MAM
Shifts in Consumer trends to look out for by 2030: Dentsu report
Mumbai: Consumers are likely to prioritise concerns over climate change and data privacy, and look for ‘Titan Brands’ that fulfill all their lifestyle needs and technology up-gradation over the next decade, says a new report published by Dentsu International.
The report – Dentsu Consumer Vision 2030: The Age of Inclusive Intelligence attempts to capture some of the long-term consumer trends that are likely to shape this decade and provides brands with a roadmap to navigate through the post-pandemic world.
The projections are based on in-depth interviews with world-renowned futurists, academics, authors, and experts, together with multiple proprietary consumer surveys from over 20 countries.
Concerns over health and climate change
Health and well-being is a key theme throughout the report, with consumers reporting a desire to utilise technology to stay healthy in the future. As per the report, increase in e-commerce will pave the way for the ‘Rise of the Titan Brands’ trend, where online retailers will increase in size and scope.
Majority of global consumers also expressed concerns over climate change and said that COVID-19 has made them more aware of the harm caused to the environment by global travel. This is likely to fuel greater consumer activism in the longer run, with purchasing decisions increasingly based on sustainable factors. Two-thirds of global consumers say that by 2030 they will not buy goods that could have a negative impact on the environment.
Technology rules the roost
Trends forecast that technology will be leveraged in increasingly innovative ways to foster human connection. One-third of consumers today consider allowing AI to care for an elderly relative unsupervised. In 2030, robot companions will become more commonplace as a way of helping the elderly and disabled, providing in-home care more effectively, indicates the study.
Changes in Consumer Behaviour
The study identified four overarching themes that will shape the next ten years in terms of consumer behaviour and brand response: Universal Activism, Synthetic Society, Bigger Bolder Brands & The Human Dividend.
Universal Activism
The study underlines that brands will need to reconceive their customers as activists, driven in their decision-making by a new range of influences and causes, from climate change to data privacy and new definitions of identity. How brands communicate the concrete action they are taking along these causes, for instance, on combating climate change, alongside realising some of its benefits will be a delicate balancing act. It also predicts that by 2030, more and more consumers will be deploying new AI-enabled personal data assistants to manage their relationships with brands, creating a new power paradigm.
Synthetic Society
The study predicts by 2030 we’ll see the emergence of a new, privileged class of citizens who can afford technological upgrades to their physical and psychological states. Around a third of consumers would consider undergoing non-essential surgery to improve their mental health. By 2030, eSports and immersive gaming will have changed the way we look at ‘real-world’ sports and activities, forcing the latter to innovate to keep up.
For brands, the implications are manifold. New arenas of potential sponsorship and partnerships will emerge as eSports become mainstream, while new domains of augmented experience will provide further opportunities for entertainment and engagement In the next decade, technology will be leveraged in increasingly innovative ways to foster human connection, forging togetherness despite distance or solitude, and democratising friendships and intimacy.
Bigger Bolder Brands
Over the next decade, the focus will shift to how brands can help service consumers more effectively across all aspects of their lifestyle. At the same time, data will enable brands to be more selective in the consumers they choose to engage with, focusing on those segments that will in time be most lucrative.
Rise of the Titan brands:
By 2030 we can expect to see consumers selecting specific brands to be their main lifestyle partners, becoming an integral part of their commercial activity and everyday lifestyle. Competing with these ‘Titan’ brands will also be made harder by their access to huge amounts of customer data, placing the onus on other brands to form effective partnerships and alliances— or to develop a direct-to-consumer relationship that secures access to first-party data.
Every brand is a health brand:
Nearly half of people globally believe that over the next five to ten years they will use technology to predict what will happen to their physical health. Building on this trend, in 2030, every brand will have become a health brand and all companies will be expected to help consumers enhance their wellbeing through the brand’s products and services.
The Human Dividend
Attention will shift towards those traits and capabilities that make us human, leading to a renewed celebration of what makes us unique. Humanised service will be at the centre of premium brand propositions by 2030. Faced with the threat of automation, there will be an even greater premium on human skills such as creativity and compassion—and the brands that successfully embody those traits. A never-before-event we could see emerge by 2030 is – ‘product labelling’ that clearly states whether something was produced by a robot or a human.
