CONSUMER FORECAST SPRING/SUMMER 2015

BIO-
DYNAMIC
BIO-DYNAMIC:
PRIORITIES
INTRO WHATS DRIVING THIS MOOD

The Bio-Dynamic macro trend looks at
systems.
In the companion consumer forecast, see
how consumers are breaking down numerous
traditional structures and developing new
frameworks that continue to challenge
the status quo of many of our existing
organisations.
A consumer demand for life on their terms:
new education establishments, new systems
and networks for health and home, new
energy structures and new class and culture
hierarchies.
S/S 15 CONSUMER FORECAST

BIO-DYNAMIC
 NO.1 PERSONAL
ECOSYSTEMS
As more of the day-to-day products in our lives
are connected to the internet, consumers are
developing personal ecosystems that link
home, car, office, school, entertainment and
leisure.

PRIORITIES
NO.2 CLEAN BILL OF
HEALTH
New attitudes to health and wellbeing include a
re-definition of the boundaries between dirty
and clean. Companies harness bacteria
for new energy sources and consumers
BACKGROUND re-evaluate what bacteria can do for them.
Personal ecosystems are also creating a
radical change in the health industry.
Explore the consumer priorities associated
with Bio-Dynamic through three key themes:
Personal Ecosystems, Clean Bill of Health
and C-Class Revolution.

NO.3 C-CLASS
REVOLUTION
By 2020, 1 billion people will have entered the
middle class, with 66% of them in emerging
markets. They have newly acquired wealth and
a better standard of living, but there is still a
long way to go - consumers in countries round
the world will debate the nature of middle
class.
BIO-DYNAMIC
NO.1
PERSONAL
ECOSYSTEMS

EXAMPLE

Consumers are fast developing personal

ecosystems, a network of connected gadgets
that constantly communicates with them,
updating them on everything from basic
domestic needs such as You need more
laundry detergent to personal information
such as Two people liked your Instagram
photo. As more products are added to each
consumers Internet of Things, from home
products, to cars and social networks, it
becomes increasingly important for brands
to develop goods that do not disrupt these
unique ecosystems. According to a recent
White Paper from Cisco: In 2003, there were
approximately 6.3 billion people living on the
planet and 500 million devices connected to
the internet. Looking to the future, there will
be 25 billion devices connected to the internet
by 2015 and 50 billion by 2020.
BIO-DYNAMIC
NO.1
PERSONAL
ECOSYSTEMS

INTRO

As the Internet of Things continues to expand,

the premise of an interconnected living
global brain is gaining new ground. The Gaia
Theory, first articulated by James Lovelock
and Lynn Margulis in the 1970s, posits
that: living organisms and their inorganic
surroundings have evolved together as a
single living system [that] self-regulates global
temperature, atmospheric content, ocean
salinity and other factors in an automatic
manner. While other scientists have argued
Lovelocks ideas, his theories suggest
a world where a consumers connected
products provide an integrated support
system. New experiments with slime moulds
have compared their naturally occurring,
regenerative networks to community systems.
Consumers personal networks are becoming
part of an ever-growing global organism
of data. Whats important for brands to
understand is that the products they design
must add to consumers support or eco
systems.
BIO-DYNAMIC
NO.2
CLEAN BILL
OF HEALTH

INTRO

The apps and gadgets enabling the e-health

revolution are vital components of consumers
personal ecosystems and support networks.
This tech phenomenon is another example
of the way consumers are taking control of
their health management. Its also stimulating
an active pursuit of good health in general;
being able to measure and monitor heart,
diet, exercise and weight. Consumers are
feeling empowered to keep a clean bill of
health and there are now numerous products
in this space, offering everything from blood-
pressure monitoring and symptom evaluation,
to apps that enable parents to keep their
childrens health, growth and development
information at their fingertips. Brands that
increase opportunities for consumers to feel
better about their inside selves will win in
this regard.
BIO-DYNAMIC
NO.2
CLEAN BILL
OF HEALTH

