Brands are ever evolving entities. They shift and develop through the intersection between society and technology and are one of the first to catch glimpses of new trends – the emerging Zeitgeist. With the acceleration of crises, change accelerates and with it, uncertainty.

2020 has marked a year of tremendous changes. It has brought the maturation of different technologies like AI and Blockchain, GPT3 or Starlink but also the maturation of global movements be it for climate, race or social justice. 2020 was a shell shock for markets, governments, and so-cieties alike, but through a rift in normalcy it also allowed for opportunity. Opportunity for those who follow down untrodden paths, materializing for years, to push and follow through with change in their own organization. In the next ten years society will shift into radically new patterns, values and relationships with brands, people and technology and therefore with the world. Brands – global or not – will be acting in a greater context and those who are innovative will lead, facilitate and accelerate an exploration of new standards. Especially younger generations will be very conscious of whom and why they associate with and what their stake is in shaping their lives. 2020 is an unprecedented moment in history. A moment of reset, that will impact what brands and branding is, might be or should be. Brands will have to adapt to stay relevant and connected to the customer. They have to scrap old cat-egories of B2B and B2C, leave behind mental frameworks like customer segmentation and go far beyond a pretty logo or a decent ad on Face-book.

With this study we want to invite you to imagine the potential of your brand in a new era. An era defined by new rules of transparency, authenticity, community and relationships based on shared values. Actively developing your identity in a newly forming complex world is what drives the future – not just on paper, but in the heads and minds of your customers.