Top Global Trends for 2018 - Communication & Technology, Consumer & Retail, Fashion & Beauty, Food & Fragrance.

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Trend Tracker

2. COMMUNICATION
& TECH TRENDS
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3. AI
The popularity of personalised online interaction
is noticeable in the upward trend of chatbots
and virtual assistants. Virtual companions go
beyond being merely functional by offering
meaningful engagement. Around 72% of regular
voice technology users think brands’ apps should
have unique voices and personalities; they don’t
just want to use a generic assistant. The trick
for companies is that, in addition to having this
desired personality and spunk, the bots still need
to be functional and helpful.
TREND IN ACTION
Replika is an AI companion that’s essentially a chatbot which aims to learn about
a user and become a mirror image of that user. It’s an “AI friend that’s always
there for you”.
Hatsune Miku is a virtual popstar in Japan, also called a vocaloid.
She is voiced by a singing synthesizer application and appears on stage
through three-dimensional graphics. She performs in a world concert tour
and patrons can dine with a hologram of her at The Blue Leaf Café in Japan.
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4. LOCATION-BASED
MARKETING
Geo-targeting and GPS-connected apps have
also given rise to an increased focus on
location-based marketing. BIA/Kelsey’s
2016/2017 Local Commerce Monitor report
indicated that location-aware advertising is
experiencing the most growth in the mobile
sector. Geo-targeting improves the accuracy and
response potential of a campaign and reduces
wasted advertising expenditure. Nearly half of
the survey’s respondents who use location-aware
mobile advertising gave it a return-on-investment
rating of excellent (for 10-19 times the return) or
extraordinary (20 times the return).
Key benefits of this type of marketing are its
relevance to space and place, and its ability
to target consumers exactly where and when
companies need to.
TREND IN ACTION
Waze and billboards: When you drive with Waze, it shows you adverts based on what’s
closest to a user’s location, for example, a fast-food outlet in a 1km radius. Absa used
this capability in 2017 on the N3 South in Johannesburg, where Waze would show an
advert for Absa once users reached a particular location along the highway, and 500m
later there was a physical Absa billboard on the route, which reinforced the campaign’s
message to the users who had an intersecting interaction with the brand across two
different platforms.
Fast-food sandwich outlet Subway organized a campaign to increase the number
of people eating at its restaurants in France by using geo-targeted adverts. The
campaign targeted people within a set radius around each restaurant during prime
lunch and dinner times. It also targeted pre-determined user profiles with well-defined
parameters. The campaign showed users in the location and profile catchment group a
Subway ad and then showed the distance to their closest Subway restaurant.
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5. SNAPSHOT
WORTHY
A rising trend that stems from the food industry’s
focus on creating Instagram-worthy meals, is
creating aesthetically pleasing spaces, products
and experiences that encourage Instagram
and Snapchat users to post pictures of their
interactions. In 2018, brands will move beyond
one-dimensional picture props at events and
increasingly look to create aesthetics-based urban
marketing experiences. While urban environments
have been used to visually engage consumers
on their daily commutes, brands are starting to
branch out and create experiences for consumers
where they can interact with the spaces and share
their experiences on social media.
TREND IN ACTION
Pigalle and Nike renovated a basketball court in Paris with
geometric shapes, creating a visual experience that also served
as a working basketball court.
Robertson’s Reinvention Kitchen was a pop-up restaurant
that opened for five nights, and which was reinvented every
night with a new country and spice theme, and with a new
chef in the kitchen each night. The project created five unique
and visually vibrant immersive experiences that were easily
Instagrammable.
The Museum of Ice Cream is a wonderful installation that was
built as an ode to ice cream. It’s filled with rooms made to look
like ice cream and installations of features like giant ice cream
cones and ice creams on sticks.