INTRO

The Bio-Dymamic macro trend looks at the

tensions between dirty and clean and the
fact that consumers are re-evaluating notions
of hygiene. Recent scientific experiments
look at the possibility of generating clean
energy from bacteria. According to Science
Daily: The research shows that it is possible
for bacteria to lie directly on the surface of a
metal or mineral and transfer electrical charge
through their cell membranes. This means
that it is possible to tether bacteria directly to
electrodes bringing scientists a step closer
to creating efficient microbial fuel cells or bio-
batteries. People are learning the importance
of good bacteria for themselves, with projects
such as American Gut that enable consumers
to get a detailed breakdown of their personal
bacteria issues so they can create tailored
health solutions. The sheer number of diets
that aim to shift consumer thinking about
food, from gluten- or dairy-free, to full-blown
paleo, shows that consumers are interested
in changing what they eat in order to manage
their health.
BIO-DYNAMIC
NO.3
C-CLASS
REVOLUTION

INTRO

The middle class around the world is flexing

its muscles and challenging the definitions of
what it means to be part of societys largest
consumer group. The evidence of this trend
is perhaps nowhere more prominent than
in the emerging economies of Brazil and
China. Known as the C-Class (in a class
structure that spans A to E) Brazils middle
class has been growing at a rapid rate over
the last 10 years. Recent figures suggest
as many as 54% of the population is now in
the C-class. Recent riots all over the country
(which started as a protest about bus fare
hikes) suggest wide ranging dissatisfaction
with the status quo. In addition to a need for
government change, brands need to offer
more choices for the C-Class. Society is still
very polarized in brand offerings from super
value to super luxury, with nothing much in
between.
BIO-DYNAMIC
NO.3
C-CLASS
REVOLUTION

INTRO

The Chinese middle-class is a new-found

strata of society that is demanding change
for the better. About 10% of Chinas 1.35
billion people now count as middle class,
according to the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development, a figure
that is set to rise to 40% by 2020. However,
their concerns about air pollution, food
safety and Chinas education system show
the challenges facing the countrys newly
appointed leaders, who have promised a shift
away from the model of growth at all costs,
wrote Tom Hancock in a recent article in the
Taipei Times. Chinese consumption, largely
driven by the middle class, will account for
$6.2 trillion by 2025. And, according to
Peoples Daily: Karl Gerth, author of As China
Goes, So Goes The World: How Chinese
Consumers are Transforming Everything and
lecturer in Modern Chinese History at Oxford
University, said every company in the world
now has to have a strategy for the Chinese
middle class.
BIO- KEY
TAKEAWAYS
DYNAMIC Brands need to respect and add to consumers personal eco-systems.

Consumers are prioritising health and wellness, trying new diets and
respecting good bacteria.

The e-health revolution is having a dramatic effect.

The middle class is demanding change throughout the world.

