Tech brands facilitate the development of important soft skills
Trend - Tech companies are prioritizing the development of soft skills like empathy, communication and cooperation with the use of software and products that help people learn about and practice these skills. These products and services can be made for children and adults alike.
Insight - In North America, the competitive nature of schooling and professional lives makes it so that consumers are more likely to invest in the development of hard skills that will help them in the job market. However, the slow but steady shift towards mindfulness and positive interactions in the workplace and beyond have resulted in people increasingly investing in the skills that will help them form strong interpersonal relationships.
Insight - In North America, the competitive nature of schooling and professional lives makes it so that consumers are more likely to invest in the development of hard skills that will help them in the job market. However, the slow but steady shift towards mindfulness and positive interactions in the workplace and beyond have resulted in people increasingly investing in the skills that will help them form strong interpersonal relationships.
Workshop Question - How could your brand foster the development of soft skills in either employees or customers?
Trend Themes
1. Soft Skills Development - Tech companies are prioritizing the development of soft skills through software and products that can help people develop empathy, communication, and cooperation, which presents an opportunity to invest in developing more tools and products that support soft skills development.
2. Virtual Reality Soft Skill Improvement - Virtual reality simulations can significantly improve people's soft skills such as empathy, communication and compassion, which opens up opportunities for businesses to leverage VR technology to support these skill developments.
3. Game-based Emotional Fitness Training - The rising popularity of games that help people flex their emotional fitness skills presents a huge opportunity to develop more unique and engaging narratives that teach users valuable emotional maturity skills, such as mindfulness to improve mindful living.
Industry Implications
1. Edtech - The increasing focus on soft skills development in mainstream education opens up opportunities for EdTech companies to develop new products and technologies that can help children and adults learn and practice these skills.
2. HR and Workplace Training - Virtual reality technology can be utilized by companies to improve communication, compassion, and empathy among employees and can be used as part of employee training and development programs.
3. Animal Rights - The use of virtual reality technology to immerse users in the experience of animals opens up potential opportunities for animal rights organizations and advocates to create deeper empathy and understanding around animal welfare issues.
