Welcome to our 2020 Trends. After carefully selecting each of our trends, we came to the realization that they wove together common threads: the need to do good, spark change, think differently and create joy. Enjoy it. Share it. We’ll be watching.

2. LITTLE
BOOKOF
TRENDS
2020
Can you believe that we’re entering a new
decade? It seems incredible that over the
last 10 years we’ve welcomed the iPad
into our lives, read our last volume of Harry
Potter, seen same-sex marriage become
legal in the US, watched Pokémon Go
become a global addiction, and witnessed
a hashtag coupled with five simple letters
spark a global conversation — #MeToo.
After carefully selecting each of our trends,
we came to the realization that they wove
together common threads: the need to
do good, spark change, think differently
and create joy. And as we look to the next
decade, we anticipate that these principles
will carry through for years to come.
Welcome to our 2020 Trends. It’s all here,
beautifully packaged and written with you
in mind.
Enjoy it. Share it. We’ll be watching.
Happy 2020!

3. Z-FLUENCEIn our inaugural 2018 trends book, we
spoke about the trend of “Zedification.”
The rise of Generation Z, from children in
the shadow of their more vocal and highly
marketed-to predecessors: Millennials.
And now? This generation is poised to be
perhaps the most influential generation
to date.
With the oldest in this generation on the
cusp of turning 24 and the youngest
experiencing their tween years, Zs bookend
two very different life stages, yet at their
core they are all striving for the same things.
As they’ve aged, we’ve heard their voices
get louder, as they demand new focus on
school safety, climate change, sustainability
and gender fluidity. Refusing to sit back
and watch older generations decide what
their future will look like, they’re not just
Generational Divide: The realization that each
generation is unique, and this gives it power.
Human Betterment: The importance of
evolving to be inclusive, accepting and open.
Enviro Reset: The movement to backtrack and
rebuild societal and environmental missteps that
are challenging our future.
speaking up, they’re doing something. From
organizing walkouts, sit-ins, marches and
more, to being able to count advocates like
Greta Thunberg in their ranks, we see Zs
making real change for the future. The true
test of their influence, however, will come in
November 2020’s US presidential election,
when many US Gen Zs will finally be old
enough to vote. Frustrated with their inability
to make their opinions heard, it’s predicted
that their votes will decide the winner. If this
happens, then by 2025, their influence will
be firmly established.
Omid Farhang
Chief Creative Officer, US
WELLNESS
REDEFINEDOur proprietary research in “WE KNOW
Experiences 2.0” uncovered that 65% of
global consumers plan to focus on their
wellness in the next year, and 83% believe
it is important for brands to help alleviate
stress and anxiety. We’re not surprised.
Wellness was once associated only with
physical wellbeing, as taking time for
one’s mental and emotional health was
considered taboo. Over the last few years
we’ve seen a welcome shattering of that
view, as more people and brands open
up and address the complex needs of
the individual. Perhaps this doesn’t seem
Human Betterment: The importance of
evolving to be inclusive, accepting and open.
Be Better: The desire to improve
one’s own wellbeing.
*GWS, 2019
like anything new, but it is. The global
wellness economy hit $4.5 trillion in 2019
and is expected to continue to increase
in market value* in 2020. The New Year
will bring a new and improved definition of
wellness, as brands continue to work on
integrating wellness into their brand DNA
through experiences, escapism and simple
moments of joy.
Jennifer Frieman
Chief Talent Officer
01 02

