Anticipating and detecting trends before they become obvious is a challenge that brilliantly takes up the most visionary entrepreneurs. Identifying a change in the market before its competitors not only makes it possible to take a step ahead, but also to innovate without undergoing the pressure of a saturated market. If some French companies have distinguished themselves by their ability to smell upstream developments, it is not only by intuition: they rely on specific methods and a rigorous strategic watch.
Observe weak signals and analyze emerging markets
Trends never arise anywhere. They often start with weak signals, these subtle indices that must be learned to decrypt. In the 2000s, Xavier Niel perceived consumer dissatisfaction before the others to the prices of telephone operators. By observing the first online communities that criticized excessive prices, he launched Free Mobile in 2012 with a disruptive offer that upset the market.
Analysis of emerging markets is also a key. When Doctolib was founded in 2013, medical teleconsultation was stammering in France, but it was already experiencing rapid ascent in the United States. By relying on this dynamic, the startup has managed to anticipate the digital transformation of the health sector and establish itself as an essential player.
Bet on data and artificial intelligence
Detecting trends also involves intelligent data exploitation. Predictive analysis tools today make it possible to identify consumption developments before they become dominant. The collective cloakroom company, a pioneer of circular fashion in France, relied on the analysis of used clothing research and sales to adapt its offer and accelerate its growth.
Artificial intelligence also plays an increasing role in this anticipation. Startups like Contentsquare use AI to analyze the behavior of Internet users and detect new purchasing habits. This type of approach makes it possible to adjust a commercial strategy long before the trends were visible on a large scale.
Test quickly and adjust in real time
Once an identified trend, it is not enough to be the first to notice it: you still have to know how to exploit it effectively. Agile companies adopt short test and adaptation cycles to validate their intuitions. Michel and Augustin, for example, have built their success by regularly testing new recipes in store and immediately adapting their offer according to customer feedback.
This approach to the “Test & Learn” is all the more crucial in the digital age. Alan, French health neo-assurance, launched its first services in a minimalist version before expanding its offer according to the needs expressed by users. By doing so, she was able to impose herself quickly without taking the risk of a massive investment on an unsuitable offer.
Create the trend rather than follow it
Companies that dominate their market are not content to identify trends: they create them. The history of French briefs is a perfect illustration of it. By launching a brand of 100 % underwear made in France, Guillaume Gibault took the opposite of the major textile brands which favored relocated production. This choice, which could have appeared anachronistic, actually anticipated a return in force of the “made in France” and an awareness of the environmental impact of fashion.
Likewise, Blablacar did not wait for carpooling to become obvious to invest this market. The platform had to evangelize users first, create confidence and structure a practice that did not yet exist in this form. By positioning herself as a pioneer, she defined the codes of the sector and imposed herself as a leader.
Transform innovation into a competitive advantage
Detecting a trend in advance is not enough: you still have to be able to transform it into a viable and lasting economic model. Successful entrepreneurs know how to articulate innovation and profitability. Back Market, leader in the reconditioning of electronic devices, has been able to take advantage of the rise in ecological concerns, but its success is above all on a robust economic model and an optimized customer experience.
The LHYFE company, specialized in green hydrogen, also illustrates this approach. By anticipating renewable energy needs long before the implementation of strict regulations, it positioned itself as a reference before competition becomes aware of the issue.
Detecting upstream trends is neither chance nor a simple entrepreneurial flair. It is a rigorous approach which is based on the analysis of weak signals, the exploitation of data, an ability to test quickly and a desire to shape the market rather than following it. Up to you !
