As we enter 2022, Strat House Strategy Partner, Victoria Herrick, whips out her crystal ball and makes some predictions. The pandemic continues to influence day-to-day life so it’s no surprise perhaps that two out of the three predictions relate to Covid and the impact of the last two years …but within each she has her eye very firmly on a brighter, more sustainable and hopeful future (we’re very chirpy about 2022, here at Strat House: in our view, there’s always up-side and fresh perspectives to be found in change).    

In The House

Innovations and initiatives from Strat House clients and partners.

• Unilever helping women farmers to grow pineapples and their incomes
• Adidas takes on Samsung’s controversial ‘Night Owls’ ad in women’s safety campaign
• Unilever Study Reveals Influence of Influencers in Sustainable Behavior Change
• Dove are standing up for #KidsOnlineSafety
• Gong cha named best food & drink franchise at the 2023 Global Franchise Awards
• Find out why LinkedIn And Dove Are In It Together To Help End Hair Discrimination

What’s in store for 2022?

1. We’ll still be speaking on mute

According to the Gartner Inc Digital Worker Experience Survey 80% of workers are now using collaboration tools – that’s up 44% since the pandemic began. We’re all using the tech but we’re far from accomplished. Hardly surprising given the speed with which we’ve all had to adapt. The dominant models for working, evolved over decades and were shattered in a matter of months.

 More of us will be working in distributed teams, more of the time in 2022. For many, the new challenge will be to make blended working (where some are co-located, and others are remote) work well. Comms businesses have relied on constant proximity; think pitch rooms, break out spaces, scrums, or those valuable ‘down time’ exchanges that happen when people are together but working independently. Blended working requires further reinvention – from how we use our office spaces to how we schedule and use our together-time.

Collaboration platforms will continue to evolve rapidly as they adapt to emerging ways of working. We should start to see better solutions for blended working, but the tech alone will not solve what is essentially a human problem.  We think that creative, planning and client teams who identify new (21st century) ways to facilitate the creative process will be on to a winner.

Meanwhile we can expect further shifts in the design and functionality of collaboration tech.  And these shifts, though helpful, are the reason why in 2022, we’ll still have those moments when we’re talking on mute.

2. Panic buying isn’t over

Last year we learned that supply chains are more fragile than agile. Our guess is that we’re not all done with panic buying yet.  Mass media and social media have undoubtedly played their part in fuelling rumours and stirring up an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear. And now there are another set of post Brexit customs controls to contend with. It seems to date to have been harder to harness the power of communications to allay fears and restore confidence.  For businesses and authorities, scenario planning will pay off, as will having pre-emptive and skilfully crafted communications plans (‘don’t panic’ is the last thing you’ll ever want to say). Those who are quick to spot the early signs of panic buying or even better predict it, will seize the upper hand. Reading the signals right will enable speedy corrective action or allow competitors to act opportunistically to draw attention to a substitute or a service that fills the gap.  

Sporadic busts of scarcity will open our eyes to more than just the complex psychology of the panic buyer.  Moments of scarcity will lift the lid on raw ingredients that we never knew were in the things we buy; they’ll expose surprising truths about the carbon footprint of our comestibles, and they’ll potentially change buying habits forever. Brands with genuine sustainability advantages should jump on this as an opportunity to show consumers why they matter.  

3. Circular economy will add fresh interest to the high street

According to Forrester* 49% of online adults in the UK prefer to buy environmentally sustainable products. With the spotlight on sustainability, brands will make bigger strides toward business models that find new ways to embrace the circular economy. In September this year, Parisienne Department Store Printemps opened its 7th floor as a 1,300 m² space dedicated to a circular fashion boutique selling pre-owned and up-cycled ranges. Earlier in the year Asda introduced ranges in select stores in conjunction with PreLoved Vintage Wholesale (PVW). These early forays at both ends of the spectrum of fashion retail are a clear leading indicator that there is more to come.

As brands hasten to demonstrate their sustainable creds, expect to see more move beyond buy-back and recycle schemes, toward fully fledged retail offerings. These unique and quirky offers could also play a crucial role in drawing footfall back to the high street. The early adopters will need to innovate to create the infrastructure and tech to support circular retail. From buying models that reliably feed stores with desirable, quality items to branding that taps into the demand for sustainable living, there’s a lot of ground to cover.

*Forrester Analytics Consumer Technographics® Retail Recontact Survey, 2021

We’re excited to see how 2022 unfolds.  This time last year, people remarked on how things were rather unpredictable.  They maybe even have said that with a sense of foreboding.  Looking ahead, there’s still plenty of unpredictability but that somehow seems less daunting – more exciting even.  A catalyst for positive change.