NIAGARA FALLS — If you had a crystal ball that could really show you the future — on this first day in 2012 — you might see some major changes coming in the way we live.

 Recent trend spotting research has shown that the digital world is changing much of the way we do everything, from dining out to shopping to networking. And, among trends being noted, Baby Boomers will be happy hear that the world is beginning to celebrate aging.

My company, JWT, has created  “10 Trends for 2012,” which is the result of quantitative, qualitative and desk research conducted throughout the year. It includes input from nearly 70 JWT planners across more than two dozen markets and interviews with experts and influencers across sectors including technology, luxury, social responsibility and academia.

 Among the trends JWT has forecast in past years are “De-Teching” in 2011, which predicted more people logging off, at least temporarily, to get a break from technology; “The Small Movement” in 2009 which was the shift away from “bigger is better” in everything from homes to cars to mobile technology.

Continued economic uncertainty, new technologies and the idea of shared responsibility are driving or at the center of several 2012 trends. But, trends, like any complex and dynamic human phenomenon, are not preordained — once they are spotted, they can be shaped.

Here are the top trends from this year’s report:

Marriage optional

“Happily ever after” is being redefined. The latest U.S. census data found 30 percent of all American adults had never been married, the largest percentage in 60 years, with the average date of first marriage creeping steadily upward.

Lawmakers in Mexico City have proposed a measure that will allow couples to “test drive” marriage with a two-year contract, so newlyweds can avoid difficult divorce proceedings.

As American women under 30 now earn more than their male counterparts in all but three of the 150 biggest U.S. cities, and with the economic support barrier removed, what does a woman need a man for? Marriage isn’t an essential checkpoint for women.



Screened Interactions

Everything's becoming a digital screen, from outdoor ads to menus to walls to mirrors to floors, and we’ll increasingly be able to interact with these surfaces too, by touch, motion or with mobile devices. This opens up new opportunities for a range of marketers.

For instance, restaurants are deploying iPads in greater numbers. And, there are now interactive mirrors in changing rooms where a consumer can try on items, request assistance and snap photos to send to friends.

There are also more tabletop screens at places like Barneys in New York which recently installed touchscreen tables at their restaurant, allowing diners to shop while they eat.

In addition, high-tech offices will replace keyboards with touchscreen desks.

Some of this will add fun to our lives. In San Francisco, Yahoo! sponsored the Bus Stop Derby, outfitting 20 bus stops with touch screens that featured four interactive games; players went head-to-head with other neighborhoods around the city for a chance to have the band OK Go play in their neighborhood.

 

Food as the new eco-issue

The environmental impact of our food choices will become a more prominent concern as stakeholders — brands, governments and activist organizations — drive awareness around the issue and rethink what food is sold and how it’s made. As more regions battle with food shortages and/or spiking costs, smarter practices around food will join the stable of green “best

practices.”

Other odd and interesting food trends: There will be bugs on our menus, no more “sell by” dates in the U.K. and part-time vegetarians. In Wafu, a Japanese restaurant in Sydney, there is a zero-tolerance policy on food wasters. You don’t clean your plate, you’re not allowed to return.

                       

Reengineering randomness

Nothing is random these days. “Living” in various social networks leaves people dedicating a lot of their day to a space where they are receiving a curated worldview. As our individual worlds become more personalized and niche — and the types of content, experiences and people we are exposed to become narrower — greater emphasis will be placed on reintroducing randomness, discovery, inspiration and different points of view into our worlds.

For instance, The LivingSocial Taxi in London gave passengers who hailed a specifically outfitted cab the choice to be taken to their intended destination or to “roll the die” and win a LivingSocial experience. Those who agreed found themselves suddenly taking a pole-dancing class or getting a fish pedicure, among other activities.

 

Celebrating Aging!

