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FuturistU > Tactics > The 18 Megatrends > Module 4 / 7

The Convergence Megatrends

Instructor: Armida Ascano
Virtual & Augmented Technology
Download the Virtual & Augmented Technology Trend Report
Convergence is a Pattern of Opportunity based on hybrid business ideas. It's all about associative thinking, and what happens when seemingly unrelated areas combine forces.

The Megatrends within this module include Hybridization, Co-Creation, and Multisensation. In terms of consumer desire, it all boils down to a need for something new and interesting. How could you experiment with adjacent industries to offer something truly unique?
Related Trend Report: Virtual & Augmented Technology
Workshop Questions:
1. How could you reconfigure your product to delight the senses?
2. How could you more deeply involve consumers in your offering?
3. What's one outside industry you'd like to tap for inspiration?
Access Advisory Services

Featured Insights

Customized Café
Self-serve cafes place customization entirely in the hands of consumers
Implications - Taking the cafe concept to a much more curated level, brands are flipping the tables and turning consumers into hands-on baristas. The self-serve model not only increases brand-consumer engagement, it also appeals to discerning coffee drinkers who are very particular about the customization of their java. By giving consumers a chance to craft their version of a perfect beverage, these cafes allow for a truly personalized experience without any interference or potential misinterpretation by staff.
Workshop Question - How can you concede some control to put brand experience more into the hands of consumers?
5.4
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends

Insights by Trend Hunter AI

Protein Coffee
Brands are infusing coffee with protein to deliver a new kind of functional drink
Trend - A number of coffee brands have begun offering ready-to-drink products that combine coffee and protein. These functional beverages feature the performance-focused benefits of both ingredients and deliver them in a single format that prioritizes taste.
Workshop Question - How could your brand combine elements to create a more convenient product?
7.1
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
DIY Iced
Brands make consuming iced coffee at home easier
Trend - Coffee brands are releasing concentrates, pods and instant coffee options that make the process of making iced coffee at home much easier. These at-home options are quicker while promising high-quality flavors.
Workshop Question - How could your brand balance convenience with quality?
7.3
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Compostable Capsule
Coffee pods are made compostable to cut down on waste
Trend - While singular coffee pod machines are popular in homes and offices, their use of throwaway pods is wasteful and negatively contributes to global pollution. Now, more brands are releasing pods that can be composted and therefore cut down their impact on the environment.
Workshop Question - How is your brand effectively prioritizing sustainability?
6.4
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Infused Coffees
Coffee brands infuse unlikely flavors into their beans
Trend - Coffee beans are now being infused with unusual flavors in order to compete in a highly saturated market. Products in this space include everything from seasonally flavored coffee beans to coffees infused with popular liqueurs.
Workshop Question - How could your brand use novelty to pique consumers' interest?
4.9
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Sustainable Café
Cafés are prioritizing sustainable design
Trend - Both independent and multinational cafés are now prioritizing eco-friendly retail designs in order to reduce their environmental footprint. These constructions reduce impact while also creating a point of interest for customers.
Workshop Question - How is your brand changing its values alongside its customers?
6.4
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Coffee Concentrates
Liquid coffee concentrates offer convenience without compromising quality
Trend - Concentrated liquid coffees are becoming more popular--particularly as high-quality ingredients offer the same flavors as fresh brewed coffee. These concentrates are convenient and make drinking coffee in different ways much simpler.
Workshop Question - How is your brand prioritizing convenience without sacrificing quality?
4.8
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Vegan Creamers
Vegan creamers that people add to coffees and teas are offered with diverse flavors
Trend - The popularity of alternative ingredients in food and beverages has resulted in brands prioritizing this space, and releasing more diverse vegan collections. Now, vegan creamers are being adapted with various flavors to enhance their appeal.
Workshop Question - How is your brand prioritizing consumers with dietary restrictions?
4.4
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Single Use-Reduction
In-store refill stations are no longer specific to personal care
Trend - As brands look to become more eco-friendly, in-store refill stations are one way they're shifting toward sustainability. This shift includes everything from coffee refill stations to supermarket skincare refills.
Workshop Question - How is your brand prioritizing sustainability?
6.9
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Botanical Coffee
Botanical coffee blends elevate brews' benefits and flavors
Trend - The inclusion of botanicals in coffee blends is increasingly popular as brands look for ways to elevate their coffee products. These items include everything from lavender flavors to stress-relieving botanicals.
Workshop Question - How is your brand catering to its more experimental customers?
4.3
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Focused Coffee
Coffee products claim to enhance the focus of users
Trend - Brands that offer coffee or coffee add-ins are prioritizing enhanced focus as a major claim in their products. These claims are based in the brands' inclusion of ingredients like adaptogens and MCT oil.
Workshop Question - How is your brand prioritizing both quality and convenience?
4.2
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends