutions driving the next two decades of IT spending. Outside the IT industry, 3rd Platform technologies will play a leading role in the disruption (or “Amazoning”) of almost every other industry on the planet.” For more on these predictions click here.
• ExactTarget: Kyle Lancy at ExactTarget is predicting eight technology trends that will disrupt business in 2014: 1. Moment matter, 2. Consumer mobility, 3. Brand localization, 4. Wearable technologies, 5. Content personalization, 6. Collaborative consumption, 7. Youtility, 8. Data quals relevance. A slideshare presentation is available here.

Cyber Security Trends

• Websense: San Diego based Websense, which specializes in web filtering software, looked at recent security and attack trends to identify looming cyber security threats. To mention a few: Attackers will be more interested in cloud data than your network in 2014, Java will remain highly exploitable and highly exploited—with expanded repercussions in 2014, attackers will increasingly lure executives and compromise organizations via professional social networks, cybercriminals will target the weakest links in the “data-exchange chain.See more on the threats here.
• FireEye: This global network security company has been speculating about the key cyber security threats in the next year. Among their fifteen predications you will find: More attack binaries will use stolen or valid code signatures, mobile malware will further complicate the threat landscape, and cybercrime gets personal. For more click here.
• Fortinet: American Fortinet, specializing in network security appliances, has also looked into the crystal ball to identify the biggest cyber security threats to watch out for in 2014. Predicting cyber threats is hard – but not trying to do so can cost businesses big money. Among the threats highlighted are: Encryption won’t change, but use of encryption will increase, the battle for the Deep Web, and biometrics for authentication will increase. For a detailed list of the threats visit here.
• Symantec: According to Symantec, the top things we will hear about in the cyber security world are: People will finally begin taking active steps to keep their information private; scammers, data collectors and cybercriminals will not ignore any social network, no matter how “niche” or obscure; the “Internet of Things” becomes the “Internet of Vulnerabilities”; and mobile apps will prove that you can like yourself too much. For more click here.
• Neohapsis: Neohapsis, a provider of mobile and cloud security services, believes that: We’ll see a cyberwar redux, the cloud will begin to show its unseen costs, privacy will continue to lose out to opposing parties in the US legislature, the internet governance battle will continue, DDoS will get sneaky, encryption technologies will undergo increased scrutiny, a foreign power or organized cybercrime group will have breached a mid-sized or municipal utility for a long period, and legacy problems will escalate. Visit here for more details.
• Kroll: Kroll, a global leader in risk mitigation and response solutions, has identified their own 7 cyber security trends. The trends suggest that a changing tide in cyber standards, both social and legal, will require organizations to take stronger actions and safeguards to protect against reputational, financial and legal risks. Click here to see the trends.
• Booz Allen: Booz Allen has released their top 7 financial services cyber security trends for 2014 predicting cyber attacks are now the “new normal” in the financial services industry. Among the trends are:Banks generate and receive threat intelligence, but is it useful?, mobile security platform weaknesses are giving rise to new threats, developing countries with growing liquidity will see more attacks on their local banks, and big data demands data-level security, while offering a broader cyber solution. For more click here.

      Social Media Trends

• IBM via Forbes: Forbes askedIBM’s Scott Hebner, VP of Social Business what he is expecting in social business in 2014. He sees 7 social trends emerging in 2014 among which you will find: Social business is not just about collaboration, it’s about unlocking the engines of collective knowledge, differentiated expertise and rapid learning; social businesses will begin to tap behavioral data to help drive decision making; the rise of the individual and “marketing as a service;” and social takes on talent management. For more trends and information visit here.
• InformationWeek: InformationWeek consulted Brian Solis, principal analyst at Altimeter Group. He thinks that this year marked social media’s move into the mainstream and in 2014 you will find: Businesses will learn how to better monetize social, social media users will be comfortable sharing more, user-generated content becomes more important, Google+ gains momentum, and Facebook gains respect. For more information click here.
• Business 2 Community: B2C has peered into the future and predicted six global social media trends for 2014: 1. More personalized social campaigns, 2. More active listening and conversation, 3. More fully integrated social and digital strategies, 4. More locale-specific social incentives, 5. More cross-platform promotion, 6. More emphasis on multilingual SEO. For details on these trends click here.
• EngageTarget Media: Social media has been around for quite some time now but still many businesses haven’t adopted a strategy for it. Looking at EngageTarget Medias predications for 2014 it might be a good idea to start thinking about that strategy. According to the company these 5 trends will dominate the landscape: 1. Investment in social media is a necessity, 2. Google+ is on the rise, 3. Image is everything, 4. The rise of micro-video, 5. Linkedin will become a major player. For more information click here.
• Millward Brown: Brand research consultancy Millward Brown has identified 10 emerging digital and media trends for next year. Among the predictions: Screen agnosticism – video becomes a fluid medium, micro-video multiplies – challenging marketers to keep pace, and the breakthrough of wearable screens. To read the entire top 2014 list click here.

