Whenever I am asked to predict emerging trends I am reminded of this quote: "If you want to outlast the trends, don't follow them, start them."
My pick for FMCG trends in 2018:
Naturals, Naturally
The ubiquitous naturals story would evolve into the space of “source credibility”. The exotic and ethnic quotient of ingredients along with the process assurances like “ free from “ and “ minimally processed “ etc. will drive the natural theme forward.
Story Telling
Back To Roots And Origin - Brands would need to engage through stories of their roots and origins, heritage and evolution. It's going beyond the product to create a connect with the restless but mindful youth. A great example is Paperboat which has used ethnic variants and intriguing packaging to build a compelling brand story.
Rise Of Online Indie Brands
The emergence of ecommerce along with the millennials’ faith in digital influence over traditional advertising, will lead to the rise of new indie brands in the personal care and beauty space. These brands will be built on high quality differentiated products, new product regimens and experiential content strategy. K Beauty brands are leading examples of this phenomenon
Micro Max
Consumers now have access to more information than ever before and more than they can ever handle. The digitally savvy consumers no longer respond to mass scale social media campaigns. Instead, they are drawn to brands that meet them in personalised ways in the spaces that they seek out online. Hence “micro is the new maximum”- micro-targeting, micro influencing and winning the micro-moments will yield the maximum.