Nescafé’s Taproom was created to offer a coffee shop
experience, but without staff or menus. Patrons ‘unlocked’ the
door with a Nescafé Sweet & Creamy sachet and the venue
offered hot water to mix with it to make a cup of coffee, as well
as providing Wi-Fi, couches and work stations.ink

6. S-COMMERCE
2017 saw brands beginning to use social media
platforms as a direct path to purchase, and 2018
will see this s-commerce trend gain momentum
in a big way. The lines between social media and
e-commerce are blurring, with various platforms
offering payment options to both small and large
enterprises. Some of the options available include:
paying via WeChat, ordering pizza via Twitter
using emojis, and using Snapchat and Snapcash.
Another popular sub-trend within s-commerce is
brands rewarding consumers with discounts or
specials for promoting their campaigns on social
media platforms.
TREND IN ACTION
Opel created a different way of integrating s-commerce in
their recent campaign on YouTube where they invited their
fans to make and post videos and allowed fans to “buy” a new
car with the views from their video. There were three cars for
their online sharing campaign, costing between 589,900 and
922,800 YouTube views. Which meant that each view equated to
approximately €40 in value.
Opel’s idea is an extension of the viral phenomenon on Twitter
of a Wendy’s customer in the US who tweeted, “How many
retweets do I need for a year’s worth of chicken nuggets?” He
did not get the required number of retweets but Wendy’s still
gave him his chicken nuggets.
David Harbour, an actor on Stranger Things, recently appeared
in a high school senior’s yearbook photos wearing the school’s
sweatshirt and holding a trombone. The senior had tweeted
the actor asking how many tweets it would take for him to be
photographed with her, and he replied that if she got 25,000
he’d do it. At last count, she’d received 30,191 retweets and
Harbour held up his end of the deal.
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7. AUGMENTING
AUGMENTED AND
VIRTUAL REALITY
Video’s popularity is on the rise and it’s the top
content format consumed on the internet, mostly
through Facebook and YouTube. The next steps
in this trend are augmented reality and virtual
reality, which have been around for several years
but have been slow in developing their appeal and
effective application for audiences. Augmented
reality has been more popular as it doesn’t need a
headset, so games like Pokémon Go and the Ikea
app can be used with just a smartphone. In the
past couple of months, a few movies also have
used virtual reality in their marketing.
In South Africa, the cost of data could be seen
as a limitation stopping this trend from going
mainstream, but if it’s used correctly, it could
be the difference between a truly exciting and
memorable campaign or just another activation.
TREND IN ACTION
Spiderman Homecoming released a virtual reality (VR)
experience before the movie’s release. Gamers could
immerse themselves in the Spiderman universe by “becoming
Spiderman”. They could shoot web out of Spiderman’s web
shooters and swing through the air. The experience was
available for free across all the major VR platforms a week
before the movie hit cinemas.
Jumanji released a similar VR experience close to its release
date that was available at kiosks in malls in America, and
versions of it were also available on home-based VR systems,
which were distributed on PlayStation VR, Steam, Viveport and
in the Oculus Store.
Tech companies are partnering with caregivers to bring
experiences to the elderly, so they can “live” their best dreams
or relive their memories. For example, Intel and Brazilian
story-sharing site Razões para Acreditar partnered to bring the
elderly joy by creating a way for them to experience their travel
dreams, like visiting tourist destinations or seeing the Russian
ballet, using VR. In another example, the US-based Maplewood
Senior Living facility offered their elderly residents a means to
see and “visit” the neighbourhoods and houses where they used
to live.
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8. CONSUMER AND
RETAIL TRENDS
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9. AUTHENTICITY
AND HONESTY
Transparency and honesty were key for creating a
healthy brand in 2017. This trend shows no sign of
slowing down and is expected to have a significant
impact on brands as they respond to customers’
demands for transparency, authenticity and honesty
in 2018. This trend is being driven by an increase in
connectivity, job automation and the intensifying search
for meaningful consumerism.
A connected world means that it is harder than ever to
ignore the negative impacts that consumerism has on
the planet, society and our own health. It also means
that consumers have more access to information
regarding how brands act internally and externally,
where they source their products from, how they treat
their products, and how they treat their employees.
TREND IN ACTION
TOMS, the shoe brand, believes in “buying one giving one” and
for each pair that it sells, the company donates a pair of shoes
to underprivileged communities.