      Mobile Trends

• Yola: The mobile world is growing by leaps and bounds with new technologies, new apps, and new networks being built daily. With so much going on, there’s almost no telling what 2014 will bring, but Yola suggests watching: 1. Mobile payment systems and virtual wallets, 2. Geolocation check-in services, 3. Mobile device management, 4. Mobile advertising, 5. Mobile video. Read more here.
• Appia: The leading mobile user acquisition network is predicting four hot technologies for mobile marketers in 2014: 1. NFC, 2. Improved location targeting, 3. QR and digital watermarking, 4. Augmented reality. Want to know more about these hot trends? Click here.
• Forbes: From Forbes the five hottest mobile trends for 2014 are: here for more information.

      Retail Trends

• InterbrandDesignForum/Chain Store Age’s State of the Industry Report: Today traditional business patterns are being disrupted by new technologies. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected through social media and other digital platforms, experience is everything and businesses are increasingly feeling the pressure to be where their customers are. Read more about the rapid changes underway here.
• Realbusiness: E-commerce was big in 2013 and will get even bigger in 2014. From Realbusiness andJames Hardy, head of Europe at Alibaba.com, seven e-commerce trends that will dominate 2014: 1. Shift to B2B, 2. Making use of big data, 3. Multi-channel shopping, 4. Offering assistance, 5. Pre-tail opportunities, 6. Quality content, 7. Next day delivery. Visit here for more.
• PRSM: In a 20-page report PRSM offers details about how the retail industry is driving results through five key trends: technology, waste management, vendor management, sustainability and brick and mortar innovations. Click here to see the report.
• Business Insider: Suggests five global retail trends that will shape 2014: Retailers will try to entertain you to get your business, retailers are going to stock what people are tweeting about or pinning on Pinterest, retailers will have to unify their mobile, desktop, and tablet experiences – tracking shoppers as they move from platform to platform across the day, offline stores are going to starting pinging your phone when you walk in, and retailers are going to offer more customizable products like engraving on gadgets. Click here for more.

      Brand Trends

• Brand Keys via FutureLab: Brand Keys suggests 14 brand trends for 2014that cover a mix ofexperience, marketing, data, digital, and more. Among the trends you’ll find: Consumers expect more, targeting becomes personal, fewer tedious texts, data deceleration, and the funnel flattens. Visit here for more trends.
• The Luxury Institute:Based on recent experiences in New York, Milan, Paris, and London, the Luxury Institute has predicted seven trends that smart luxury brands need to address in 2014, including: Mystery shopping is no way to boost the bottom line; not big data, relevant data; online personal shoppers; and customer culture is the new profit model.Visit here for more.
• Landor Associates via Packaging Digest: Landor Associates, the global strategic brand consulting and design firm, has selected their top 10 brand trends for 2014. Among these are: Wearable tech is not just for gadget heads, man as “wife,” social media becomes “old school,” and “clean slate” brands clean up. Click here for the remaining trends.
• Chain Store Age: From Chain Store Age the top 5 brand experience trends that will dominate 2014 are: 1. Relevant retail, 2. The rise of the CXO, 3. User experience writ large, 4. Owned media strategies for content marketing, 5. Big data gets small. Click here for more details.

