Listening to Jimmy Buffet is in this year. So is backgammon, Rosamund Pike and calling your mum. Air Fryers are out. Along with half marathons, saying ‘the last two years were crazy’ and explaining things to strangers online. 

A new year is here, and the Internet is predicting the trends that will define 2023. There’s a healthy mix of people sincerely anticipating what’s around the corner, while others are using the trend for LOLs. Saying you were study body president? Obviously: in.

It’s natural that the turn of the year has us looking ahead. In brand strategy, we’re trained to root the worlds we build on insight; to foresee the market moves and customer moods that will impact future business success. It’s this kind of research that gives us the confidence to tell clients: your positioning will last you five years.

But we can never be certain of what’s coming. And the comedy of the in/out forecasts highlights the impossibility of predicting the future. There’s always an element of randomness to cultural trends. Yes, there’s a strong chance that generative AI will dominate conversations, but Margaritaville might be in too.

So no, we don’t know exactly what this year will hold. But there’s excitement in the not-knowing. Our advice to brands is to keep an eye on trend predictions, but lead with their vision and people front of mind. Opportunities are born in uncertainty, so seize them. And remember to call your mum.