In South Africa, beauty salon chain Sorbet has created an
organisational culture that emphasises servant leadership. The
founder, Ian Fuhr, believes the purpose of life is to give, which
he teaches in his induction training that all of Sorbet’s citizens
(employees) go through.
Truworth Wellness, a company in India, has an app that rewards
employees for following health plans with points that can be
exchanged for health products. The app also helps employees
manage their sleep, relationships and emotional health.
Checkers partnered with Gordon Ramsay and his daughter to
create a new range of kids’ meals and snacks, Oh My Goodness,
made entirely from natural ingredients with no preservatives.
The range is healthier for kids, so parents’ minds are put at
ease about what their kids are eating, and the products are still
tasty for kids.ink

10. AUTHENTICITY
AND HONESTY
Consumption choices for consumers are increasingly
driven by the desire to create a story of personal
identity to tell the world (and themselves) how smart,
connected and healthy they are. Consumers want the
same for brands. This means consumers want brands
to be open and honest about what they do, and they
are willing to force brands into this position.
In terms of food, consumers distrust things that
they cannot control and have a growing interest
in the origins of the food and drinks that they
consume. These factors have increased the need
for manufacturers to be forthcoming about their
ingredients and production processes. Transparency
in the food and beverages industry needs to help
consumers feel more confident about the safety and
purity of the products they purchase.
TREND IN ACTION
Every year Woolworths releases a sustainability report called
the Good Business Journey. 2017 was the 10th anniversary. The
report details how Woolworths makes a difference to people,
communities and the environment.
Manulife, an insurer in Singapore, created and distributed
mosquito-repelling pots to senior communities, as those
communities are the most vulnerable to mosquito-borne
diseases, such as Dengue fever and Zika.
Libresse, a sanitary pad company, aims to make menstruation
less of a taboo subject and partnered with BodyForm to create
an ad that used a red liquid to signify blood when showing the
absorbency capability of its products, rather than blue liquid
that commonly appears in adverts for sanitary products.
Libresse also previously ran an ad showing women bleeding
from cuts and other physical injuries as a result of intensive
activities like ballet training, running, playing rugby and boxing
with the tagline, “No blood should hold us back”.
Nescafé and Budweiser have both released packaging that
celebrates the origins of their products.
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11. AUTHENTICITY
AND HONESTY
TREND IN ACTION
Whole Foods Market in the US sells sustainably sourced tuna
and its food bars and venues label their food with calorie
information.
The Japan Gibier Promotion Association started using
blockchain technology with game meat, increasing the
traceability and safety of wild game sold for food.
A supermarket in Germany, Edeka, removed all the foreign
products from the shelves in its Hamburg store. This left the
displays fairly empty and highlighted to consumers how much
of the food they consume comes from other countries. The aim
was to encourage appreciation for diversity in people, food and
products.
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12. FEWER STORES,
MORE STORIES
The retail store model will continue to evolve in 2018.
A key driver of this is convergence; where retail is
becoming a linked digital and physical service. The
physical store is a key component of the new retail
ecosystem in terms of offering experiences that engage
with shoppers and entice them to linger. It is important
to understand that retailers are no longer simply a point
where inventory comes in and cash goes out, but rather
a provider of quality experiences and services in order
to encourage consumers to return to the store.
“Stores can’t be just about distributing products. They
need to be about distributing experiences: less stores,
more stories. That means putting less emphasis
on shopping and more emphasis on entertainment,
hospitality, and community.” — Doug Stephens at
Business of Fashion’s VOICES.
TREND IN ACTION
Samsung’s three-story store in New York offers consumers the
opportunity to sign up for workshops, test the company’s latest
devices or stroll through a Samsung VR tunnel.
Moby Mart is a convenience shop that comes to customers in a
vehicle created by Himalafy, Wheelys and the Hefei University
of Technology. It’s just a prototype operated by humans for now,
but in the future, it will be automated and incorporates eco-
friendly values with an engine that is powered by electricity and
solar panels.
