CULTURAL INSIGHTS

We support clients anticipate changes that will affect their Brands and Businesses (market leader, challenger, start-up) by pioneering a new breed of cultural insights. In a gist, we feel that enlisting individuals for whom the future has already happened to address commercial goals can cut the speed to market and alleviate risk. From the nature of being a step ahead of the consuming crowd, they are more likely to open up new horizons rather than play back what you already know.

We don’t just report on culture and future trends. We shape culture. Our cultural kudos is earned through decades of regular pulse-keeping, insatiable curiosity and on-going cultural relevance. Our approach is constant work in progress and is outlined in three publications, so far: The First to Know; The 2.5% and Never Conform.

The assets that make us different are: TFTK’s Trailblazer Web, our global network of highly desirable but difficult to reach individuals at the embryo of new trends and ‘the first to know ’, our cultural framework to help future-proof strategic decisions. This is combined with the know how to join the dots between disparate, seemingly unrelated early signs of social change and translate that knowledge into profitable solutions. We offer a mixed method approach, IRL or URL.

We'll design a bespoke solution once we've listened to your challenge. How we present the project debrief depends on your objective and budget but this can be any format, agreed at the project outset, be it a fully illustrated written document, short film or event.

FUTURES

Keeping the pulse on (emergent) cultures via Future Think Thanks or Team Immersions & Safaris
Ad-hoc projects or longitudinal, let TFTK fix you with carefully picked Trailblazers to suit your brand or category, so you can stay a step ahead – good for ensuring that short-to-medium term brand strategies stay fresh or for exploring new, disruptive horizons. Or, immerse yourself into a day in the life of the non-conformist Alphas or Mavericks. Alternatively, be inspired through getting out of the office or from WFH (working from home!) to explore new environments or even familiar ones but through the lens of inspired individuals, who live alternative lifestyles as well as blaze the trail with new ways of doing and thinking, ahead of the curve.

STRATEGIC INSIGHT

To inform innovation (white space, NPD) and strategy (brand positioning & communication development)
Shape what mainstream 'consumers' will be thinking in the future by asking the right questions today. Step into the universe of Trailblazers, who will open up horizons that you never knew existed and therefore couldn’t think of asking. Input from Trailblazers can be used as a springboard for further exploration by running online communities of any demographic, any size, anywhere; IRL qual approaches or even quant. Alternatively, combine Trailblazer insights with AI for concept development/NPD or repurposing existing idea stock (in our 'innovation workshops').

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Cultural Intelligence

Understanding a thematic of your choice by tapping into our expertise in pin-pointing emerging cultures and connections with Trailblazers to ensure your Brand or Business stays relevant OR high value/high impact independent future-focused research, based on authoritative knowledge to elevate an issue from cut-through news to default source of information. This way not only can you own a cultural space, but you can also become the go-to destination in your category. This can be in the form of white paper or other format, which generates earned media.

If you'd like a little bit more information to help you consider how this might work for your Brand or Business, click here to get in touch.

Futures/ ad hoc project