Matt O'Neill

www.futuristmatt.com

Matt has spent over 15 years developing marketing and communications businesses. They include an innovative events company, cutting edge video marketing products and a marketing communications agency.

Some of them worked, others didn't! But those 15 years saw a relentless march of technology, and deep societal changes in its wake.

Matt has always spotted trends and found practical ways to apply them to client challenges. But today that is no longer enough. Companies can no longer rely just on technical innovation. They must work harder to reach customers, attract employees and place bets on future strategies. A futurist is no longer a soothsayer looking into the misty distance but an essential contributor to tomorrow’s business success.

THE CO-CREATED BUSINESS

His approach is in itself the result of a trend which may now be familiar. Businesses are increasingly a collaboration with customers and the supply chain. In Germany and Japan, the companies built on family dynasties are dissolving. In the UK and US, companies which were once monoliths with ten year product cycles are racing to meet the demands of a public with plenty of choice.

Ventures are crowdfunded (think Kickstarter, or the success of microloans in developing nations). Marketers seek advice from their customers, either overtly (design your own jeans, mobile phone package or holiday) or covertly (all that browsing data you give away every day…) We are constantly finding new ways to collaborate and organise society and business.

And he's certain that discovering the future is also a collaborative process. That is even more valid if we want to apply the distilled and impassive thinking of most research to real businesses: to your business. Unlike so many consultancies, He won't present you with a 1000-page strategy document which will be left on the shelf while your business is left behind. We will create a roadmap together, based on the knowledge of my team and your colleagues. All this is supported by rich media, live events (remember he did those?), external speakers and dynamic tools, in a generous spirit of curiosity. This approach is more useful, and much more fun.

It is, at least, fun for most. Some trends can be uncomfortable. As I write this, London is silent as the city’s taxis protest at the rise of trendsetter and global bad boy, Uber. Trends disrupt the status quo and the comfort of “This is how we’ve always done it”. They challenge our world views, and – since many of us spend more time at work than anywhere else – our very identities. It’s another good reason for thinking through the future to be a collaborative effort: part of my work is to help you confront your preconceptions and envision a different world in a constructive and positive way.