Alibaba, a massive online marketplace in China, has opened
Hema stores combining the convenience of online shopping
and the physical experience of brick-and-mortar stores. It is
expanding its footprint in the Asian region, with at least 30
new stores expected to be opened by the end of 2018. Amazon
has followed a similar path by opening up physical stores in
America.
NYC’s STORY Store reboots every few months to bring in a new
range of merchandise to sell and a story to tell. It’s based on the
premise of storytelling, where the products tell a story about
the store.
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13. SEIZE THE
MOMENT
A carefully curated customer experience is vital for
a brand’s success. Two mechanisms are driving
the future of the customer experience: “attention
saving” and “attention seizing” elements. Brands are
shortening their customer journeys and removing
pain points from their customers’ lives, thus creating
attention saving moments. In terms of attention seizing
moments, brands need to understand that only the best
experiences will gain their customers’ attention. Brands
are seizing customers’ attention through shock and awe,
self-improvement stories and by cultivating experience
theatres to create long lasting and meaningful brand
connections.
TREND IN ACTION
Air Bank, a Czech finance company, tested the world’s first
contactless ATM in Prague in 2017.
L’Oreal launched the Beauty Gifter chatbot in Canada to remove the
hassle of ordinary lifestyle tasks like choosing a gift for a friend.
Starbucks created global interest with its limited-edition Unicorn
Frappuccino, and created a buzz for rainbow coloured and unicorn
inspired foods, clothes and décor.
New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art hosted a 45-minute exercise
based tour to simultaneously increase the physical health and offer
an educational experience to its patrons.
TymeDigital is a digital bank that has entered into a 10-year
partnership with Pick ‘n Pay and Boxer stores to operate money
transfers and kiosks. They were granted a banking license at the end
of 2017.
Bank Zero is launching in South Africa, possibly by the end of 2018. It
will go a step further than TymeDigital, as an app-only bank, with no
physical stores. Everything is done on the app and clients will be able
to access cash from ATMs locally and internationally.ink

14. COLLABORATIVE
RETAIL
Diversification and collaboration are the order of the day
in 2018. Current economic realities are forcing brands
that want to stay relevant to come up with smarter,
innovative offerings that directly overcome a consumer
pain point or meet a need. Brand collaborations are
also on the rise and will increasingly be used to offer an
ecosystem of products and services to consumers that
appeal to their lifestyles and aspirations. At the heart
of this is knowing what consumers really need and
want, not just from what they say but because of their
lifestyles and stages, and creating products, services
and experiences to meet these.
TREND IN ACTION
Woolworths has opened a takeaway restaurant in Cape Town
called Now Now that offers affordable and fresh food for
takeaway. The restaurant works as a conventional eatery as
well as via “click and collect” where customers order via the
Now Now app and then go and collect their food.
Women’s Health partnered with Adidas to create a fitness
event for women called Fit Night Out, hosted in Cape Town and
Johannesburg. The event included multiple fitness classes over
the afternoon and evening as well as a goodie bag and stalls
related to female fitness.
Amazon acquired Whole Foods and expanded its online
inventory, changed the Whole Foods pricing strategy and
extended its physical store footprint. Both brands benefited
from the acquisition and collaboration.
Supreme, a purposefully scarce fashion brand, and Louis
Vuitton, a luxury fashion brand, collaborated on a line of co-
branded products. This took advantage of the fans who love
each brand. The line was only sold at specific pop-up stores
in Tokyo, Paris, Los Angeles, Beijing, Sydney, Seoul and Miami.
Reducing the supply of the products increased the demand
exponentially and created a one-of-a-kind experience for
customers.
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15. FASHION AND
BEAUTY TRENDS
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16. FEM-POWERMENT
FOR ALL
Over the past few years, women all over the world have
increasingly confronted and challenged stereotypes.
They’ve started to speak out and place a spotlight on
conditions, behaviours, opportunities and people that
have hindered, or even violated, them in the past.
