Your customers and employees are changing.

We help you adapt.

What matters today – and tomorrow

At Next Big Thing, we believe in three business concepts: Adaptability, People-First Strategy and Collaboration

Three concepts that will drive profits when applied to future workplace organisation, strategy, engagement or loyalty.

Three ways to help any company safely navigate the choppy waters of tomorrow’s uncertain business landscape.

At Next Big Thing, we believe in three business concepts: Adaptability, People-First Strategy and Collaboration

Three concepts that  will drive profits when applied to future workplace organisation, Strategy, engagement or loyalty.

Three ways to help any company safely navigate the choppy waters of tomorrow’s uncertain business landscape

Respected, inspiring and adaptive

In our volatile world, it’s hard to predict what’ll happen next month, let alone next year.

But Next Big Thing can reduce that uncertainty.

We analyse economic and social trends, technological innovation and behavioural theory to identify the anomalies that indicate consumer or business change is coming long before it does.

Next Big Thing delivers on three fronts:

  • We paint a realistic picture of tomorrow so clients can make smarter strategic decisions.
  • We help leaders identify what strategies, models and products will appeal in future.
  • We help companies nurture an innovative, adaptive culture across the organisation.

“They translate trends into real commercial opportunities.” Alex Owens, Insight Head, Sainsbury’s UK

“Their insights proved really useful to us.” Wayne Garvie, Head of Entertainment, BBC

“You should talk to them if you have any future thinking requirements.” Louisa Livingston, Insights Director, Hachette Publishing

New Year, New Uncertainties:

How to feel confident in a volatile world

2024’s shaping up to be another year of uncertainty. As a result, many executives themselves are feeling uncertain. But that doesn’t need to be the case. 

As CEO of Next Big Thing, I’ve been helping companies manage uncertainty for over a decade. And I’ve learned that volatile times actually provide more growth opportunities than calm ones. As Formula One champion Ayrton Senna once said: “You can’t overtake fifteen cars in sunny weather – but you can when it’s raining.” 

I’ve created a new talk to help businesses feel confident in today’s unstable world. That shows audiences not just how to manage uncertainty, but how to find huge growth opportunities within it. It distils all my Uncertainty Management experience iinto six practical processes you can adopt to help you thrive in a VUCA world.

Read our report: ‘In Groups We Trust: the Rebirth of Community.’

Our report analyses how a renewed appreciation of Community will radically shift purchase behaviour and business landscapes in Europe, the US and Asia. 

It reveals the potential impact on households, living spaces and target markets. And how a boost in consumer power will drive further citizen gate-keeping, reducing brand influence.

The report includes a wealth of hard data, commentary and practical new business opportunities: Framily Values to Graddy Flats; Live Work Play spaces to Seasteading; and No Collar Workers to Branded Communities.

Watch our CEO William Higham in action

Next Big Thing founder William Higham is a popular conference speaker on Future Business Strategy and Leadership. Do check out his latest showreel (right).

William helps his audiences anticipate and navigate an increasingly uncertain landscape. His engaging talks offer guidance on the future of customers, employees, ethics and technology, across sectors from Finance to Food.

He’s delighted audiences at events for FT to Barclaycard, Disney to Colgate, from San Antonio to Seoul. His talks have inspired thousands to face the future without fear, armed with practical ways to handle any situation.

“William’s provocative insights inspired the audience to think up great new ways to serve tomorrow’s consumer.” Matt Houston, Director of Strategy, Primark

Strategic planning

We help you identify essential new strategies

and profitable new business opportunities

We help you identify profitable new business opportunities

Future-proof insights

We predict the future needs and expectations of

your customers, clients and employees

We predict the future needs and expectations of your customers, clients and employees

Future-fit workplaces

We help you create workplaces and management structures 

that will attract tomorrow’s employees

We help you create workplace structures that will attract tomorrow’s employees

Keynote talks

Founder Will Higham offers inspiring, practical talks on how to future-proof your strategy and organisation

Founder Will Higham offers inspiring, practical talks on 

how to future-proof your strategy and organisation

Trends for PRs

We identify brand new trends PRs can use in their campaigns 

and support them with reports and media opinion

We identify brand new trends PRs can use in their campaigns – and support them with reports and media opinion

Our clients

Discover which major companies we have

helped profit from the future 

Discover which major companies we’ve helped to profit from the future 

Our blog

Read what we’ve written on tomorrow’s trends:

retail recovery to the future of finance

Read what we’ve written on tomorrow’s trends: retail recovery to the future of Finance

Our story

Meet the people behind Next Big Thing: 

what motivates us and how we predict the future

Meet the people behind Next Big Thing: find out what motivates us and how we predict the future