It’s been a massive year of changes as brand experienced some major shifts and industries started to morph into a different set of guidelines. Millennials aren’t the most talked about generation instead the world is embracing for Gen Z’s which some say is basically the millennials on steroids. So what’s in store for 2019?

There’s plenty of articles out there that talks about what trending for 2019 but let’s talk about some of the trends that you didn’t even know existed for next year.

Reframing The Masculinity Conversation
Men have been portrayed in a certain way in the advertising world, the strong muscular adonis with glazed abs. But there’s a shift to creating a multifaceted perspective of masculinity in marketing. You will start to see campaigns making efforts to adapt to a more flexible and compassionate portrayal when it comes to men.

Social Media Wellbeing
Experts have all been saying that using too much social media can have an adverse effect on mental wellness. Tech giants have responded with solutions to help users maintain their sanity. Facebook uses an “online wellbeing” section that includes a Youth Portal, which helps young users use the platform in moderation. Instagram launched a Wellbeing division in April 2018 that has a dedicated team fostering a healthier space to visit. Some of the things this team works on is filtering bullying comments in order to create a kinder community. Google has also launched a Digital Wellbeing initiative back in May 2018 which helps users to find the “right balance” of customer reminders to take a break.  

Petcare Gets Bougie
The global pet product market is estimated to generate a stunning $125 billion in revenue according to Euromonitor. We’re starting to see a huge jump in pet ownership in countries such as China, Mexico, and Brazil. Pet wellness will be a category to be on the lookout for, from CBD oil for cats to California based wellness service AnimalBiome offering personalized testing kits with supplements tackling gut issues for pets. Pet ownership had become a status symbol of adulthood, especially for the Millennials. People are willing to spend as much on their pets as on themselves.

Gen Z Travelers
The travel industry is also gearing up for the newest generation that’s coming into the marketplace. This generation is looking for affordable and authentic experiences as opposed to the millennials who are looking more for Instagrammable experiences.

DNA Cafes
We all love personalization and that’s no different when it comes to our nutrition. This is a category that is on the rise as it starts to explore how to work with artificial intelligence (AI) in order to deliver a unique experience. Habit, an Oakland startup created a diner that invites guests to collect their own biosamples- with over 60 nutrition-related blood, metabolic, and genetic biomarkers-which then is used to determine a personalized nutrition plan while supporting users along the journey.

S-Commerce
We’ve all seen the wild success of e-commerce but here’s a category that quietly making waves. S-Commerce is the newest way in which brands are able to sell on social media. Back in September 2018, Snapchat announced a partnership with Amazon which allows users to “snap” a picture of a product and buy it on Amazon’s site. The app also unveiled a feature for shopable stories in June 2018 which is similar to Instagram.