In 2018 stereotypes are going to be further challenged,
especially stereotypes about women. It’s a year for
new perspectives, for discovering the many facets of
femininity and embracing the power of genuine self-
acceptance. Marketers would be wise to challenge
stereotypes in all forms by really getting to grips with
the nuances of women’s identities and portraying them
through the lens of authentic insight and not predefined
parameters.
TREND IN ACTION
Rihanna launched her brand Fenty Beauty in 2017. Fenty Beauty
aims to fill a void in the beauty industry by focusing on a wide
range of traditionally omitted foundation shades, from the
lightest to the darkest and everything in between.
British musician FKA Twigs created an Instagram magazine
in October 2017 that celebrated the heritage and creativity in
braided hairstyles with images of different styles and models.
Moringa School hosted a coding bootcamp for women in Kenya.
They opened the course to 100 women and offered them a 50%
subsidy. Moringa school also has campuses in South Africa and
Ghana.
I-cut is an app created by five Kenyan girls that helps those
affected by female genital mutilation. The Kenyan girls took part
in an initiative held by Google, Verizon and the United Nations
that teaches girls entrepreneurial, tech and leadership skills.
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17. REDEFINING
BEAUTY
Globally the stereotypical concept of beauty has been
under fire for some time. 2017 saw the start of many
different women taking a stand against having to conform
to a particular style of beauty. 2018 will see this trend
continue, with beauty becoming a holistic concept that
speaks to both the internal and external aspects of being
a woman. Women will decide for themselves what makes
them truly beautiful and no longer sheepishly follow what
brands dictate in this space. Consumers will dictate their
definition to brands, rather than the other way around.
This drive has been propelled by the increase of
information online, which has educated consumers in
terms of appreciating how every person is different.
Related to this is the rejection of the one-size-fits-all trend.
Consumers want to be treated as individuals and eschew
brands that fail to cater for their needs. It’s an extension
of last year’s trend where beauty was personalised,
stereotypes were dismantled, there was an increased
interest in man makeup and a surge in body positivity
campaigns that celebrated different sizes and skin colours.
Not only will the future be more beautiful, it will also be
more inclusive, personalised, diverse and inspiring.
TREND IN ACTION
Korea Grandma, a 70-year-old YouTube star, showcases beauty,
fashion and lifestyle tips in a bubbly manner. She’s redefining
the definitions of both beauty and ageing in a modern way.
America’s Top Model, notorious for having a very narrow
definition of beauty, especially with regards to age, has changed
its tune for the 24th season that premiered in January 2018.
There is no longer an age limit and contestants are more
diverse in shape, size and colour than in any of the previous
seasons.
India held its first transgender beauty pageant in August
2017, and the winner, Nitasha Biswas, was crowned India’s
first Miss Transqueen. Biswas will represent India at the Miss
International Queen pageant in Thailand in March 2018.
Audi created a campaign in 2017 called #untaggable that
explored the definition of beauty and challenged stereotypes by
featuring a woman with albinism who is a lawyer, model and
activist as the campaign’s star.
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18. AGE
APPROPRIATE
2018 will see a stronger emphasis on the beauty and
skincare needs faced in different stages of life, particularly
before the age of 20 and after 50. The beauty industry
has traditionally ignored the tween and older audiences,
or has lumped people in these age groups together as
homogenous entities. More focus is being given to the
individual needs of these markets as brands start to
realise just how powerful they are and how much longer
people live. The homogenous categorization after 50 is
no longer relevant as people are living beyond their 80s
and 90s, and a person’s skincare needs at 50 are vastly
different to those at 70 and 80.
Cosmetics brands are also starting to focus on anti-ageing
and age-defying properties and ingredients. These were
previously hallmarks of skincare products, but are now
straddling the cosmetics sector too.
Younger age groups, tweens and teens, are also being
catered for with specifically tailored lines of skincare and
cosmetics.
TREND IN ACTION
No 7 has a foundation that has a serum which lifts, illuminates,
hydrates and has SPF.
Lime Crime is a vegan-friendly, affordable online cosmetics
brand that is aimed at teens.
Glossier has captured Millennials’ interest by using more
optimistic terms in its marketing, such as “age better” instead
of “anti-ageing”.
