Ten trends affecting digital services in 2013

Ten trends affecting digital services in 2013

The mobile channel is still changing the marketing game, day by day and month by month, while increasing demand by consumers for personalisation has become a hot topic among marketers, according to service design consultancy Fjord.

The company has compiled its annual list of the major trends that will shape digital services during the coming year, forecasting a number of major shifts that will impact the way consumers work and live, and offers practical advice to help business leaders deal with the opportunities that lie ahead.

"These trends are one way in which we give shape to our thoughts about what tomorrow will bring, offering both inspiration and actionable insights on how to tackle the big issues that will influence business in the year to come," said Olof Schybergson, CEO for Fjord.

The key trends identified by Fjord include:

  1. People are ruining everything... for traditional businesses Access to technology has made it possible for anyone with an idea, a vision and determination to build a service that circumvents traditional businesses. Traditional businesses will continue to try to arrest this growth through legislative or political action, but the start-up community has come to see these kinds of challenges as a badge of honour. This disruption will be joined by a third wave, in the area of peer-to-peer manufacturing and distribution.  
  2. I Belong to Me: a personal data battlefield Consumers are now more aware of what can be done with their information, and they are beginning to demand access - and real value - in return for their data. We'll see the wave of data visualisation continue to grow, driving value and building relationships between individuals and those who help them to extract value from their own behaviours.  
  3. Dawn of the 'Personal Ecosystem' The growing number of devices and sensors that we incorporate into our lives will set the scene for what Fjord calls "living services". These emerge at the point at which individual smart objects interconnect to form a support network for their owner. We'll soon start to see connected devices infiltrating more areas of our lives.  
  4. KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) More organisations are finding that a focus on simplicity can have a transformative effect on services and businesses alike. But as personal ecosystems grow, so does the challenge. We will need to make meaning of more data from more sensors, public, private and corporate, and the simplest solutions will continue to win.  
  5. Revolution in retail… the online/offline distinction disappears Here's a statistic to strike fear into the heart of any retailer: almost half of US smartphone users have used their devices in-store, and more than half of those have gone on to abandon their in-store purchase. For smartphone users, the distinction between online and in-store shopping has all but disappeared.  
  6. Access is the new ownership Consumers and services will start to redefine what it means to own something in the digital age. Now, as individuals increasingly consume media across devices, they expect their purchases to be available on multiple platforms, no matter what.  
  7. Learning gets personal The next stage of transformation in learning is already taking shape. Fjord believes this will involve highly personalised and adaptive learning materials. In addition, we'll see the methods of delivery move from one-to-many to many-to-one, and ultimately, this kind of real-time adaptive learning support will transition into the broader business context.  
  8. You talking to me? What will it take to make voice interaction compelling enough to make people want to integrate it into their daily lives? Voice integration will become a must-have for smartphone and tablet applications, and voiceprints will emerge as a new kind of personal signature.  
  9. The mobile gap In 2013 and beyond we are likely to see an intense focus on how to make mobile devices pay for most service companies. This will be joined by an increase in entirely new services and business models driven by mobile-first or mobile-only engagement.  
  10. Think like a start-up… and act like one, too Companies that are trying to do something new often have to fight their own organisations. In 2013 we will see many more teams restructure and re-organise to adapt to digital change, and a growing demand for engagements that go beyond the traditional agency or design remit. In addition, Digital Natives will start to drive the world - in corporations, education, health and government.

The company's trend report presentation has been made available online for free viewing and download - click here.

More Info: 

http://www.fjordnet.com