      Marketing Trends

• Business 2 Community: Online is where you want to be. Giving the consumer a unique experience is the key so they come, stay, engage, convert and form an enduring relationship with your business. The marketing trends to look out for in 2014: Segmentation and data, integration, and social media. Find out of more here.
• Forbes: Technology continues to transform marketing and Forbes is taking a shot at what we can expect from the next decade. Marketing trends include: From message to experience, from rational benefit to the passion economy, and from brands to platforms. Click here to see more.The magazine alsodelves into 14 brand and marketing trends that will dominate 2014, including: Consumers expect more, category is king, targeting becomes personal, content is king, too, and micro becomes mainstream. Find more trends here.
• The Content Marketing Association via The Guardian: The Content Marketing Association asked content marketing experts what they think will be the key to good content marketing in 2014. Among the thoughts you will find: Distributed thinking as opposed to destination thinking, responsive delivery, print is not dead!, story first, and video content is a must. For more thoughts click here.
• New Media and Marketing: Suggests five 2014 marketing predictions: 1. Big Data will remain a challenge for marketers as they struggle to get “real-time” analytics and implement marketing tactics with speed and quality that provide a clear ROI, 2. Despite the “hype” around social media most brands are going to learn that their branded website is more important than a Facebook page or Twitter account, 3. Conventional advertising still works for a lot of CPGs, 4. Integrating marketing initiatives and optimizing the mix will remain a challenge for most brands, 5. Customer service becomes a critical marketing KPI. Click here to read more.
• TapSense via MarketingProfs: Base on an excerpt from the ebook “A complete guide to Mobile marketing for 2014” mobile marketing solution company TapSense offers 6 trends for 2014. These include: Mobile RTB will makes up 45% of all mobile ad buys, email will become a mobile-first channel, twitter ads will expand to third-party Twitter clients, and Facebook’s FBX will go mobile. Visit here more information.
• ClickZ: From ClickZ five digital marketing trends that will rule 2014: 1. Location-based Marketing, 2. Social Media Diversification, 3. Content Curation, 4. More Video Marketing, 5. Remarketing or Ad Re-targeting. For details visit here.
• Memeburn: The digital mindset is maturing among businesses driving major advancements in effective digital communication. Memburn suggests 7 digital marketing trends to watch in 2014, including: The rise of short video, B2B will find more success through education rather than conversation, social media data collection will come under scrutiny, and social marketing will combine real world and online world. Click here for more.
• Ebuzzing via the Guardian:Ebuzzing’s vice president of mobile, Paul Coggins, has taken a look into his crystal ball to predict mobile advertising trends to watch in 2014: Mobile as a priority, changing ad models, an evolution in buying and selling; and unrecognizable ad formats. For more visit here.
• Inc.: Inc. magazine has identified their 3 cutting-edge social media marketing trends for 2014 as: Increase employee advocacy with social media governance, enhance content distribution efforts, and lead with education, not conversation. Read more here.
• Forbes: From Forbes 7 social media trends marketing that will dominate 2014: 1. Investment in social media will become a necessity, not a luxury, 2. Google+ will become a major factor, 3. Image-centric networks will see huge success, 4. We’ll witness the rise of micro-video, 5. Foursquare will decline sharply, 6. MySpace, love it or hate it, will grow, 7. LinkedIn will become a major player for B2B business growth. For more information click here.
• TwinEngine via Mediabistro: TwinEngine has via its beautifully created infographicsuggested 14 online and social marketing trends ready to take off in 2014. Among these are: Social crowdsourcing expands business resources, #hashtags become a leading search tool, social media is essential for successful business strategy, mobile marketing surpasses traditional advertising, and big data just keeps getting bigger. Visit here for more trends.
• Social Media Today: Social Media presents 5 social media marketing trends for 2014: 1. Facebook down, Twitter up, 2. SnapChat marketing, 3. Google+…Finally?, 4. Collaborative goes mainstream, 5. Videos are hot. For more click here.

      Recruiting and Employment Trends

• Monster.com: Monster.com, one of the largest employment websites in the world, has taken the temperature of 2014 staffing trends, and according to the company the staffing industry heads into 2014 with growth expected in profitable niches. Read more here.
• Linkedin via Recruiter.com: In a global survey Linkedin found 5 key hiring trends that recruiters and strategic resourcing professionals all over the world should know about in 2014: Social professional networks soon to be the most important source of quality hires, employer branding has become both a competitive threat and advantage, big data usage is growing, hiring internally, and not investing enough in mobile. For more information click here.
• Forbes: The workplace is changing dramatically and according to Forbes these trends will affect you one way or another in 2014. Among the trends you’ll find:Healthcare’s impact on the workplace, freelancing becomes a normal way of life, gender pay gap starts to close, the economy delays career growth, and boomers retiring – changing demographics in the workplace. For more information on these trends visit here.
• TLNT: Many employees are discouraged and a low level ofemployee engagement is a daily reality for myriad companies. According to a report from Accelir, rewards and recognition programs are the solution. It points out 3 major employee rewards and recognition trends for 2014: 1. Service awards moving towards early recognition, 2.Creating a culture of recognition, 3. Rewards and recognition with social media. For more information visit here.
• Ere.net:Dr. John Sullivan, an internationally known HR thought-leader from the Silicon Valley, has via ere.net grouped 25 predictions of the leading corporate recruiting trends for 2014 into four separate sections. Part 1 includes two sections that cover 14 new opportunities and continuing current trends. Part 2 includes the final two sections, which cover 11 remaining trends that cover new challenges and areas that will continue to diminish in importance.