4. JOYINTHE
JOURNEYAs today’s consumers adjust their mindset
to a more conscious inward focus, we’re
anticipating that travel brands will retrain
their focus on helping travelers find joy in
the journey from Point A to Point B. More
travelers are opening themselves up to
exploration: traveling to multiple destinations
considered “off the beaten path,” opting
to take slower, more scenic journeys and
savor the moment. Travel companies have
begun to respond in kind by providing
unique experiences where travel itself plays
a key role. Trips by train or river cruise are
seeing an uptick, with companies providing
Experiencification: Increasing consumer
desire to have experiences in all areas of
their lives.
Immersion Fascination: The need and
desire to connect with a brand or company
in unique ways.
first-rate accommodations, options
and amenities. One company, Venice
Simplon, has gone so far as to recreate an
upscale railway experience of years past,
resurrecting the famous Orient Express
route, where travelers can experience the
luxury they could once only read about in
an Agatha Christie novel.
MariaLaura Nicotero
President, Brazil
PLANT
PLANETThink of the food pyramid. You have dairy,
meats, grains and... alternatives? Plant-
based alternative proteins deserve a whole
category of their own. Over the last year, the
plant-based food industry has grown more
than 20%, and is projected to account for
one-third of overall protein intake by 2054*.
The push toward plant-based proteins is
due to a variety of factors and influences,
from concern over the treatment of animals,
to awareness of food waste (resulting in
the movement to maximize the use of all
our resources), to an overall desire to just
be healthier (95% of those consuming
alternative proteins say health is their
Be Better: The desire to improve one’s
own wellbeing.
WellTech: The combination of technology and
wellness—be it physical, mental or emotional—
to help improve a consumer’s wellbeing.
Enviro Reset: The movement to
backtrack and rebuild societal and
environmental missteps that are
challenging our future.
*Lux Research
**McKinsey
primary driver**). Perhaps the strongest
proof of the concept that plant-based
proteins are more than just a passing fad
is their infiltration into fast-food menus and
grocery stores, particularly the meat and
dairy aisles. While we anticipate that there
will be some pushback from brands and
meat lovers alike in 2020, we foresee that
these products will just get bigger and
better before the year’s end.
Kevin McNulty
President & CMO
03 04

5. FRICTIONLESS
FOLLOWERS
We’re already seeing it: mobile payments
with the tap of a card, shopping in-store
without the need to check out, it’s nothing
new. However, the rise of cashless stores,
stadiums and restaurants is paving the
way for consumers to forgo their wallet
completely and simply carry a smartphone.
Smartcard systems used for public
transportation, like NYC’s MetroCard, will be
completely phased out by 2023, with riders
expected to have transitioned by then to
the “tap and go” approach using phones at
turnstiles and bus stops.
Fast Forward: Technology moving at
intense speed.
Minimalizing: The desire to strive for
simplicity and seamlessness in an otherwise
complex society.
(London and Sydney have already
embraced this new approach, having
successfully introduced the Oyster Card
and Opal Card, respectively, years ago.)
By the end of 2020, particularly with
Gen Z entering their 20s and the Matures
and Boomers declining, the idea of a
frictionless society won’t be discussed as
a distant dream; it will already be here.
Donnalyn Smith
President, US
5G
EVOLUTIONAt the start of the 2019 NFL season, Verizon
implemented 5G coverage in multiple
stadiums. In addition to providing the speed
spectators crave, 5G is also striving to make
attendance a more seamless experience,
with the use of sensors and cameras
helping alleviate parking lot congestion,
pinpoint areas experiencing high foot traffic,
and suggesting which lines to avoid for
concessions, bathrooms and more.
But 5G is not just about fun and games.
We’ll see the healthcare industry begin
to leverage 5G to revolutionize the way
WellTech: The combination of technology and
wellness—be it physical, mental or emotional—
to help improve a consumer’s way of being.
Fast Forward: Technology moving
at intense speed.
providers engage with patients. Yongin
Severance Hospital in South Korea will
become the first “5G digital innovation
hospital” by providing services based
on 5G, artificial intelligence, augmented
reality and the Internet of Things to
increase patient convenience. Remote
patient monitoring, improved sensory
devices, real-time diagnosis and improved
telehealth, where doctors can engage with
patients from anywhere in the world, are just
some of the other capabilities expected to
become more prominent as 5G is rolled out
in the near future.
James Robinson
Executive Creative Director, NY
05 06

