What is Trend Quantifying?

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Features
Trend tracking and trend quantifying are dual and sometimes overlapping tools, techniques and processes used by The Future Laboratory’s creative and strategic foresight analysts to map the origins and forward trajectories of a trend in terms of its familiarity, scale, impact, value or geographical significance

Clients use our Trend Tracker to determine the timeline of the macrotrends that our analysts have identified, and how they fragment, merge and metamorphose into new and powerful ones over time. 

Our trend quantification tools, on the other hand, use a combination of quantitative, qualitative and ethno-research techniques to determine a consumer’s familiarity with existing trends, emerging ones, and the sentiments and motivations that sit behind their understanding of these trends. This enables us to anticipate and map the speed at which they may be adopted or abandoned by key groups along an S-shaped curve of Innovation.

These groups are innovators (2.5%), early adopters( 13.5%), early majority (34%), late majority (34%) and laggards (16%). While each cluster represents a fixed percentage in the overall population, by quantifying and mapping how the first two groups are embracing or rejecting a trend, you can determine how the majority of consumers will take to it, since the latter three groups – the most sizeable in terms of profitability and market longevity – are predominantly influenced and defined by the choices of the first two. 

It is equally important to monitor late majority and laggard sentiment, however, to determine when a trend has reached the end of its stickiness, and thus its profitability cycle, so that you can determine the new ‘old’ ones they are beginning to embrace and buy into.

You can discover our Methodology below to find out more or sign up to our Trends & Foresight Masterclass series where we delve further into mastering our methodology.

Published by:

18 October 2022

Author: The Future Laboratory

Image: The Future Laboratory

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Discover our Methodology

The Future Laboratory’s unique proprietary methodology allows us to track, monitor and determine the key drivers of change affecting future consumers, culture and business.

Our methodology enables clients to interpret and frame all their decisions about future risk within a brand, consumer or organisational context that is provable, practical and minimises uncertainty.

Use our interactive microsite here to find out more.


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