Trends have an inflection point, hitting which determines if the trend will go mainstream or not. Traditional tracking methods help brands find out what is going on in the market – which means you will learn when something significant is happening, typically after or too close to the inflection point. This means most times CPG brands are not setting the innovation agenda but reacting to a nimble competitor. Detecting trends early and using AI can help break this cycle – now you can see what’s going on early on, how it’s likely to move and how you should prepare for it – it gives you more time to plan and be proactive and provides a single prediction that multiple teams can use and align on.