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1. Presumers & Custowners

Presumers love to get involved with, push, fund, and promote products and services before they are realised. And thanks to countless new crowdfunding platforms and new manufacturing technologies, the coming 12 months will see Presumers have more opportunities than ever to do so.

Custowners are consumers who move from passively consuming a product towards funding/investing in the brands they buy. However, these increasingly business-savvy consumers are often looking for both a financial and an emotional return, and therefore only brands that are open, friendly, honest, trusted, transparent, and somewhat "human" will prove able to attract enthusiastic Custowners.

2. Emerging Markets²

While the last 20 years were about developed markets catering to emerging ones, and emerging markets increasingly catering to developed ones, the time has now come for an explosion in products and services from emerging markets for emerging markets. Think of Chinese and Brazilian brands selling to the middle classes in Turkey, India or South Africa. Or vice versa.

The numbers certainly look good: in 2013, the GDP of emerging markets will exceed advanced markets for the first time (measured in Purchasing Power Parity terms) to USD 44.1 trillion versus USD 42.7 trillion (Source: IMF, October 2012). One can expect the next global players on the mass market coming from emerging markets.

3. Mobile Moments

Everyone contemplating the future of Mobiles & Co has enough worth thinking about: in 2013, consumers will be looking to their mobile devices to make maximum use of every moment – lifestyle multi-tasking if not hyper-tasking their experiences, shopping and entertainment.

Micro-convenience, mini-experiences and digital "snacks" will rule in 2013. Hectic, urban lifestyles mean that no amount of time will be too fleeting, or activity too absorbing, to cram in more content, exchange, consumption or simply more fun. The next 12 months will see an explosion in mobile moments.

4. New Life Inside

Setting standards for the eco-trend 2013: products and services that quite literally contain new life. These products can be planted and grown or re-used otherwise to create something new – with all the accompanying eco-status and eco-stories.

Recession or no recession, in the long term sustainability is one of the most important objectives of a brand. Of course, "a second life" is not going to solve the major ecological challenges. But more than ever in 2013, there is great symbolic value in creating new, environmentally beneficial life from a consumer product.

5. Appscriptions

Digital technologies are the new medicine. This year, consumers will be consulting their doctors and expecting them to recommend and even "prescribe" health apps and other technologies as part of a course of treatment. With over 13,000 health apps in the Apple app store it is no longer a matter of finding an app, but finding the BEST one, and one that is accurate and safe.

Even if you are not involved in the health industry, it pays to spend an hour thinking about the bigger underlying trend – towards mobile driven service delivery.

6. Celebrating Heritage

Emerging markets will proudly export and even flaunt their national and cultural heritage in the next year. Symbols, lifestyles and traditions that were previously downplayed if not denied, are being brought up to date, to become a source of pride for domestic consumers and of interest to global consumers. Global cultural capital will continue to be promoted as will its financial equivalent.

It's time to partner with a local brand from an emerging market and bring their flavour to your customers!

7. Data "Myning"

To date, the "big data" discussion has focused on the value of customer data to businesses. Now, consumers are becoming conscious of the value of their lifestyle data and will use it, turning to brands that use this data proactively to offer customers help and advice on how to improve their life and/ or save money.

Of course, this is nothing new in the world of entertainment, but in 2013 expect even "mundane" industries to start taking consumers' data and putting it to use. However, brands will have to walk a fine line between offering consumers a valuable and ideally seamless service, and unsettling them with aggressive if not downright scary promotion. Consumers want a feeling of service, not of being watched.

8. Back to Local Manufacturing

The craving of consumers for all things new, the expectation of getting the right product instantly, eco-concerns and the desire for more interesting stories, will all combine with the spread of new local manufacturing technologies. 3D-printing and "make-on-demand" will contribute to the renaissance of local production in developed markets.

In view of new technologies and business models this is certainly more than just being about local production. And of course, this will be welcome news for industry concerned with rising labour costs in China and, long lead times and fragile global supply chains.

9. Total Transparency

The trend towards transparency will increase in 2013: brands must move from "having nothing to hide", to pro-actively showing and proving they have nothing to hide. Lofty statements on "values" or "culture" will no longer suffice; real, unambiguous and clear evidence on actual results is required.

Not all consumers will be this demanding, but total transparency is becoming a hygiene factor. Even less demanding customers will expect brands to prove their ethical and environmental credentials to those that do care. Only brands offering the utmost confidence in their product and themselves will be able to be fully transparent.

10. Demanding Brands

In 2013, ambitious brands embarking on the journey towards a more sustainable and socially-responsible future will demand that their customers also contribute, and in doing so earn the respect of even the most hyper-demanding of consumers.

But consumers are not going to put themselves out for brands unless they truly believe in the bigger vision. A demanding brand must be 100% transparent and sincere.