Design & Fashion Trends

• IKEA: Each year many design trends find their way into the pages of the IKEA catalog. Among the trends you will find: Mix and match, reading and sleeping put together for bookworms, use of serene tones in bedroom, living and playing together. Click here to learn more about some of the trends you should expect to see according to Amazing Interior Design.
• Fashion Trendsetter: What is set to be in in 2014 in terms of color trends? It looks like 2014 will bring us colors among other that are sensual, serene, colorquake, and oasis. For more visit here.
• Europa Regina: And if you want to know even more about what will be trendy in the fashion, interior design, color and decorations arena visit here.
• iStock via Adrants: Take a look a this cool infographic to see what’s hot or not for 2014 when it comes to design trends.
• The Boston Design Center: The Boston Design Center has released the hot trends they are expecting for 2014, with the trend of the global citizen and their embrace of Far East and Turkish style cues to be among next year’s style trends. Also add a little exoticism to your interiors with a dose of dialed-down color in block prints and pattern on pattern embroidery. For more information click here.

      Health & Wellness Trends

• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM): A worldwide survey among more than 3,800 certified health and fitness professionals shows, as last year and the year before, that more people are turning to experienced fitness pros and fitness programs. The survey predicts the top 20 worldwide fitness trends for 2014. The top 3 are: 1.High-intensity interval training (HIIT), 2. Body weight training, 3. Educated, certified and experienced fitness professionals. For more visit here.
• Huffington Post: FromHuffington Post 5 fitness trends that will be popular in 2014: 1. Combination classes, 2. CrossFit, 3. Fitness on-the-go, 4. Sweat-working, 5. Online workout. For more information about these trends click here.

Food & Beverage Trends

• Technomics:Food Industry Facts Insight Consulting has brought out their own crystal ball to identify the 10 dining trends that could significantly impact the restaurant industry in 2014. Among these are: Convince me it’s real, Return of the carb, Day for night, Pucker up. Visit here for more.
• Baum+Whiteman International: The creators of high-profile restaurants for clients around the world have come up with the 12 hottest food & beverage trends in restaurants and hotels for 2014, including: Restaurants in retail stores; proliferation of tasting-only menus; goodbye food courts, hello food halls; popups, food fairs, and the single-item restaurant. For more click here.
• Innova Market Insight via PR Newswire: The company suggest the latest trends that will impact the food industry in 2014. The top 10 include: Waste not want not, you can trust us, “new” superfood, rise of the hybrid, health is more holistic and simpler pleasures. For more on these trends click here.
• The Food Channel: As we head into the new year the Food Channel has looked at what we will see in the world of food next year.Their top ten food trends include: 1. The Midwestern food movement, 2. Low tea, 3. Distracting dining, 4. Bread rise to the top, 5. Investing in food. For more on these trends 1-5 visit part I here and trends 6-10 visit part II here.

      Travel Trends

• Lonely Planet:So where do we want to spend our vacations in 2014? Lonely Planet suggests the top 10 cities, the top 10 countries and the top 10 regions for 2014. Among the top 5 cities you will find Paris, Trinidad, Cape Town, Riga and Zurich. Among the top 5 countries you will find Brazil, Antarctica, Scotland, Sweden and Malawi and among the top 5 regions you will find Sikkim, The Kimberley, Yorkshire, Hokuriku and Texas. For more information click here.
• Cox & Kings: The annual travel trends to watch in 2014 from Cox & Kings includes the top experiences, travel styles and destination picks to look forward to, such as: Festival Travel, “Farm-to-Table, Vine-to-Glass” Pilgrimages, Geo-See-Where-I-Am?, “The Quickie.” For more click here.
• Resonance Consultancy: Believes that the travel industry is seeing a string of powerful trends in 2014 and beyond. Among these are: Impact of Millennials, seniors are unstoppable, rise of conspicuous leisure, growth of ‘creative tourism’, strength of luxury travel, and more multigenerational travel. To read more click here.
• Euromonitor International: Researchers from Euromonitor International have highlighted seven regional trends that will characterize 2014 and beyond. Expect in Europe: Peer-to-peer travel; in the UK: The Happiness Index; in the Middle East: Low cost goes upmarket; in Africa: The big five with your little one; in Asia: Fight for cruise control in China; in India: The travel social shake up; and in the Americas: Professional Aunts – No Kids(PANKS). For what to expect click here.
• Condé Nast Traveller: In their latest magazine, Condé Nast offers its Gold List of 2014 (its view on the best hotels in the world), along with the best bargain breaks, diving destinations and more. Worth a look here, once the holidays are over and you are planning the next one!

In February: Look out for trends in action on Sci-Fi – Making the impossible possible.

Happy New Year from the GT Team!