Infographic: Top digital trends in 2015

Near field communications (NFC), the Internet of Things and wearables are the top digital trends expected to change the way brands communicate in 2015.

That’s according to new findings from the digital consultancy arm of communications agency, Bell Pottinger, which captured the most talked about trends online in 2014 and ranked them in order of the percentage increase throughout the year.

These have then been compiled into an infographic marking the top 15 digital trends for 2015. The top five digital trends were:

1. Near field communications, which saw a 358 per cent increase over 2014. Bell Pottinger pointed to recent research undertaken by Carlisle and Gallegher Consulting Group, which forecast half of today’s smartphone users will use mobile wallets for their preferred payment method by 2017;

2. Internet of Things, which chalked up a 283 per cent increase in 2014. According to Gartner, 25 billion devices will be connected and in use by 2020;

3. Wearables, which recorded a 220 per cent rise in coverage this year. Analyst firm, Forrester, has forecast more than 79 million wearables are expected to be sold next year;

4. Internal communications, with a 167 per cent increase. Gartner predicts half of corporate network devices will be mobile in 2015;

5. Storytelling, which saw a 145 per cent increase in coverage. Bell Pottinger also pointed to a Social Media Examiner report, which claimed visual blog posts drive 180 per cent more engagement than text-based ones.

Related: How wearables could change the face of marketing

“While technology will be one of the biggest drivers of marketing change in the new year, the key focus for brands will be on delivering truly integrated strategies,” commented Bell Pottinger Digital partner and managing director.

“The most successful brands in 2015 will be those that harness new technology to deliver a single experience to consumers wherever they are in their journey.”