Birthdays are celebrated! Gray hair is chic! Perceptions of aging are changing, with people adopting a more positive view of growing older. Older spokespeople will not just be selling anti-aging products and pharmaceuticals, but will be purveyors of style. And as demographic and cultural changes, along with medical advances, help to shift attitudes, we’ll redefine when “old age” occurs and what the term means. In the U.S., a majority of today’s grandparents are Boomers (54% of grandparents are under 65, according to MetLife),  and they are more active, hip and tech-savvy than previous generations of grandparents.

Trends spotting: To appeal to Gen Xers and Boomers, Polish beer brand ?ywiec launched a campaign with the tagline “The best is ahead of you.” Commercials showed older male celebrities, including actors, a boxer and a cartoonist, speaking about their lives, offering insights and advice.

 

The rise of shared values

Rather than simply doling out checks to good causes, some corporations are starting to shift their business models, integrating social issues into their core strategies. The aim is to create shared value, a concept that reflects the growing belief that generating a profit and achieving social progress are not mutually exclusive goals.

Trendspotting: Distributed in Canadian groceries, Campbell’s Nourish is a single-serving can of soup designed to provide a complete daily serving of three key food groups at a low cost. Campbell’s considers the product both a commercial opportunity and a way to address hunger and food security issues. Additionally, the company donated 200,000 cans of Nourish to Food Banks Canada.

Also, Philips is partnering with the Dutch government in a bid to provide affordable, sustainable energy solutions to some 10 million people across 10 sub-Saharan African nations by 2015.

 

Live a little

Ultimately, many people would rather have a bit of something good than a lot of mediocrity. Faced with constant reminders about what to do (exercise more, eat better) and what

not to do (smoke, overspend), and fatigued from several years of austerity, consumers will look for ways to live a little without giving up a lot. Increasingly they’re looking to let loose once in a while, indulging in sinful things, splurging on treats and escaping

from today’s many worries.

Trendspotting: Whiskey in South Africa, premium beer in the U.K. and cheap éclairs in India are small indulgences that consumers with little to spend are enjoying.

Also, consumers are going out to restaurants less frequently but are splurging on premium ingredients to cook at home.

 

Navigating the new normal

As the new normal becomes a prolonged normal in the hampered developed world, more brands in more categories will open up entry points for extremely cost-sensitive consumers. Marketers will find new opportunities in creating stripped-down offerings, smaller sizes and otherwise more accessible products and services. Beyond consumer goods, this phenomenon will hit other sectors where prices are spiking too, such as education and healthcare.

Trends: Equinox gyms opened Blink Fitness in the beginning of 2011, which offers customers the bare necessities of a gym at a fraction of the cost for $20 a month.

Also, clipping coupons is no longer fodder for reality television. It’s now a “new normal” behavior.

Also, prepaid, no-contract phone plans are now the fastest-growing segment in the U.S. mobile market.

 

Generation Go

While twentysomethings in the developed world feel they’ve been dealt an unfair deck, many are finding opportunity in economic adversity. Out of continued joblessness or discontent will spring an unprecedented entrepreneurial mindset, enabled by technology that obliterates traditional barriers to entry. A so-called Lost Generation will transform itself into a uniquely resourceful cohort.

Trends: More than half of Millennials in the U.S. agreed that if they lose or have trouble finding a job, they’ll start their own business, according to a JWT survey, up from 25% in 2009.

 

Objectifying Objects:

As objects get replaced by digital/virtual counterparts, people are fetishizing the physical and the tactile. As a result we’ll see more “motivational objects,” items that accompany digital property to increase perceived value, and digital tools that enable creation of physical things.

Trends: Wristwatch revival — dig up your old Casios and Swatch watches.

Also, Sincerely’s Postagram apps allow vacationers and others to turn snapshots into snail-mailed postcards.

Also, Vinyl revival — It’s not just indie bands releasing vinyl albums now, but major acts like Adele, Radiohead and Lady Gaga (some with digital download included). While sales are a small percentage of overall albums sold, U.S. vinyl sales tracked by Nielsen SoundsScan spiked 41% in the first half of 2011.

 Ann Mack is director of trendspotting for JWT, a global network with more than 200 offices in over 90 countries employing nearly 10,000 marketing professionals.