The feeling of living in a strange and irrational reality will take over the scene. Ways of life will be reorganized, lacking in expectations by celebrating instantaneous well-being. There will be a search for instant and permanent gratification, where consumers will be unwilling to delay expected benefits. The enshrinement of indulgence will not be free of tensions. A contradictory nihilism will emerge, torn between the desire to fulfill whims wholeheartedly and the obligation to make responsible decisions in a world in crisis. Consumers will be loyal to brands that provide psychological comfort by being reliable, transparent, and safe in a distressing environment. The Surreal Hedonism trend anticipates future behaviors, values and fears that will change the way we consume in the next three years.

In recent times, strains present in societies have been amplified, people have been subjected to enormous pressure and this causes a spiral of rebellion. The future has become blurred, so decisions and actions will be executed as if there were no tomorrow. Anything that refers to control will incite feelings of disobedience in individuals. People will want to act directly in the public sphere to achieve instant effects. They will seek allies in all fields to achieve their objectives and will turn brands into a political tool. Consumers will demand that companies assume their civic role. In the next three years, aligning the roles of citizens, workers, consumers and human beings to the new professed values will be the main task.

The COVID19 health emergency has generated a functional need to adopt new online products and services in order to address the limitations of these unprecedented circumstances. More importantly, it has enhanced the desire for rich, exciting and surprising experiences. This transition to an extended reality has accelerated, and is mediated by Artificial Intelligence and immersive technologies. In the future, people's actions will unfold simultaneously in the analog, virtual and digital realms. Brands will adopt new ways of designing as well as managing their offers and customer journeys. In this new scenario, the human gesture and social relationships will continue to play a fundamental role in tinging new experiences with familiarity, meaning and empathy.

In the future, becoming radically better will be a priority. Taking action to develop personal and collective wellness will become a fundamental way to counter the negative impact of social, political and economic dynamics. The demand for optimizing one’s physical performance, cognitive activity and emotional balance will lead to the adoption of safer, healthier and more conscious consumption habits. Health, nutrition, beauty, sexuality and psychology will be addressed from an integrated perspective. Different sectors and disciplines will converge to design products, services and experiences that will transform human nature from its roots. The Betterness trend anticipates the behaviors, values and demands that will modify our way of living and consuming in the next three years.

The relationship between people and nature is changing due to a greater awareness of the positive impact of biological factors on human performance. There is a growing desire to impregnate objects and spaces with living properties. Technology will become an ally in achieving this goal and the value of all that is “natural” will mutate so that hybrid experiences will more easily and readily be embraced. The interaction between biology and engineering will subvert the concept of nature, facilitating its introduction into daily life. Basic requirements such as re-generation, hyper-efficiency and vitality will guide future decisions. The Nature Re-Engineered trend anticipates the behaviors, values and demands that will modify our way of living and consuming in the next three years.

Being unique and different has become a mandate in today’s society. Identity is the key to achieving public attention and multiplying relationships with others in online / offline modes. However, af- firming one’s identity in front of an ever growing audience – a vast number of people who observe what we do at every moment - in a time of multiple political and social polarizations and without clear game rules in the public sphere, poses a very high risk. The danger is even greater when one’s identity is built through incessant changes (i.e. Constantly morphing) thereby creating a crisis in the social and market status quo. The Identity Morphing trend anticipates future behaviors, values and fears that will influence the process of identity construction, and will radically change the way we consume in the next three years.

Uncertainty increases the desire to create support networks that help make everyday life more livable. Collective rituals around food will be strengthened as an emotional oasis where to find enjoyment in the midst of a turbulent context.

Active lifestyles are consolidating. More and more people are getting involved in several training activities to improve their daily health and prevent diseases. The idea of high performance is gaining progressive attention among the public, individuals are open to adopt products and services that allow them to challenge their physical limits. Food, beverages and supplements must adapt to these different consumption occasions by developing original formats and product categories.

Eating home-made food is a habit that will keep expanding and deepening in the next years. The desire to be creative and try new possibilities in culinary experiences is expanding transversally among different audiences. Ingredients, foods and beverages will enhance people’s desire to live creative, sustainable and thrifty gastronomic experiences at home.

Wellbeing has been democratized. A feeling of extreme vulnerability has spread among the population due to, firstly, the COVID-19 pandemic and, more recently, the environmental, political and social circumstances. Faced with an unstable and stressful scenario, people will want simple, direct and affordable access to healthy micro-experiences that enhance their lives at all times.