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Our “Top Global Digital Trends for

2014” is a brief look at what we

believe will be the most relevant

trends to follow over the next 12

months. It includes some new trends

as well as developments on existing

ones we shared in our summary

from 2013.

We hope you find this snapshot

useful and look forward to working

together with you, to make the most

of the opportunities that these trends

may present for your business.

INTRODUCTION

Your PHD

International Team | 2

NEED IT NOW

| 4

We have long been in a world

where our consumer demands

are fulfilled with the click of a

button. In 2014, this speed of

service will rise to a new level

and transcend purely digital

products and services.

From clothing to sandwiches and

even dates – new products and

services are rapidly appearing to

satisfy the need for immediacy.

You can now order a product

online and have it delivered to you

within minutes.

ExamplE

The Kate Spade window shop in New York was open 24 hours and could deliver goods purchased through the touchscreen within an hour of ordering.

mICRO-STORIES

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The shift towards rich and

succinct content which satisfies

consumers’ mobile first internet

habits will continue due to the rise

of 4G and readily available Wi-Fi

services.

Visual content in social media

will become more commonplace

as people are looking for ease of

consumption in a free moment or

on the go.

Short form video has taken off

with Twitter launching a 6 second

video service called Vine and

Instagram following with its

own video sharing feature,

Instagram Video.

ExamplE

Lowe’s provide home improvement tips in 6 second videos using Twitter’s Vine service.

DIgITal SyNERgy

| 8

As smartphone and tablet usage

increase and people move

simultaneously between devices,

the role of media channels needs

to be considered as a part of this

complex eco-system rather than

in isolation.

We are going to see more brands

“planning for synergy” with digital

in 2014 and more innovative

solutions for media channels to

work together.

ExamplE

A “converged” billboard and mobile retargeting capability is being developed that allows you to target people who have been exposed to out of home advertising via mobile ads.

pERSONalISaTION

| 10

With an increasing wealth of data

available to marketers, digital

is becoming more personal as

consumers seek more relevant

interactions with brands.

Personalisation can help guide

consumers through a vast amount

of content and choices online.

However, it should be used in a

way that provides utility and is not

seen as intrusive.

ExamplE

Instead of searching in your Gmail account or Google Calendar, soon you’ll be able to type into Google.com queries like “What’s my flight status?” or “When will my package arrive?” to receive personalised answers at the top of the search result page.

lOCaTION aWaRENESS

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Applications increasingly use

your smartphone’s GPS activity

to deliver localised content. New

technologies are also emerging to

leverage a consumer’s location in

retail environments.

Twitter is testing a feature that

allows you to see Tweets from

users Tweeting nearby even if

you don’t follow them. Similarly,

Facebook local search lets you

find friends and recommended

businesses nearby.

ExamplE

Apple and PayPal are both trialling a new type of low energy Bluetooth technology that allows for greater communication with smartphones in-store, such as hands-free social check-ins, payments and coupons.

CONTExT fOR CONTENT DElIvERy

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The old saying around “content is

king” is changing – although great

content is still vital, balancing

content with an understanding

of context is now seen as the

holy grail.

From a mobile perspective, this

could mean:

• Seeing different apps on your

home screen when you’re at

the office versus at home.

• Increasing the font size for your

emails when you’re on the

move.

• Prioritising numbers in your

address book based on

location versus alphabetically.

ExamplE

Mobile network InMobi’s new SmartAd format can trigger dynamic creative based on location, weather, custom feeds and other user behaviour – it can even tell if someone is on the move or stationary.

DISTRIbUTION

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The discussion around content

driven advertising has been going

on for years and will continue

to be a priority for marketers.

However, for 2014, distribution

will need to be given equal

consideration to ensure content

is given the best opportunity

to perform.

As Karen Nelson-Field, author

of ‘Viral Marketing: The Science

of Sharing’, states: “It’s all very

well being the best violinist in the

world, but if you are playing in

your bathroom, no one will ever

hear you.”

ExamplE

A strong distribution strategy was key in the Dove Real Beauty Sketches campaign which became the most viewed piece of branded content ever on YouTube with over 121,000,000 views.

gamIfICaTION

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As a planet we’re spending 7

billion hours a week fuelling our

desire to be engaged with games.

If brands can replicate even a

small slice of that engagement,

then the payback will surely be

substantial.

Adapting the gamification

philosophy to create a meaningful

experience for the consumer

is going to be key. It goes far

beyond just rewarding the user/

customer.

