We are fast approaching the 10 year anniversary of our annual Think Forward trends report. For almost a decade we’ve been producing Think Forward to help guide brands through the complex and fast-moving world of social, helping identify and tap into the trends that are around the corner. With Think Forward 2025: The Liveable Web launching on November 21st (pre-register here!), we’re taking a nostalgic look at the trends featured in past reports. Were we on the money? Here are the reports from the past four years… you decide!
Think Forward 2021 marked the year of COVID-19 lockdowns, isolation, and big changes in how we interacted with each other. During this year of uncertainty, we were forced to experiment with technology (hello, Zoom quizzes!) and began re-evaluating how we used social media to connect with others.
With lockdowns in full swing, people began engaging more with their local communities, enjoying wholesome activities, and escaping daily life through virtual realities. Meanwhile, as fake news spread across social media, people turned to public figures, urging them to use their platforms responsibly.
As we emerged from lockdown, people began to renegotiate the boundaries of home, work, and play. The changes experienced over the previous year led to an evolution in our relationship with the digital world.
Think Forward 2023 saw people finding online spaces that matched their unique customs, niches, and territories—spaces that were becoming popular enough to verge on mainstream. Gone were the days of generalised feeds focused on friends and family; instead, For You Pages catered specifically to individual interests.
By 2023, the niche communities that rose to popularity the previous year had become well-established spaces online. This, combined with the cost of living crisis, led audiences to seek new ways to interact online.
