May Pick of the Latest Consumer Trends
Trends are opportunities. Spotting early adoption gives you the foresight to differentiate by leading early rather than following later.
Selling Serendipity
Jaded consumers want brands to delight them with the surprising and the unexpected.
In a world increasingly focused on speed and efficiency, consumers have an appetite
for mystery, surprise, and serendipity in their lives. Research suggests brands are not doing enough to deliver this - nearly half of those surveyed (48 per cent) say they tend to avoid predictable and formulaic things, and 70 per cent can’t remember the last time a brand did something that excited them.
A Japanese train operator offers new destinations to travellers who can roll virtual dice which dictate the ticket they received to one of six locations, encouraging customers to embrace the adventure of the unexpected and the unplanned.
British online travel company Journee books vacations to surprise locations. Users fill in a 10-minute questionnaire and get matched with a secret destination, only finding out where they’re going at the airport.
For those feeling uninspired in the kitchen, a Swedish food delivery service Kavall offers delivery of a random meal kit box containing a surprise recipe and ingredients.
Surprise and delight can also be delivered via customer service, like the impromptu free ukulele lessons for passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight to Hawaii or from unexpected rewards like Brewdog’s “Checkout Chancer” e-commerce promotion that gave one in every 25 customers the value of their order back in credit.
So What?
Mystery and surprise are becoming increasingly important tools for brands looking to break through the noise and deliver meaningful experiences. Wunderman Thompson Intelligence research confirms half of those surveyed say they’d like more surprise in their life, while 74 per cent agree that they enjoy an element of mystery and surprise in their actions. This unlocks pockets of opportunity for brands to deliver an escape from the everyday. Wunderman’s data shows that 45 per cent of consumers would be more likely to buy from companies and brands that surprise and delight them - so money is being left on the table when CX is focused solely on efficiency.
The Gen Z Luddites
Generation Z are rejecting the overwhelming role of technology in their lives and seeking more real and enriching alternatives.
We’re seeing a growing anti-movement of consumers questioning technology’s unchecked impact. In what the New Yorker calls “The Age of Algorithmic Anxiety,” people - led by Gen Z - are voicing their concerns about the access and control technology has over their lives.
Many think technology makes them feel more detached from the real world. Over half of Gen Z’ers agree that technology distracts them from living a more interesting life. (Wunderman Thompson)
So What?
In a bid to rediscover curiosity and spontaneity, some are turning their backs on
modern technology and returning to analogue alternatives. Paper map sales in the UK and US have spiked, and research from Nielsen BookData found that 80 per cent of books bought by UK Gen Z’ers are physical, not digital. In Argentina, rising sales of children’s books are being attributed to the rise of Gen Z book influencers on TikTok. Gen Z’ers are starting to understand the pros and cons of technology and walking away if they feel it does not allow them to live and think freely.
We must use technology carefully. Digital can make us feel full whilst we remain undernourished. Providing non-digital alternatives for authentic and exciting experiences, however simple, is in growing demand and attracting new consumers.
New Nostalgia
Don’t underestimate the power of nostalgia in connecting to consumers.
When our now is unrelentingly grim, we have two means of escape: to look back to when times were happier and simple, and to look ahead to better times. Right now, the second is difficult in a tomorrow beset by our economic, environmental, and geopolitical challenges. As a result, the human conversation often revolves around nostalgia – an old piece of music, an old television programme - even an iconic advertising campaign. It’s no surprise more consumers of all ages are nostalgic about specific products or brands because they already have a deep and persistent emotional connection with those items. But nostalgia isn’t just about periods we’ve personally experienced.
Gen Z demonstrates nostalgia, longing for a simpler time because of overstimulation and isolation. Gen Z, faced with a million different decisions and despite never enjoying authentic past experiences, share the desire for childhood nostalgia.
Dr Joanne Frederick describes this phenomenon on the next-gen publishing platform, Her Campus:
“Because there is so much information Gen Z can choose to consume, they lack the shared experiences previous generations had …. Therefore, Gen Zers turn to shows like Friends, Sex and the City, and That 70s Show to experience life in a way they never had before ubiquitous social media and texting.”
“I believe many are turning to nostalgia, even if they do not consciously realise it, as a stabilising force and a way to keep in mind what they cherish most,” explains Clay Routledge, a psychology professor at North Dakota State University.
Spotify’s latest Culture Next report states that 68 percent of Gen Z listen to and watch media from earlier decades because it reminds them of simpler things. So while all generations look back fondly on earlier eras, Gen Zs are reinventing nostalgia even though their roots aren’t in the past.
So What?
Tapping into nostalgia allows you to widen your customer base by creating escapism when consumers need it. Through old and familiar concepts that make happy memories, you can build trust and awareness spanning generations.
Nostalgic consumers have high purchase intent, particularly during uncertain times.
By triggering this dormant purchase intent, you can leverage nostalgia to encourage consumers to make the emotional decision to reach for a taste of what life was like.
Nostalgia sells, and right now, it seems almost everyone is buying.
Funereal Commerce
I’ve always thought of death as somewhat inconvenient.
A sign of our digital times has to be the digitalisation of death. It’s become slick and convenient.
Funeral home websites have become web and mobile-responsive. They will cross-sell and up-sell you. They capture emails for a subscription (loyalty points, anyone?). Online, you can choose from coffins, cremations, headstones, cards, flowers and more.
There are even digitally-enabled funeral planners. Of course, there are.
So What?
If digital has taught us anything, it’s that digital transformation inevitably comes to all of us, just like death.
Gyms - a new third place?
Some are turning into ultra-exclusive clubs within the wellness world, for like-minded aspirationalists to gather once they’ve made it past the waitlist to join an up-market community.
In New York, the membership gym Ghost is reserved for “thought leaders, creatives, founders or executives”, chief executive Aqib Mamoon said. Considered a ‘wellness destination,’ membership costs up to $300 a month and needs an application, an interview, and an internal review process before entry.
At the Monarch Club in West Hollywood, (of course, it would be there), members undergo a medical evaluation, a training assessment, and physical therapy before joining the community. Membership fees range from $595 to $2000 monthly and include tiers of benefits, including personal training, I.V. therapy, ice baths, and physician access, and more routine gym additions such as group classes and saunas.
New members are only considered and accepted by referral at the Forma Pilates studio, with locations in N.Y. and L.A.The owner and founder Liana Levi says the studio “prides itself on fostering a tight-knit community of like-minded individuals including, but not limited to, entrepreneurs, executives, athletes, celebrities, pre-and postnatal mothers, and more.”
So What?
Are you just a gym, or can you be an aspirational third place? Health is truly a luxury in these formats and as consumers crave like-minded communities and safe spaces for expression, expect to see more ultra-niche membership opportunities come to fruition.