Trend Communication

Trend communication

In this blog I will show you different ways to communicate your trend and help you decide what way of communication works best for you, or your client’s challenge.

 
 

 

THE GOAL OF TREND COMMUNICATION

 
 
 

Communicating your trends is an essential part of trend work. The aim is to make your trends stick and let them tell an inspiring strategic story. It’s often about communicating your findings in a made-to-measure way so others can decide whether to act on the trends or not.

The role of the trend researcher involves being a curator during this step of the process and selecting the most relevant information from your deep dive. You will decide on how to build a narrative so others understand not only the trends but also the risks and opportunities these can provide.
 
 
 
This means adapting your research to create a relevant storyline and tailor-made deliverables. You will need to find the sweet spot of trend communication. 
 
 
 
 
the sweet spot of trend communication
 
 

 

Which factors do you need to take into consideration to create a compelling trend story? I will help you on your way with trend storytelling.

 

Let’s take a look at the Trend Communication Checklist and the Trend Communication Canvas together.

 

TREND COMMUNICATION CHECKLIST

Think about the way to approach your trend communication. Take into consideration the context in which you are communicating them. You can use the checklist on trend communication to help you think about your communication approach. The 5 topics in the checklist are:

  • Context

What is the context you will be communicating your trends in? Try to get a sense of the culture of the organisation the trends will be used in and the type of communication that would help get the message across within this culture the best. Keep this in the back of your mind.

 

  • Audience

Who will you be communicating with? Who are you going to share the trends with? What are their interests and what do they need to take away from your research?

 

  • Level of interaction 

Looking at the type of organisation and the audience, would you like to have a low level of interaction and use a send-receiver approach, or does a more active and engaging approach fit the context better?

 

  • Tone of voice

Is the organisation culture or the audience more on the intuitive side or the rational side of the spectrum? Think of the implications for your storytelling style. Would you use a formal versus informal approach, visuals versus graphs or symbolic expressions versus concrete wordings?

 

  • Form 

What type of deliverable(s) could work best with regards to the context and culture? This can take various forms, from a presentation to a report and from a video to a trend tour. Share your trend insights in a way that fits the organisation and the audience best. The choice is also very dependent on the available budget.

 

DISCUSS TOGETHER

If possible, discuss the trend communication checklist with others, like your colleagues or your client. Have them share examples and experiences that they found inspiring and informative at the same time. This will give you a sense of how to communicate best in order to help people understand the trends and work with them.
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

TREND COMMUNICATION CANVAS

Use the trend communication canvas to create an overview of the information you have gathered.

You can use it during conversation with others on this topic or fill it for you personally. In the end, try to summarise the way you will communicate about your trends in general or for a specific project. 👇🏼

 

Fill in the trend communication canvas by Els Dragt Studio Elsewhere

Then get into action: what do you need to do to communicate that way? If you want to make a visual report, can you do this yourself or do you need assistance? If you want to make a trend game, what actions do you need to get there?

 

To wrap it up:

In the end, the goal is to help your audience unpack the trends, and your trend communication should always serve this purpose. Because when people don’t understand the trends they are also not able to apply them and set future priorities or create relevant innovations.

 

NEED HELP WITH UNDERSTANDING TRENDS?

Read my book for more in-depth information or contact me to for trend training or trend coaching sessions.