6. FLAVOR
BEHAVIORHow can the beverage industry top a year
that catapulted spiked seltzers into the
stratosphere, celebrated CBD drinks and
warmly welcomed a variety of lower ABV
options? By continuing to lean into 2019’s
new players, and additionally weaving
in the power of sensory exploration for
2020. As more brands look to launch
their own versions of 2019’s beverage
hits, they understand that they’ll need to
set themselves apart. Flavors like citrus
circus, berry blast and mango-pineapple
will remain staples, but will take a back
seat to more challenging and awakening
Experiencification: Increasing consumer
desire to have experiences in all areas of
their lives.
Food-enomics: Continued need for food
brands to up their game in an increasingly
crowded market.
flavor combinations like basil-pomegranate,
vanilla-ginger and smoked black cherry.
Knowing that taste and smell are connected
and have the ability to evoke strong
memories, we anticipate that consumers will
enjoy their beverages on a whole new level
— an experience in itself.
Jaie Genadt
Chief Technology Officer, UK
PATHTO
PURPOSEFive short years ago, less than a quarter
of consumers believed a brand could
alter their mood. Today, 86% state that it’s
important for a brand to have the ability
to lift their mood and make them feel
better.* It’s not surprising, given that we,
as individuals, have hit stratospheric stress
levels, and 83% of us are looking for brands
to help us take away that anxiety.
Brands and marketers are realizing that
this is not simply an opportunity for them
to champion a cause, it’s a DEMAND from
consumers to have them take action on
Be Better: The desire to improve one’s own
wellbeing.
Immersion Fascination: The need
and desire to connect with a brand
or company in unique ways.
their behalf. With virtually all (98%) believing
brands are responsible for creating positive
change,** we’ll see brands weave a more
meaningful purpose into their practices,
taking more active roles in the lives of
their consumers, as action takers, remedy
providers and purpose drivers.
Chris Weil
Chairman & CEO
*Momentum Worldwide’s WE KNOW
Experiences 2.0
**Futerra
07 08

7. THEAGEOF
MICRO2.0Our 2019 Trend Book delved into “The
Age of Micro,” debunking the idea that
experiences can follow a “one size fits all”
approach and be successful. Instead, it
championed the idea that brands create
more micro approaches to experiences
and be rewarded for their efforts. One year
later, as we enter a new decade, we’re
doubling down. Our research uncovered
nine experience archetypes, all with
different experiential drivers and values:
Sanctuary, VIP, Adventure, Connect, Virtual,
Enrichment, Cause, Sensorial and Trendy.
These archetypes will lay the foundation
Experiencification: Increasing consumer
desire to have experiences in all areas of
their lives.
Immersion Fascination: The need and
desire to connect with a brand or company
in unique ways.
for what a consumer may be looking for
in an experience, and we anticipate these
archetypes will help guide brands to better
engage with their consumers.
Consumers are continually looking for new
experiences and these archetypes can help
inspire brands to determine how to tailor the
experience to fit their needs.
Matt Lewis
President, Canada
CIRCLE
SOCIETYAs we round out our trends, we find
ourselves passionately supporting the
growth of the circular economy, which in
simple terms is the promotion of reduction,
reuse and recycling of items that can’t be
returned to the environment. Interestingly,
several of our 2020 trends have
commonalities with the circular economy,
as consumers and brands alike are striving
to do better, be better and make changes
for the better.
Brands like LUSH and Loop embraced
the circular economy long before a label
was attached to it, but we’re slowly seeing
Minimalizing: The desire to strive for simplicity
and seamlessness in an otherwise overloaded
and complex society.
Enviro Reset: The movement to
backtrack and rebuild societal and
environmental missteps that are
challenging our future.
more brands take the necessary steps to
go circular. A recent study discovered 62%
of American companies now plan to move
toward circularity* and UK businesses
could benefit by up to £23 billion per year
through implementing this approach**. This
integration won’t happen overnight, and
to consumers, it will appear subtle at first.
Big brands like Unilever and Walmart are
leading the charge, sharing their goals and
setting expectations for others. We’ll see
many more follow their lead.
Begoña Iglesias
General Director, Spain
*ING
**Defra
09 10

8. ANDTHERE
YOUHAVEIT.
Momentum Worldwide’s
Top 10 Trends for 2020.
For more info: info@momentumww.com
Copyright © Momentum Worldwide 2020. All rights reserved. This document, and its contents, are confidential and may not be reproduced or transmitted without the written permission of the publisher.