A UK brand, B.Strong, has released a skin care range for
women over 60.
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19. K-BEAUTY AND
J-BEAUTY
In 2017, the beauty industry embraced South Korea’s
influence in skincare and cosmetics. Products like
sheet masks, snail gel and beauty blenders were
among the popular items influencing the global
market. In 2018, the influence of Asian trends will
include Japanese influences such as oil cleansing and
gentle skin care.
The expansion also means that Japanese companies
will most likely start adapting their advertising
to appeal to international audiences. This cross-
pollination will also spread the other way, with US and
international brands spreading into Japan and other
Europe, Middle East and African countries.
TREND IN ACTION
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Shiseido, a Japanese brand, launched a new product line called Waso that
spotlights key local ingredients, like soybeans, white jelly mushrooms and
loquat leaf.
Decorté, owned by KOSÉ in Japan, entered the UK market with products on sale
at Selfridges and an ad campaign featuring Kate Moss.

20. POLLUTION
PROTECTION
Air pollution is becoming a major global health
concern. Mild effects include eye, nose and throat
irritation as well as more serious symptoms like
wheezing, coughing and other breathing difficulties,
among other things. These factors have brought about
a revolution in the manufacturing of both clothes and
skin care that incorporate ways to protect the body
and skin from air pollution.
TREND IN ACTION
Bioscarf, a stylish scarf that protects against air pollution,
influenza and cold viruses, was created by Carlton Solle, a real
estate developer who contracted a respiratory disease while
visiting China.
Khiel has an overnight masque made from orange extract
and cilantro that helps combat pollution damage with its
antioxidants.
Decléor Paris created a lotion that has an anti-pollution plant
extract that helps protect the skin against air pollution, as well
as hydrating and plumping up fine lines.
Anti-pollution masks have been updated, with more effective
materials and more fashionable designs, for example
Cambridge Mask Co., BEATCLOUDS™, Vogmask and Xiaomi.
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21. FOOD AND
FRAGRANCE
TRENDS
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22. RECONTEXTUALISING
FOOD
From small plates to dinning in beds, the world of
food is reimagining the formats in which consumers
can experience cuisine. This is driven by consumers’
appetites for variety and novel experiences. Brands,
suppliers, restaurants and companies are looking for
ways to delight and surprise their guests and their
taste buds.
TREND IN ACTION
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In Colombia, there is a gourmet restaurant, El Restaurante Interno,
that is housed in the San Diego Women’s prison and which is staffed
by inmates. Its tag line translates to “Second Chances” and the
restaurant forms part of a rehabilitation programme which is funded
by a charity and supported by some of Colombia’s top chefs.
SupperClub is a restaurant where diners can book a five-course meal
either at a table or on a bed. The guests are encouraged to kick off
their shoes, lay back and relax while enjoying a culinary experience.
The Peanut Butter Bar is a dessert bar centred around peanut butter
that opened in Sydney, Australia in November 2017. The founders
wanted to bring healthy and tasty desserts, drinks and snacks based
on peanut butter to the public.
A restaurant in Burma, Freedom Café, is setting up two-hour time
slots for guests to eat, drink and play with the resident cats.
Casey House in Canada opened a restaurant that was exclusively
staffed by HIV-positive chefs. The aim was to dispel the stigma
associated with HIV and those who are HIV positive.
Nescafé’s Taproom was created to offer a coffee shop experience, but
without staff or menus. Patrons ‘unlocked’ the door with a Nescafé
Sweet & Creamy sachet and the venue offered hot water to mix with
it to make a cup of coffee, as well as providing Wi-Fi, couches and
work stations.

23. ROOT-TO-STEM
Intentional waste reduction, including reducing food
waste by employing methods like nose-to-tail cooking,
where every part of an animal is used, has become
increasingly popular. And the latest iteration of this
is the trend of cooking root-to-stem, which involves
making the entire vegetable or fruit consumable,
including the stems and leaves that are usually
reserved for composting.
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TREND IN ACTION
Pickled watermelon rinds, beet-green pesto and
broccoli-stem slaw.
