It seemed it would never arrive, but it's here. I think I had never looked forward so much to the end of the year and the start of a new one. Apart from the fact that I'm not very keen on the number 13, everything suggests that the long-awaited economic recovery will take place in 2014, after too many years of crisis.

And we need to be ready to make the most of the endless opportunities that will arise in the coming years. And what better way than to keep an eye out for the new trends that will arise in 2014, to be able to adapt our products and/or services to this new post-crisis consumer.

I will detail them below, with some best practices (BP) worth mentioning:

1. +DIGITAL: This is no doubt a growing trend. New consumers are increasingly connected and eager for more solutions for their new digital world.

BP: The brand Babola connects its rackets with a smart data analysis system to be able to analyze the player's performance so it can be shared with friends  http://www.babolatplay.com

2. +CELLPHONE: In Spain we will reach 30 million smartphones in 2014. 80% of users keep it with them while they eat, 72% do not turn it off at night and 33% even take it to the bathroom!

BP: Amazon has already started to experiment with delivering its orders using unmanned drones to shorten the time from order to delivery https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98BIu9dpwHU

3. +STRESSED: Time is becoming a scarce resource in an increasingly cosmopolitan society (70% of the world population live in cities), so any service that improves this situation will be a success. BP: The company Kahnoodle has launched a dating service for stable couples to break the routine, which acts as a personal “assistant” to organize everything http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUNmnf8IKDI

4. +EXCLUSIVE: New consumers are looking for non-mass products and services to counteract globalization and feel special and unique when they use them.

BP: Liberty Coffee in Singapore only opens when it receives fresh coffee. This is announced on their Facebook profile https://www.facebook.com/libertycoffee

5. +UNSAFE: Mega-cities are increasingly becoming unsafe places: Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Singapore, NY, etc… All services focused on our own safety are very inelastic in terms of price and highly appreciated.

BP: BICI Buscadores is a stolen bicycle social network that connects their owners with the person who found them.

6. +GROUP: The Internet has enabled us to connect to many people and, above all, join forces for specific aims.

BP: The chain Leon Bons invites its customers to participate in its business through small individual contributions in order to expand the chain, with a twofold effect: it diversifies its shareholders and builds customer loyalty.

7. +SOLIDARITY: While inequality between rich and poor in the world increases (80% of the wealth is in the hands of 20% of the population), private philanthropic initiatives are on the rise. More and more brands are joining these initiatives, which are very well received by consumers and the brand's own employees.

BP: Unltd Spain has just implemented a program in Spain to promote and fund social entrepreneurship in the country. www.unltdspain.org

8. +FOR: We are facing extremely demanding consumers who are not willing to pay for poor service. In fact, they want excellence and cheap luxury, NOT lowcost.

BP: ZARA! no doubt has the Midas touch in "lowxury". Norwegian is an airline that has already announced long-distance flights for as little as €100!

9. +GOOGLE: There are two kinds of companies: Google and the rest. This is no doubt's today's most innovative and promising company. Of the thousands of projects it is looking into and is planning to launch I would mention:

BP: Google Glass, Credit Card, Google Car, Google Flu (flu forecast by country) and Google loon, or how to fill the world with GPS balloons to provide global coverage to the Internet! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X_MNGKww-M

10. +ENTREPRENEUR : The Internet has revolutionized the concept of entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurs are staring sooner, at an earlier age.

BP: Teen in Tecn is an 8-week program for young visionaries aged 13 to 19 in Silicon Valley.

11. +PLUGGED: Mobility has generated total reliance on energy to remain connected 24/7, anywhere.

BP: myFC has developed a cellphone charger that works with water! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkdu7nMMK_I#t=28

12. +EXPERIENCES: New consumers have grown tired of all stores/services being the same and depersonalized, they want a different and unique “experience“.

BP: The American food chain Chick-fil-A involves its store managers in offering unique experiences to their customers and posting the experiences on video, on the restaurant's website.

13. +GREEN: Living in large cities is making us increasingly sensitive to the environment and our impact on it.

BP: The online clothes store Honestby only uses natural materials and each garment has a label showing its composition and the place where it was manufactured.

14. +LOVE BRANDS: I have devoted the last trend to those brands that have been successful in adapting to consumers at all times, to the point of turning their customers into real FANS of the brand, which is no doubt the dream of any marketing professional.

BP: Even though I admire Apple, this year Coca Cola and its decision to personalize its cans has been simply “brilliant” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSMHJZKKvsA#t=46

I really do hope that 2014 will be the year of recovery and we will achieve all our goals. HAPPY 2014!!!