Hypercycle: a new, community-centric approach to trend forecasting

In our new series, 'Weekly Supplement', we explore what's happening in culture. From new signals on our radar, to stories making us hopeful, to our latest obsessions, it's a regular serving of culture news and brain food.

For our first post, we get into the transformative insights of the "Hypercycle" report. Crafted by the collaborative work of Gung Ho Communications, and Geraldine Wharry,

"Hypercycle"—with input from sociologists, future thinkers, and cultural anthropologists —challenges the rush towards fleeting trends and advocates for a new, community-centric approach to trend forecasting.

The report encourages us to pause, reflect, and consider the long-term impact of our cultural engagements, acting as a call to action for everyone involved in cultural production and consumption to rethink their relationship with trends, asking us to move beyond the superficial towards a more thoughtful and responsible relationship with the forces that shape our world.

The analyses provide a nuanced understanding of how trends evolve, reiterating the importance of a holistic view in what the authors called ‘trendcasting’. At the heart of it is a critical distinction between 'trend validity' and 'trend virality,' emphasising the ephemeral nature of viral trends versus the lasting impact of real, deeper cultural shifts.

Among the contributors are industry insiders like Matt Klein, Rachel Arthur, Guillaume Dacquet, Felicia Pennant, Ally Kingston, Cecile Poignant, Nayara Moia Ericson, saher S., Anush Mirbegian, Mobbie Nazir and Seán Boyle.

Their collective insights underscore the report’s premise: that understanding and forecasting trends require a multi-disciplinary approach, one that considers the broader context and the interconnectedness of our world.

Their insights challenge the narrative of rapid trend consumption, revealing that with over 40% of people not recognizing trends and 64% feeling the pains of cultural acceleration, there's a disconnect between the trend industry and real public engagement.

Which raises the question of the importance of trend literacy, and asks for a shift to meaningful cultural strategies that reflect the true dynamics of our society, where trends are not just noted but understood, critically evaluated for their long-term value and used with purpose.

For those interested in exploring this new way of looking into trend forecasting and its implications, the full report is available through Gung Ho Communications and Geraldine Wharry's platforms.

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