Foresight vs. Fads: Building a Brand That Lasts with Josephine Hatch

Today on the podcast I am chatting to Josephine Hatch, who is an Innovation Director with over 20 years of experience in foresight, cultural strategy, and brand innovation. Now, you might not totally know what any of that means, but basically, we are talking about trend forecasting!

One of the things that really struck me during our chat is that, as creatives and small business owners, many of us do this instinctively without having the formal language for it.

This conversation gave me such a good framework for being more strategic about looking at culture and making plans for my business and honestly, Jo's perspective gave me such a boost regarding the value of human creativity.

Key Takeaways

• Foresight vs. Fads: While "trends" are often associated with fast fashion or fleeting fads, foresight is about spotting signals and understanding the macro forces that impact human behaviour.
• Human Truths Remain: Technology and context change, but fundamental human truths—like the need for connection or joy—stay the same. Successful brands understand how to tap into these enduring feelings.
• The AI Counter-Movement: As generative AI adoption grows, there is a strong counter-trend towards the "human." People are increasingly valuing imperfections, analog hobbies, and genuine human curation.
• Look Outside Your Bubble: Real innovation rarely comes from looking at your direct competitors. Instead, look to other industries, art, and culture for inspiration to disrupt your own category.

Episode Highlights

• 02:51 – Joe explains her background and how an Alexander McQueen runway show sparked her interest in how fashion mirrors society.
• 06:49 – We discuss why "trend" has become a dirty word and the difference between short-term fads and long-term foresight.
• 12:56 – Joe shares incredible free resources and tools that small businesses can use to spot cultural shifts.
• 20:23 – A fascinating look at AI, including why the "human touch" is becoming a premium and the rise of analog hobbies.
• 33:17 – Simple habits you can adopt to become more culturally curious, including how to document the things that inspire you.

About the Guest

Josephine Hatch is an Innovation Director at The Otherly, an innovation and brand agency that works with global brands and small businesses to help them defend their space and grow with intent. She has spent 20 years working at the intersect of trend forecasting, cultural strategy, and innovation.

• Website: The Otherly
• LinkedIn: Josephine Hatch

Mentioned in this episode

• The Otherly https://theotherly.com/
• Andres Colmenares, Responsible AI expert and IAM festival co-founder
• Link to a google drive of trend reports https://bit.ly/2025trending via Global Cultural Strategist Amy Daroukakis. Note that a new set of trend reports will come out around December 2025
• Free platform for trends, updated daily https://www.trendhunter.com/
• Dezeen, The Dieline and Lovely Package (both good for packaging),
• Campaignlive
• https://secondhome.io/culture/
• SJ from The Akin's substack is a great read for what's happening in culture https://theakin.substack.com/
• Emma Jane Palin's Our Curated Abode https://www.ourcuratedabode.com/ and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ourcuratedabode/#

I would love to hear what you think of this episode, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @‌lizmmosley or @‌buildingyourbrandpodcast and I hope you enjoy the episode!

This episode was written and recorded by me and produced by Lucy Lucraft lucylucraft.co.uk

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