You can find out more on gamification in our new book “Game Change”. If you would like to receive a copy please contact carine.poot@phdnetwork.com Source: Game Change and Kuato Studios: Hakitzu Elite

ExamplE

Hakitzu is a game released last year that allows you to control a robot through a set of command lines that simultaneously teaches you how to code Javascript. It was developed to improve the learning experience and teach children a valuable skill of being able to code.

SEamlESS mONEy

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Expect to see payment become

even easier and buzz around

virtual currency continue as

retailers adapt to new ways

of working.

Ecommerce platform Shopify

recently announced a move

to accept digital currency

Bitcoin alongside Reddit

and Virgin Galactic.

Starbucks launched a programme

called Tweet-a-Coffee that lets

you buy a gift card through Twitter.

Xaoimi sold 150k smartphones

via WeChat, a popular messaging

app in China, in less than 10 mins. Source: TechInAsia and Coin

ExamplE

Coin is a new device that looks like a credit card but can store your payment information, loyalty cards and gift cards in the one device. It works with existing systems in store to mimic the right card at the right moment.

mORE SmaRT ThINgS

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It’s becoming easier and more

affordable to link just about any

object to the internet, which is

driving the continued trend of

“The Internet of Things.”

Cisco believe by 2020 there is

the potential for 50 billion internet

connected devices.

These “Things” are becoming

communication channels. Tapping

into them doesn’t necessarily

require a high tech solution

either. Diageo allowed customers

to associate a personal video

message to an individual bottle

through the product code.

ExamplE

Heineken developed a “smart” beer bottle that responds to sound and movement with different light effects to enhance the experience while drinking the beverage in a club environment.

3D pRINTINg

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3D printers are getting smaller

and cheaper making them

more obtainable. Although it

will be some time before most

households can afford one, we’re

seeing brands experiment in this

space and applications expand.

Yahoo in Japan created a tool

called “Hands on Search” that

enables children who are blind

to search the web by printing

images of results in 3D e.g. a

model Giraffe when they say

“Giraffe” into the search engine.

ExamplE

Warner Bros partnered with Microsoft to let fans print props from the Hobbit movie. Porsche shared 3D printer friendly blueprints for the 2014 Porsche Cayman.

WEaRablE TECh

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When we talk about smart things,

there is a big increase in wearable

technology – especially for fitness

and health applications.

Juniper Research estimates smart

wearable device shipments,

including products like smart

watches and glasses, will near

130 million by 2018.

The opportunity for marketers

will be in the new streams of

data that these devices create.

Take notice of new devices being

released and think about these in

the context of what data could be

relevant to your business.

ExamplE

Manufacturers, such as Sony, Samsung and LG, are launching new smart wristbands alongside more established players Nike, Fitbit and Jawbone. These types of devices let you track steps, distance, calories and even sleep.

7.24 14800 9.02 1230Distance steps Time calories

lIvE STREamINg

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The vast amount of content

now available on demand

doesn’t mean a shift away

from live content.

This is especially true for gaming.

Twitch, the leading video platform

for gamers, has 45 million visitors

a month. Twitch allows players to

instantly broadcast game play for

others to watch.

Assumptions can be made

about content that will appeal to

audiences, but demand speaks

for itself with manufacturers and

advertisers playing catch-up. Source: Twitch

ExamplE

When Sony unveiled PlayStation 4, one of the new features announced was the ability for people to share live streams of themselves playing video games.

COllabORaTIvE CREaTION & CONSUmpTION

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There is a growing trend of

consumers co-creating and

co-consuming content, products

and services.

An example of co-creation is the

first episode of Joseph Gordon-

Levitt’s new show “hitRECord

on TV” which features 426

contributing artists.

ExamplE

An example of collaborative consumption is peer to peer accommodation site Airbnb which continues to grow with more than 10 million guest stays since launch.

Source: Airbnb

KEEp ON TOp Of DIgITal TRENDS

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If you are interested in staying

up to date with how these digital

trends are evolving then be sure

to read our weekly “This Week in

Digital” newsletter. This newsletter

is tailored to your business

and covers the top stories in

digital in an easy to read format,

highlighting also competitor

activities in the digital space.

To find out more or to be added

to our distribution list, please

contact our PHD International

digital specialist:

Carine Poot

t +44 (0) 20 7446 7190

carine.poot@phdnetwork.com

www.phdww.com