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Rise of regional Australia, end of ‘cotton wool’ parenting and ‘golden age of BS’ named as key public relations issues for 2016

Havas PR 11 trends for 2016

A move away from cities to regional Australia and a trend towards parents toughening up their kids are among the key local issues PRs should prepare for in 2016, according to a report from Havas PR.

Meanwhile, the key global trends will include continuing uneasiness about the future and the continuing ability of social media to give the public a platform to deliver a “golden age of bullshit”, says the publication.

Havas PR, locally represented by Red Agency, examined consumer trends globally to identify 11 that look set to shape the communications industry in 2016

“Through data-mining and experience from around the network we put together these trends,” James Wright, managing director of Red Agency and Havas PR APAC, told Mumbrella.

“The first one being ‘Uneasy Street’ which is an uber trend which we will see an increase in 2016. It’s an uneasiness about life – it started back at 9/11 and then the financial, crisis and all the changes that were happening around the world and the emotional alarm bells endlessly ringing. We respond to that in lots of different ways. That’s something we think is going to pervade society in 2016.”

For the local market, Wright said the trend around regional centres becoming attractive alternatives to overcrowded and overpriced cities, especially in Australia where affordable housing in cities is a big issue, would be especially important next year.

“Essentially it’s where cities are becoming so big that the magnetic nature of big cities comes with larger risks such as terrorism and more importantly in Australia affordability and liveability – if cities are getting more crowded and clogged, you’re going to see new developments open up outside the city,” he said.

“As much as cities are a magnet, we’re going to see other areas develop where cost and space pressures are less.”

Wright also highlighted a trend away from over-protective parenting.

“This move back towards toughening up kids is interesting, particularly in light of what’s happening globally in terms of security. It’s no wonder parents have gotten so protective over the last 15 years with terrorism, wars and unease around the state of the economy,” he said.

James Wright

Wright: Apps economy is another PR opportunity

“We’ve put a lot of cotton wool around our children but at the end of the day they have to come out into this world and realise it’s hard. We’ll see a move back towards trying to toughen up children which is an interesting one for brands and government to try and reset that balance of looking after and making sure children are safe but also getting them ready for the real world.”

The biggest opportunity for the communications industry is the DIY apps economy, Wright said, which will see non-techie DIYers invent apps in a massive way of crowdsourced problem solving.

“The whole idea around the DIY apps economy, and seeing a lot of brands realise the potential of apps, and really more broadly the opportunity of mobile, there will be a huge wave of crowdsourcing outsourced of apps from tech start ups and consumers who are developing them. The corporate world of brands can learn from that,” he said.

While this trend could potentially be seen as a threat to the public relations and communications industry, Wright says it is better to remain positive and “look at it as an opportunity”.

“Things are going to change, technology is moving at such a pace now, there’s always a huge battle to keep up. You’ve got to look at it as an opportunity,” he said.

“Whilst there’s a threat that anyone can say anything and everyone’s a publisher, and now everyone can set up their own websites and apps – the actual opportunity is with our craft and our strategic skills and understanding of communications, we’ll always have an important role to play in terms of cracking strategic communications to consumers and stakeholders.”

Havas PR’s 11 trends for 2016:

1. Uneasy Street: The ubertrend for 2016 is the sense of unease that pervades much if not most of life, including keeping children safe, climate change and many more worries.

2. Tech Addict: Over connection is disconnection, has technology really brought us together as a society? Expect to see programs of cyber self-control becoming as common as diets and exercise programs

3. The Golden Age of B.S: Anyone, anywhere, on any platform can voice their opinion on serious, controversial and/or trivial matters, as a result facts and truth will matter less in the constant struggle for media attention.

4. What’s Renewable will be new again: New areas of tech lust will open up for consumer-oriented renewable technologies, however, only through must-have trend responses.

5. OUT: Overprotective Parenting: Parents who shield their young children don’t know the damage and vulnerability they are causing for them. We will see the toughening up of kids rise.

6. Mind the App: Expect a DIY apps economy, where inventive, but non-techie DIYers invent apps in a massive wave of crowdsourced problem solving

7. Getting Smart: Motorized, digitized and now Smartification. 2016 will see the increase of smart technology, as any item with a chip will be “smart” and become overused

8. The Roar of the Cloud: We’ll all find less functional value for activities in the same physical space as others. The appeal of attending activities and events in a physical space diminishing, and the popularity virtual experiences increasing.

9. Livin’ Large No more: As a result of affordability and livability sacrifices will need to be made, with regional centres becoming attractive alternatives to overcrowed and overpriced cities.

10. Experience is the new classroom: Employers, understand that robust experiential education must be key to their business model, by looking to target candidates with relevant industry experiences as opposed to educational achievements.

11. Cooking, RIP: Preparing meals from fresh raw ingredients will seem as old-fashioned and unnecessary as killing a chicken for dinner seems today. At every level, the market for easy-cook and no-cook ingredients will keep rising.

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