Inclusive Intelligence : Crucial for brands
Each of these trends carries specific implications for brands. But all of them sit on the concept of ‘inclusive intelligence’— the ability to incorporate new views, values, and behaviours into their value proposition against a backdrop of widening inequality, societal dislocation, and ethical complexity. This concept will be a key battleground for brands over the next decade, dentsu believes.
dentsu international Global CEO Wendy Clark said: “What is very clear from the past year and the findings of ‘dentsu consumer vision 2030’ is that business leaders must prepare for a very different consumer landscape. One which is continually evolving via innovation in technology, health and well-being, activism, and climate change. Leading brands will use this information and inclusive intelligence to build human-centric experiences and relationships to meet these consumer expectations.”
dentsu Asia Pacific CEO Ashish Bhasin said: “Brands, especially those in our region, will need to be more open, more transparent, in the way they work and be comfortable collaborating outside of their organisations as they are within them. This is especially key in their dealings with clients, agency partners, NGOs, governments, communities. Building inclusive intelligence starts with superior consumer understanding. The time is now for brands to take charge of their future narrative by developing pre-emptive efforts in getting to know and predict end-user behaviour, rather than play catch-up with the speed of their consumers.”
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Omnicom posts $6.2 bn Q1 revenue, EBITDA margin rises to 14.8 per cent
AI push and cost synergies lift margins in first full quarter post-merger
NEW YORK: Omnicom has reported a robust first quarter following its acquisition of Interpublic Group, signalling early gains from integration, cost efficiencies and a sharper focus on AI-led services.
The results mark the first full quarter with Interpublic’s operations included, offering a clearer view of how the combined entity is shaping up. Revenue from core operations stood at $5.6 billion, up $345 million year on year on a combined basis, while organic growth came in at 3.9 per cent. Adjusted EBITDA margin rose sharply by 240 basis points to 14.8 per cent, reflecting early synergy benefits.
“We’ve seen momentum and cohesive growth across the organisation,” said Omnicom chief executive officer John Wren. “Our results demonstrate the benefits of realigning our portfolio and moving decisively on integration.”
A key part of that realignment involves shedding underperforming assets. Omnicom has identified businesses worth roughly $3.2 billion in annual revenue for disposal, with about $1 billion already exited in the first quarter. The company expects to complete most of the remaining divestments over the coming quarters, sharpening its focus on higher-growth, higher-margin operations.
On the bottom line, adjusted earnings per share rose 11.8 per cent to $1.90, underlining the financial impact of cost discipline and integration. The company is targeting $900 million in cost synergies by 2026, rising to $1.5 billion by mid-2028.
“We are realising significant cost reduction synergies while continuing to invest for growth,” said Omnicom chief financial officer Philip Angelastro.
Beyond the numbers, the strategic pivot is becoming clearer. Omnicom has restructured its business around “core operations”, stripping out assets earmarked for sale to highlight the segments driving future growth. More than half of its revenue now comes from integrated media, which includes data, commerce, CRM and content automation, areas that are growing faster than traditional advertising.
Indeed, integrated media led growth in the quarter with high single-digit gains, while PR and experiential businesses delivered mid-single-digit growth. Healthcare posted modest gains, while traditional advertising lagged, reflecting a broader industry shift towards performance-driven and tech-enabled marketing.
Central to this transformation is Omni, the company’s AI-powered marketing and sales platform. Rolled out across the organisation during the quarter, the system connects data, talent and services while enabling AI-driven workflows.
The platform is already delivering tangible results, improving media performance, speeding up campaign execution and enhancing measurement capabilities. Integration with partners such as Adobe and Amazon is further expanding its reach.
“We’ve put the latest agentic AI tools in the hands of all our employees,” said Wren, highlighting the company’s push towards automation and data-led decision-making.
The shift is also reshaping client relationships. Omnicom reported new business wins with major brands including IBM, GSK and John Deere, while expanding engagements with existing clients such as Unilever and Exxon. Increasingly, clients are opting for consolidated partnerships, relying on a single provider for end-to-end marketing and sales services.
“There’s a clear trend of clients choosing one partner to manage most of their needs,” said John Wren. “Our integrated model makes that easier.”
Geographically, the US remains the largest market, contributing 61 per cent of revenue, followed by Europe and the UK at 21 per cent. Growth was strongest in the US, with other regions posting modest gains.
The balance sheet remains solid despite increased debt following the acquisition. Long-term debt stood at $10.2 billion at the end of the quarter, while liquidity was supported by $4.3 billion in cash and a $3.5 billion revolving credit facility. The company is also returning capital to shareholders, repurchasing $2.8 billion worth of shares in Q1 as part of a planned $5 billion buyback programme.
Looking ahead, Omnicom remains optimistic but cautious. While the company expects double-digit EPS growth for the year, it acknowledged ongoing geopolitical uncertainties, particularly in the Middle East, though the region accounts for less than 2.5 per cent of revenue.
The integration of Interpublic is still in its early stages, but the initial signs point to a business that is not just bigger, but structurally different. With AI at its core, a streamlined portfolio and a growing tilt towards integrated services, Omnicom is betting that scale, simplicity and smart technology will keep it ahead in an increasingly complex marketing landscape.
If the first quarter is anything to go by, that bet is already starting to pay off.
