What Will Future Society Look Like? The 2040 Envisioned by Future Business Creation Lab Members in 'Dentsu Inc. Future Finder 100' (Part 1)

The Future Business Creation Lab, a cross-organizational unit of Dentsu Inc. and seven domestic Dentsu Group companies (*1) that identifies future corporate value through unique approaches, released the " Dentsu Future Finder 100 " tool in December 2023. This tool envisions the future lifestyle people and society desire in 2040 and uncovers business opportunities. This tool comprises 100 themes across 8 categories, including climate change, youth, communication, mobility, and body augmentation. This time, Ms. Akane Yamada of Dentsu Inc., Ms . Akemi Takahashi of Dentsu Digital Inc., Ms. Eri Kamiyama of DENTSU SOKEN INC., and Ms . Yoko Kudo of Dentsu Macromill Insight, Inc., who were involved in its development, used the tool to discuss their desired future state. We present this discussion in two parts.

The Desired Future Shaped by Collective Intelligence

Yamada: The Future Business Creation Lab is a cross-functional organization within the Dentsu Group, composed of members with diverse expertise and backgrounds. While founder Kentaro Yoshida shared the background and vision behind the creation of "Dentsu Future Finder 100" in our previous interview, this time we'd like to delve deeper into the 100 themes. First, as a way of introducing ourselves, I'd like each of us to share our affiliation and why we joined the Future Business Creation Lab.

I'll start. I belong to Dentsu Inc. Solutions Division and work within the Future Business Creation Lab on business creation and new product development for client companies focused on the future. I conduct workshops with various companies to visualize their "desired future" and lead study sessions. I also handle PR for the Future Business Creation Lab. Personally, I wanted to be involved because I aspire to become a professional with specialized knowledge about the "future" – someone who genuinely strives to improve the future, both for myself and for those I care about.

Takahashi: I belong to the Transformation Division at Dentsu Digital Inc. The opportunity to join came when Mr. Yoshida, the founder of Mirai Jigyo Soken, whom I worked with on editing the "Dentsu Mirai Mandala 2023," invited me.

Kamiyama: I belong to the consulting team at DENTSU SOKEN INC. It's a consulting unit primarily supporting manufacturing companies, and within that, I'm part of the Solution Development Team that supports generating ideas for new businesses. We're participating in the Future Business Creation Lab as a whole team.

Kudo: I belong to the "People and Lifestyle Research Institute" within Dentsu Macromill Insight, Inc. As an organization, we conduct consumer research, analyze log data, and develop corporate workshops incorporating consumer perspectives. I was also involved in creating the "Future Fact Cards," the predecessor to this tool. At the Future Business Creation Lab, I primarily manage workshop operations.

Creating something more useful from the consumer and corporate perspectives

Yamada: I'd also like to hear about your personal feelings toward the project. In my case, everyone in my department participates in the Future Business Creation Lab, but even if I belonged to a different department, I think I would have participated personally. I'm raising a daughter now, and I believe the key to whether she finds the future enjoyable lies in two things: "individuality" and "environment." Of these, "individuality" is something she must cultivate herself; as parents, we can only support her in developing that individuality. On the other hand, "environment" is something we, the parent generation, can actively change for the better through our actions. My motivation stemmed from wanting to contribute in some way to creating an environment where my daughter and the next generation of children can thrive and find joy.

Takahashi: In my daily interactions with client companies, I've always felt it's insufficient to simply process market data and interviews to gain their approval for the agency's proposed ideas. No matter how thoroughly we've thought through a proposal, if the client company's own Will isn't invested in it, it remains just a "perfect piece of paperwork" with weak execution momentum. What's needed is an approach that draws out and elevates what the client company truly wants to achieve. While holding this view, I encountered the Future Business Creation Research Institute's consulting program utilizing the backcasting methodology called "Future Craft Process," and felt it aligned perfectly with my thinking.

Kamiyama: I previously worked at a business company, involved in launching new businesses and brands. What I realized there was how difficult it is for companies to create truly new things. Expanding the scope of thinking is hard, and even when interesting ideas emerge, the tendency is to minimize risk, leading to the adoption of more practical ideas. I witnessed this pattern countless times. Many of DENTSU SOKEN INC.'s client companies share these same concerns. I wanted to leverage the tools and approaches of the Future Business Creation Lab to propose ways that would elevate our clients' thinking and perspective.

Kudo: Since learning design thinking over a decade ago, I've focused on incorporating the consumer perspective to solve societal and human challenges through products and services. Within this, I now feel that it's not just about analyzing problems from current research, but also looking ahead to the future, envisioning what we all want to be, and creating positive value that makes consumers happier. "Creating more positive value for the future" is what we aim to achieve at the Future Business Creation Lab.

How will "household composition" change by 2040?

Yamada: "Dentsu Inc. Future Finder 100" is primarily designed for use in workshops. In workshops with actual client companies, we ask them to pick about 15 to 20 themes from the 100 that seem relevant to their business or that interest them. They then study these in a preparatory session and use the workshop to generate ideas for "the future they want to create."

When creating this tool, we assigned team members to specific themes to forecast future trends and explore business opportunities. However, this time, we asked everyone to choose one theme they personally find interesting, regardless of their assigned role. We want to discuss why they chose it and share their vision of "the kind of future we'd like to see." Kudo-san, what theme did you choose?

Kudo: I chose the theme "Household Composition." The Future Finder mentions the possibility of "loose communal living styles unconstrained by blood ties or marriage." In my daily life raising children, I often feel the burden families carry is simply too heavy... Also, I sense a growing trend questioning the traditional path of family formation through romantic love—dating, marriage, childbirth, and living as a family. As life spans lengthen, it would be ideal if partnerships became more flexible than they are now, or if households jointly raising other people's children emerged, expanding mutual support.

Kamiyama: Many people intuitively understand that now is the time to shift away from traditional values, but the systems haven't caught up yet. I think the gaps can sometimes be filled by services, which could lead to new business opportunities. It seems like there's a huge potential demand.

The 'Dentsu Inc. Future Finder 100' was created by members from different companies and business divisions pooling their expertise. Discussing ideal futures might uncover new business opportunities. In the second part, we'll continue the discussion on 'Focus Themes' and explore concrete ways to utilize the findings.

※1 Dentsu Inc., Dentsu East Japan Inc., Dentsu West Japan Inc., Dentsu Digital Inc., Dentsu Consulting Inc., DENTSU SOKEN INC., Dentsu Macromill Insight, Inc. (in no particular order)