10 TRENDS TO WATCH IN

2014

The Year of the Neo-Stoner

Marijuana will influence mainstream culture visually, musically and politically. But the neo-stoner is likely to be a high paid rock star coder or engineer at a Silicon Valley startup.

This will be THE year that Marijuana becomes a mainstream political issue across the nation, dominating political debate.

Increasing Resentment

Against the Tech Elite

The growing skills void between the average rank and file worker is fuel for resentment,i.e., the fight against Google buses in San Francisco.

As the tech elite get smarter, younger, richer and loaded with Bitcoin, the average American is getting poorer and faces a bleak market for non-tech jobs.

Furthermore, the rise of the tech elite spurns higher cost of living in urban areas displacing those who can’t afford increased rents.

Funk & Funk & Psychedelia Make Psychedelia Make

a Comebacka Comeback

Expect a resurgence of funk, psychedelia, and general weirdness in culture. New interest in funk music will be sparked by the James Brown biopic, Outkast’s re-emergence on the music scene, and Nelson George’s funk documentary on VH1, all putting this music back into the consciousness of the mainstream. 2014 could also be akin to the psychedelic summer of 1967 as there will be an abundance of groovy music festivals.

A New Civil Rights

Movement Will Emerge

2014 will be the year that various grassroots movements crystallize into a more focused mass movement around racism, mass incarceration, access to healthcare, income inequality, voter suppression, and education. This time the collective voice on social media is the leader of the movement.

The Smartphone & Tablet

as Life’s “Controller”Google’s acquisition of Nest is a HUGE signifier of what is to come as it relates to the connectivity of the Internet of Things. In 2014 the smartphone and tablet computer will elevate even more in importance and Apple will surprise us all with stellar new products thus reasserting its brilliance as a consumer tech company. The smartphone/tablet becomes an extension of our human capabilities and a sensored controller to our ever smartening homes.

The Quantified CreatorData science gives us the power to unlock breakthrough insights that can be effectively employed to minimize creative risk and increase probability of successful content creation. Netflix has been at the forefront of using data this way. This year, expect more creative content departments forging closer connections with analytics. Also, we will begin to see job descriptions looking for creative/analytical hybrids.

Entertainment in :15

The Instagram 15 second video will begin to steal some thunder from the absurdist entertainment found on YouTube. As attention spans continue to shrink, Instagram has hit gold with the 15 second video. Content creators will get really creative within this medium. Production values and the visual aesthetic of the :15 will improve dramatically.

Denver, the new Brooklyn

Weed, an eco system of “green” investment, new construction growth, an increasing population of young people, new economy businesses, and an openness to innovation could make Denver/Boulder one of the epicenters of the new economy. You no longer need a passport to fly to Amsterdam to indulge legally. Denver will see a boom in weed tourism.

Data Protection Startups and Reassertion of

Personal Data Control

We expect to see an explosion of data security startups in the wake of the Target and Neiman Marcus security compromises. There will also be more startups to help humans control and broker the sale of their own data. People are now sensitized to how our personal data is mined and monitored, and want to benefit monetarily as data companies have.

Re-Segregation & the Creative Underground Railroad of Content

2013 set up a yearning for the new amid growing weariness over the banality of the status quo. Expect an explosion of quality content from various corners of the web produced without concern to mainstream taste. The web “chitlin circuit” will have the richest and most diverse entertainment.

Method+ology CultureLab compiled and synthesized this list based on real-time social data, ethnographic research, in-person interviews, and our annual trend summit focus group.

CultureLab is an Innovation and Cultural Strategy consultancy helping companies and institutions stay ahead of the curve, and relevant, in a relentlessly fast changing marketplace. We utilize cutting edge tools to provide real-time consumer insight and real-time trends intelligence.

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For inquiries contact Kevin Walker at kevin@culturelabagency.com