Year End Specials: Branding on the double lane

Marketers were confounded by the dualities that shaped consumer behaviour this year

For marketers, the tantalising challenge is to spot the next big trend and grab a seat on that trend-train to reach the prized destination of increased sales. But for every trend today there is a counter-trend, for every force driving consumer behaviour in one direction, there is a counter-force. The challenge is therefore not as simple as identifying the newest “trend” but to recognise the dynamics of these counter-balancing forces while respecting consumers’ need for resolution when faced with apparently contradictory motivators.
 

Here then is a shortlist of five game-changing dualities that will impact every element of branding in years