* THIS INTERVIEW WITH WILL FIRST APPEARED IN ‘THE DAILY MAIL’ *

‘We believe that the rise in holidays with friends is being driven by another trend,” says futurist William Higham. “The increasing importance of friendship. Today, more and more people have a close group of friends that they consider to be a surrogate family (a […]

* THIS INTERVIEW WITH WILL FIRST APPEARED IN ‘THE INDEPENDENT’ *

Emo is camp, androgynous even. If anything it’s the women who are stronger than the men. But emos are not cynical – they believe in open displays of strong emotion. “The lyrics are very emotional, all about personal issues,” says trends forecaster William Higham. “They’re […]

* THIS INTERVIEW WITH WILL FIRST APPEARED IN THE EU’S ‘FUTURE MEDIA LAB’ *

During the “Understanding Disruption” conference in April 2013, the EU’s Future Media Lab. had the opportunity to sit down and talk about the future of media with William Higham, Consumer strategist, futurist and author. William is the managing director of The Next […]

* THIS INTERVIEW WITH WILL FIRST APPEARED IN ‘THE DAILY MAIL’ *

Holiday companies will increasingly be looking to attract single parent and multi-generational families, a trends forecaster has predicted.

William Higham, founder of consumer trends company Next Big Thing, said the rise of ‘jigsaw families’ meant that escaping for a break is no longer just about […]

* THIS INTERVIEW WITH WILL FIRST APPEARED IN ‘THE REGISTER’ *

Questions of security and privacy hovered in and out of view. Consumer trends forecaster, the engaging William Higham, didn’t think surveillance dystopia would come about as he can’t get his printer to talk to his laptop most of the time. … Last week I was […]

* THIS INTERVIEW WITH WILL FIRST APPEARED IN ‘THE DAILY MAIL’ *

William Higham, of consumer trends consultancy Next Big Thing, says: “In difficult economic times families often come together. We’re seeing the beginnings of a Happy Families trend, where the ‘we’re all in this together’ mantra is becoming very real.” …

Grandparents are increasingly bearing the […]

* THIS INTERVIEW WITH WILL FIRST APPEARED IN ‘FAST COMPANY’ *

Nostalgia is a classically effective marketing tool. “It bypasses intellect and reaches straight to the heart,” William Higham, a consumer strategist who has helped brands like the BBC and Universal Music leverage nostalgia, told me earlier this year. “It makes you feel emotional toward the […]

* THIS INTERVIEW WITH WILL FIRST APPEARED IN ‘DRAPERS’ *

Fashion businesses with a multichannel retail offer will lead the industry to success, according to a panel of etail specialists.

William Higham, founder of consumer research consultancy The Next Big Thing, said personalisation will also be key. “Coffee bars and boutique cinemas have mirrored the at-home experience […]

* THIS INTERVIEW WITH WILL FIRST APPEARED IN ‘THE DIRECTOR’ *

Today’s office, Higham believes, is woefully anachronistic – obsolete, thanks to technological progress, and also incompatible with changing social norms and expectations, especially when it comes to younger workers.

The way in which we do our jobs is changing radically – and it’s time the workplace […]

* THIS INTERVIEW WITH WILL FIRST APPEARED IN ‘THE SCOTTISH SUNDAY HERALD’ *

Househunters will soon be snapping up a new home using virtual reality and personalised drones, according to a report predicting future trends in the property business.

Physically visiting a property before buying it will become increasingly less common by 2025 as virtual reality enables […]