We all have a personal understanding of and connection with our own health and well-being, and that of our family and friends. For some of us, that understanding extends to our customers, that are living in a world where health and well-being agendas became a priority against the backdrop of a global pandemic. The million-dollar question for brands is, of course, how to respond to this changing landscape.
Our 2022 Consumer Trends Report: Rebound + Rebalance provides an answer to this question. It describes the collective need to readjust after the pandemic years. In 2021, some people readjusted through dramatic changes on a personal or professional level, whilst others made small tweaks along the way. People sought a balance between the long term and short term, and it is this duality – the balancing of purpose and pleasure – that we now seek to fulfil to achieve happiness. In 2022, we will all strive to rebound and rebalance.
Whilst this goal is universal, human behavior differs based on cultural norms and societal pressures. To understand these differences, our fieldwork blends qualitative exploration through the Illume Network, our global leading-edge consumer group, with a quantification amongst everyday consumers in 17 markets. The result is a global map of each of the 10 trends identified in this year’s report, as well as a ‘score’ per trend, which denotes positive attitude and/or behavior towards it.
So how do these trends apply to different industries and sectors? And what does this mean for brands active in that space? Let’s dive into three trends that are shaping Health and Well-being.
Did you know Spotify releases daily mood-based playlists such as ‘Get home happy’ or ‘Fall asleep calm’? The brand boosts its listeners’ wellness and touches upon the health and well-being business.
By doing so, Spotify taps into what we label as ‘Considered rituals’. This trend is part of the broader move towards well-being-centric living. While the culture of ‘self-optimisation’ is slowing down, people still strive to reach their goals. Yet, they aim to do so by setting positive habits that are in line with their internal rhythms and cycles. Brands can help people set up rituals to manage their minds, moods and energy levels. It’s about supporting them to achieve their goals and to feel ‘well’. Think for example about Talk Space that offers ‘a therapist in your pocket’, enabling people to craft their own therapy rituals from the comfort of their own home.
‘Considered Rituals’ is the most prominent trend on a global scale, with a score of 84%, appealing to both NextGen (Gen Z and Millennials) and the wider population. As such, activating this trend should be high on any business agenda, regardless their activity category or sector.
As isolation and loneliness have increased during the pandemic, ‘Inclusive Connectivity’ is more relevant than ever, displaying a global trend score of 72%. Technology is providing mechanisms to stay connected, yet in an online environment there also are safety and inclusivity challenges to address. Brands can play a role by creating safe and collaborative spaces that fuel a sense of belonging, even when physically apart. Having experienced remote education and social isolation during periods of lockdown measures, it’s not surprising that this trend is stronger among the younger audience, with a trend score of 78% for NextGen.
Whilst beauty, personal care, and pharma are the least notable sectors for this trend, there are still many examples of Inclusive Connectivity. Fitness brand Peloton, for instance, had community and connectivity at its core from the very beginning, as they focus on live-streaming and on-demand workouts. Another example in this area, focused on inclusivity, is PE with Joe. In response to the pandemic, Joe started to host workouts via YouTube, ensuring that exercising was free and accessible for all. On the second day of ‘PE with Joe’, he broke the world record for the largest streamed workout on YouTube with 995,000 participants.
In other areas of health and well-being, we also see brands tapping into ‘Inclusive Connectivity’. Peanut, for example, is a networking service for women to meet and find support. The app connects women that are at a similar stage in life – from fertility, pregnancy and motherhood through to menopause. Especially during the pandemic, with limited opportunities to meet in person, Peanut was particularly useful. The total community grew from 1 million users in December 2019 to 1.6 million in April 2020.
A growing eco anxiety and rising environmental concerns around mass consumption are driving the demand for more durable and long-lasting products. In fact, our proprietary research on sustainable consumer behavior has shown that 61% of European consumers mend their clothes or repair household items instead of replacing them. Hence, they try to be more sustainable by extending the items’ life. With a global trend score of 75%, ‘Extending Life’ is establishing on a global scale, appealing to both NextGen and the wider global audience. As many of the product categories in the context of health and well-being have a single-use lifespan – just think about personal care – this is a highly relevant trend for this industry.
Cheeky, for instance, is a brand on a mission to make reusable products the norm. From baby- and make-up wipes to sanitary and incontinence products, Cheeky is starting a revolution to help save the planet, one wipe at a time. Since 2016, the brand has saved 50 million disposable pee and protection items from landfills, as well as 30 million packets of disposable wipes, and 7 million packs of make-up removing wipes/cotton wool. Another example is hejhej, the first closed-loop yoga brand. While many people associate yoga with a sustainable lifestyle, the equipment is far from kind on people and planet. With their sustainable yoga equipment, hejhej aims to reduce the amount of plastic waste on our planet and promote conscious consumption.
Inspired by these trends but not sure what to do next?
Check out our blogpost on three ways to take trends forward for actionable next steps.
We’d love to showcase what Culture + Trends can do for your brand. So get in touch to request your showcase!
As experts in people-centric future thinking, we identified 10 consumer trends for 2022, and we validated these with 15,000 consumers in 17 markets around the globe. This report shows the emerging trends that are shaping the 2022 consumer.
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