Here’s my list of integrated marketing and communications trends for 2020. I went online looking for inspiration and found a fascinating list of consumer trends for 2020 called “Connecting the Dots” published by globalwebindex. I liked it, a lot. Click through and take a look for yourself. I’ll also save you some time and share the highlights below of what I found most interesting. It became my list.

I agree with the authors when they say it is, “the consumer’s struggle between optimism and pessimism which will take center stage in 2020.” Whether driven by a fear of falling behind, privacy concerns, anxiety over seemingly endless choices or politically induced malaise, uncertainty will prevail next year.

Technology is ubiquitous today, As such, it is impossible to separate tech from any trend discussion. It may not be a trend, but the overwhelming thing to watch in 2020 will be ongoing dialogue between regulators around the world and global tech giants like Apple, Google, Huawei and others. Expect more hearings, legislation, lawsuits and more as the growing and accumulating power of fewer and larger technology companies scares the bejeebers out of consumers and those looking out for them. This is boring, though, so here comes the fun stuff.

What follows are the big trends gleaned from “Connecting the Dots.” They reflect the perspectives of consumers from the U.S. and UK in 2019.

Health tech influence grows

Technology will play an even bigger role in 2020. 70% of internet users believe technology will play a key role in managing their health and wellbeing. Applications for artificial intelligence (AI), telehealth and robotics will grow in their influence reshaping healthcare.

All about privacy

In 2020, it’s all about controlling your online identity. Online financial identity is the touchiest area. Digital currencies (i.e., Facebook and Google) mean more information than ever will be available about how and where people spend money. Consumers are increasingly wary about controlling what financial information about them is “out there.”

Luxurious human interactions sought

For high-end consumers, expect human interaction to grow next year. Top bracket consumers are nearly twice as likely to prefer human interaction for customer service. If the “masses” are empowered through technology, and they are, ultra-humanized experiences may become the new face of luxury.

Offline fashion matters more

Expect some return to brick-and-mortar stores for luxury retail in 2020. In-store fashion buyers in the U.S. and UK want to see the following in clothes shops: a smart mirror (37%), a café (36%) and, a tailor shop (29%). This is a build on #3.

Data drives travel choices

Travel app usage has grown 90% since 2015 to 38% of travelers from 20%. Not surprisingly, online resources that can uniquely and flawlessly bundle travel experiences will grow in influence in 2020 and beyond.

Nostalgia rocks on

Next year, online consumer media experiences will offer more and more random or chosen nostalgic choices. 4 in 10 consumers are willing to pay more for streaming service if they know content from when they grew up – content that stirs emotion – will be included.   

Commerce en route – OOH is back

2020 will bring a resurgence of out-of-home (OOH) advertising, but with tech enhancements, especially in transportation centers where idle time can become shopping time. Subway, train and bus stations are high-yield environments … downtime is tech-enabled shopping time.

Gaming as a new social network

“Games are no longer episodic consumptive media but are now the basis for new massive online communities.” And, you got it, commerce will follow. As such, a whole new online marketplace will begin to evolve in 2020 along with the new social communities emerging from shared gaming experiences.

I like this list connecting consumer insights to the development of new trends in 2020. While I think the true and deep impact of technology regulation will play out much later than 2020, next year will be, I think, the beginning of a larger public discussion of what it really means.

I think this all means that in 2020 we should stay healthier, enjoy luxury more, go online to bundle a trip across Europe through lots of train stations while shopping, listening to the Beatles, watching Friends reruns and playing Fortnite … all on secure networks, of course.