Ford Trend Report Shows That Consumers Are More Hopeful, Determined Than In Years Past

For four years now, Ford has conducted research into the broad general trends affecting consumers on a global scale. The latest 2016 Ford Trend Report reveals that generally-speaking, consumers are more hopeful, determined, individualistic, and self-reliant than in years past.

The Ford Trend Report findings could influence the way that the automaker advertises and operates in the near future, informing everything from where Ford spends its money, to how the company advertises.

The 2016 Ford Trend Report revealed the following key findings:

• More than half of all Millennials around the globe agree that standing out is more important than fitting in, highlighting a desire to achieve self-reliance and purpose.
• Consumers are now more likely than in previous years to spread positive news items on social media, suggesting that a positive, can-do attitude has largely replaced trepidation and resignation.
• The world’s ageing populace wants more personal freedoms and an improved quality-of-life.
• Increased connectivity and the freelance-centered “flexible economy” have resulted in a somewhat time-starved generation that is always “on-call.”
• Consumers generally want greater efficiency and utility out of fewer personal possessions, and are seeking ways to live smarter, with a greater sense of awareness and less wasted time.

In addition, the new Ford Trend Report has picked-up on things like an overall heightened sense of neighborliness and social responsibility, and the use of technology as a sort of personal concierge and day-to-day life manager. The report also finds that consumers are looking not only for good products, but for good experiences, and a meaningful connection with vendors. The “one-size-fits-all” approach is no longer sufficient for many.

The 2016 Ford Trend Report findings point to a global culture which is increasingly connected, proactive, starved for free-time, and open to untraditional, innovative solutions to things like transportation. This is assuredly welcome validation for Ford’s Smart Mobility plan, which seeks to leverage mobile connectivity and consumer data in order to meet the transportation needs of consumers everywhere. In a similar way, the newfound global hopefulness and social consciousness uncovered by the report validate Ford’s plan to invest some $4.5 billion into electrified drivetrain solutions by 2020.

Says Ford Global Trend and Futuring Manager Sheryl Connelly: “In our four years of researching and compiling consumer trends, never have we seen optimism, resilience and self-reliance figure so prominently. It gives us hope for what the future holds, and we see that same creativity and enterprising spirit driving innovation in every part of our business at Ford.”

Learn more at Ford’s own website.