Brands need to think about how they can facilitate middle-class

consumers around the world achieve their dreams.
S/S 15 CONSUMER FORECAST
BIO-DYNAMIC
THE INTERNET OF THINGS
The Internet of Things, also known as The
Internet of Objects, refers to the networked
connection of everyday items such as tables,
chairs, refrigerators, TVs and more. For
more information, including white papers and
studies, check out tech company Ciscos
Internet of Everything website.
www.cisco.com
CES: TOP TRENDS
At CES this year, WGSNs team tracked the
top trends that would have an impact in the
coming years and the concept of personal
ecosystems was mentioned repeatedly.
Experts also spoke about the need for
companies to standardise in order to make
sure add-ons to personal ecosystems work
seamlessly with existing products and apps.
www.wgsn.com
THE CONNECTED HOME
Our homes are becoming the hub of our
personal ecosystems, with many household
items, such as refrigerators, TVs, gaming
consoles and alarm systems being added to
the internet. For an in-depth look at the future
connected home, check out the recent article.
www.wgsn.com
RESEARCH & REFERENCE
GAIA THEORY
The Gaian paradigm of Earth as a living
system was developed by James Lovelock
and Lynn Margulis in the 1970s and has
inspired various researchers working across
disciplines ranging from physics and biology, to
philosophy and politics.
www.gaiatheory.org
MOULD NETWORKS
An Oxford University research team analysing
networks created by slime moulds has
compared these networks to the complexity
of the Tokyo rail system, concluding that
the sophistication matches human network
designers. These findings can be applied to
mobile communication and transport networks
and even human blood flow.
www.ox.ac.uk
SLIME DYNAMICS
Slime Dynamics looks towards the vibrancy
and vitality of basic life forms such as
bacteria and mould as a way to understand
the connections between digital technology,
cybernetics and biological evolution. It
celebrates the dark vitality and unpleasantness
of life.
Slime Dynamics by Ben Woodard
(ISBN:9781780992488)
S/S 15 CONSUMER FORECAST
BIO-DYNAMIC
E-HEALTH & M-HEALTH
There is a vibrant thread of humanism
appearing online romantic, quirky, emotional
and expressive images and text. This can
be seen as a reaction to the simple I Like
expressions weve come to be limited by
online, as well as the slick emotionless images
of N.D.A.
www.who.int
HEALTHY EATING
The Horse e-books meme is growing. What
originally started as randomised computer-
generated poetry, programmed to invade
Twitter, has become an internet phenomenon.
Inspired by the lyrical and romantic nature of
its Twitter posts, Horse e-books has developed
a loyal fan base.
blogs.technomic.com
PALEO PEOPLE
Grocery stores in the US and UK are stocking
a wider variety of glueten-free, dairy-free and
other diet-related foodstuffs for consumers
following various health programmes.
Vegetarian, pescetarian, gluten and dairy free
have all been growing in popularity. The paleo
diet is based on eating what our paleolithic
man ate - cutting out any food that came after
agriculture, such as rice, wheat, dairy and so
on.
thepaleodiet.com
RESEARCH & REFERENCE
HUMAN MICROBIOME PROJECT
The Human Microbiome Project is a research
project that aims to understand how the
human microbiome relates to health. This
data analysis project maps out the complex
ecosystem of micro organisms found in the
body and provides new analysis of human
biology
www.hmpdacc.org
AMERICAN GUT
American Gut gives consumers the opportunity
to have the microbes in their guts analyzed
and to compare them to those of thousands of
other people in the US and around the world.
www.indiegogo.com
BIO BATTERY
Scientists are excited by the possibility of
creating clean energy from bacteria. These
bacteria show great potential as microbial
fuel cells, where electricity can be generated
from the breakdown of domestic or agricultural
waste products.
www.sciencedaily.com
S/S 15 CONSUMER FORECAST
BIO-DYNAMIC
BRAZILIAN RIOTS
Hundreds of thousands of Brazilians have
been marching and rioting in the streets of Rio,
So Paulo and other major cities in the country.
Initially marching against a fare increase on the
buses, the protests now encompass a general
dissatisfaction with corruption in government
and poor public services.
www.reuters.com
BRAZILS C-CLASS
The middle class in Brazil is known as the
C-Class, which sits right in the centre of the
nations class hierarchy of A to E. The C-Class
has increased dramatically over the last few
years. Reports suggest it now represents 54%
of the Brazilian population.
www.worldcrunch.com
FAVELA CONSUMERS
The C-Class includes 65% of favela residents.
These residents number approximately 12
million people and earn around $28.4 billion a
year. Its a growing and changing market that
cannot be ignored.
www.csmonitor.com
RESEARCH & REFERENCE
CHINESE MIDDLE-CLASS
Of the 1.35 billion people in China, about 10%
now count as middle class. By 2022, our
research suggests more than 75% of Chinas
urban consumers will earn 60,000 to 229,000
renminbi ($9,000 to $34,000) a year.
www.mckinsey.com
MIDDLE-CLASS CONCERNS
The growing middle class in China is beginning
to voice its concerns about numerous
problems in society, including, air quality,
pollution, health, food safety and education.
www.taipeitimes.com
CHINESE POLLUTION
With an exploding middle class and rapid
urbanisation comes pollution, an issue that
is affecting consumersquality of life. Some
middle- and upper-class Chinese parents and
expatriates have already begun leaving China,
a trend that executives say could result in a
huge loss of talent and experience.
www.nytimes.com
 S/S 15
BIO-DYNAMIC
Bio-Dynamic looks at how consumers are
breaking down numerous traditional structures
and developing new frameworks that continue
to challenge the status quo of many of our
existing organisations.
MACRO TRENDS

SEASONAL
EVOLUTION
INTRO
Each season the consumer forecast provides
an evolution of the previous seasons themes.
We have seen the evolution from the need
for refinement of systems connected to the
Neo-Geo macro trend, to the redefining
consumerism of Industrial Evolution, to the
need for new systems in Bio-Dynamic.
A/W 14/15
INDUSTRIAL EVOLUTION
The Industrial Revolution delivered a dramatic
rise of machines and factory-made products.
As we continue into the 21st Century, the
relationship between man and machine is
evolving and this is changing the face of
consumerism and how we work.
2013
REFINEMENT
In the 2013 macro trends revolutionary ways
of designing cities and public systems were
investigated and the consumer forecast looked
at the ways people are seeking to redefine
these systems.