4. Navigating crises large and small
At times when our usual assumptions seem suspect, marketers need to step back and see the broader contexts of everyday events. Tracking trends provides grounding and guidance for this process.
Macro trends, for example, offer a way to understand the world and the types of innovations and messages that consumers want and need to hear. Among nine macro trends that GfK Consumer Life has been tracking for some time, three stand out for their relevance in today’s disrupted world.
In many settings, consumers are seeking reassurance from what they see as dangers to their health and wellbeing – from virtual threats (such as risks to their personal information) to physical hazards such as food-borne illness or, more recently, a pandemic. This trend was already at the top of our list globally before 2020.
In 2017 and into 2018, we saw more momentum around environmental concern, driven by climate change awareness and global protests. We actually saw the pandemic as an accelerant to this trend – and, in fact, it is now the #2 global trend behind Seeking Safety.
GfK Consumer Life has seen a growing consumer desire for high-quality products and services that clearly and definitively serve consumer needs. People are looking for innovative solutions that protect them and their families – but still offer the element of surprise. This has been crucial to understanding how people have responded to the past two-plus years of confusion and uncharted territories.
Drawing on these and other trend insights, we are helping clients discern which of the trends from the past two years may actually be here to stay.