Chiara Organica is a pizza in Sweden made from leftover spelt
grains from a brewery. The result is a high protein and fibre
crust that is also lower in sugar.
In an interesting non-consumable example, a Berlin-based
accessory company is creating a line of handbags that are
made from apple leather, which is 80% apple waste from apple
juice production. It is 100% vegan and biodegradable.

24. MIDDLE EASTERN AND
ASIAN FLAVOURS
Consumers have become increasingly interested in
adventurous culinary experiences with flavours and
cuisines from regions outside of their usual fare.
Middle Eastern, Asian and Persian food from Israel,
Morocco, Syria, Lebanon and the Philippines are likely
to take centre stage in 2018. Flavours from these
regions include cardamom, za’atar and harissa and
are dominated by bitter and sour notes.
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TREND IN ACTION
Harissa, cardamom, za’atar, shakshuka, grilled halloumi, lamb, pomegranate,
eggplant, cucumber, parsley, mint, tahini, tomato jam and dried fruits.
Frutarom Industries recently purchased 60% of a Southeast Asian savoury
flavour and fragrance solutions company called Mighty, and has incorporated its
flavour and fragrance profiles into their product range.

25. SUPERFOOD
POWDER
Powders add a serious nutritional power punch to
foods these days. From the humble beginnings of
protein powder, turmeric and matcha, these powders
have expanded into an increasing number of foods.
They are very easy to incorporate to various meals,
like lattés and smoothies, as well as to meals like
stews and soups.
TREND IN ACTION
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• Charcoal powder
• Cacao
• Maca root
• Good Life Baobab Fruit Powder
• SuperFoods Wildcrafted Chaga Mushroom Powder

26. SCIENCE
FICTION
In 2017 there was a surge of commercial funding for
the development of a burger made from vegetables
that also looked like, cooked like and tasted like meat.
This project has spurred the technology and science
sectors to continue collaborating with the food
industry in the creation of non-dairy dairy products,
like nut milks, grain milks and vegetable milks,
cheese and yoghurt. And now the revolution may
extend to fragrances too. As personal DNA testing
becomes more affordable and prominent, fragrances
can become even more bespoke by being matched to
your unique genetic make up.
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TREND IN ACTION
In China, Tesco is testing a safety bag that removes pesticides
from fruit and vegetables. The bag interacts with light to break
down the pesticides, which can then be washed off.
IKEA created a recipe series, where the recipe was printed on
baking parchment with food-grade ink. The user would then
place each of the ingredients on the spaces provided on the
parchment, roll up the parchment and bake in the oven for 20
minutes, bringing IKEA’s expertise in simplicity to cooking.
In Finland and Scandinavia McDonald’s created a McVegan
burger that still looks like meat and which appears on the
regular menu.
Marmite conducted research to discover if there was a genetic
predisposition to like or dislike Marmite. They found that there
were 15 different gene variations that contribute to liking
Marmite, but that environmental factors have a strong influence
on whether a person likes Marmite or not.

27. LEGAL
CANNABIS
With the legalisation of the possession, cultivation and
private use of marijuana at home in South Africa, and
the rapid legalisation across America, we could well
see the infusion of cannabis into foods and drinks in
the future.
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TREND IN ACTION
In a non-consumable example, cannabis suppositories made
with organic cocoa butter have been created to help curb the
pain that can be associated with women’s menstrual cycles.
A cannabis oil-infused four-course gourmet “Dankquet” meal
at a members-only club called NSFW was organised by Daniel
Saynt, whose main proposition is that drugs are responsibly
entertaining. He created the event as an educational experience,
where people can learn how to do normally unsafe things.
A salon in California, Bellacure, has launched a cannabis range
that includes manicures, pedicures, scrubs and other body
products.

28. ink
Welcome to Liquorish Ink’s new Trend Tracking division.
Trend Tracking is focused on identifying key trends from across
the African continent and delivering key insights to help clients
redefine the markets within which they operate.
For more information please contact Leigh-Anne Acquisto @
leigh-anne@liquorishink.co.za.