Tips & tricks to use megatrends for strategic innovation #5/5: 'consider anti-trends'

This might sound counter-intuitive, but some trends can lead to counter-movements. This obviously doesn't apply to all trends: however hard you try to oppose ageing population, I don't see how exactly you would succeed at it. But take another example: the digitization of society -the fact that we're increasingly 'connected', always and everywhere. It's not so absurd to think that an increasing amount of people will choose to opt out of technology? Question then is: does this represent an opportunity for your business?

By way of example of these trends versus anti-trend discussions, this is a brief summary of a debate at a meeting of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Australia. The speaker discussed five megatrends that according to CSIRO would have the biggest influence on society in the coming years. A consultant from Bridge8 who attended the conference argued that each of these five trends could lead to the contrary. Here is a brief summary of these arguments:

When discussing megatrends internally, don't forget to discuss the potential anti-trends as well and see whether they constitute an opportunity (or a threat) to your business.


(You will find more tips & tricks, as well as a discussion of more than 20 megatrends in the book 'The impact of megatrends on your company' available on Amazon.com)