Multisensation

Trend - Luxury brands are creating fragrance sample kits that allow consumers to explore a variety of scents before committing to a full-size bottle. These kits deliver a curated and exclusive fragrance experience, allowing shoppers to explore different scents and find ones that suit their style and mood.

Insight - Luxury consumers often desire products that offer the same immersive and personalized customer journey they receive when shopping in stores. In response, luxury fragrance brands are introducing discovery kits to craft virtual experiences mirroring the same standards of sensory exploration and personalized guidance. Businesses that cater to consumers seeking hands-on product demonstrations can attract those who prioritize experiential and customized products.

Trend - Brands are creating compact wearables powered by advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models. As wearables, these are non-intrusive devices that provide access to on-demand AI. These AI features can be used conversationally with hands-free commands to provide seamless access to information.

Insight - Most individuals in the western world, regardless of age, find themselves using their smartphone tens or hundreds of times per day, with most simply looking up information or responding to messages. Companies are aiming to use AI to reduce smartphone use to help consumers return to active living, rather than staring at screens. As a result, these companies are creating AI-powered wearables, such as pins or necklaces, that provide on-demand hands-free access to AI and smartphone features.

Trend - Web3 and gaming brands are creating dedicated gaming consoles for cryptocurrency and NFT-integrated games. These consoles connect to players' crypto wallets to streamline withdrawing or using acquired cryptocurrencies on other platforms, thus increasing the attractiveness of web3 gaming.

Insight - The incorporation of web3 elements in video games is polarizing to gamers, with many either fully embracing or rejecting the field. However, some of the barriers that prevent gamers from engaging with web3 features include complexity, volatility, and security concerns. In an attempt to better address these concerns, reduce barriers to entry, and expand the web3 gaming market, brands are designing easy-to-use hardware with embedded security features.

Trend - Restaurants and CPG brands are creating bubble waffles and mixes made with meal-like ingredients. Bubble waffles are versatile, allowing for nearly any type of filling while maintaining a bite-sized and shareable shape. These are easy to prepare and offer new ways of experiencing well-known flavors.

Insight - Foodie consumers continually desire novelty food experiences; whether it pertains to the recipes, preparation method, or food format, these consumers are willing to experiment to see what works for them. The rise of cross-dish experimentation, spurred on by more adventurous customers, has led to the creation of hybrid dishes such as curry hamburgers. In aiming to address the needs of these consumers, brands are turning to savory bubble waffles for their versatility and convenience in preparation.

Trend - Hardware manufacturers are creating new gaming consoles designed to be used with wireless Augmented Reality (AR) headsets. These unique handheld devices use head-mounted displays rather than traditional screens, but function like traditional game consoles instead of VR headsets.

Insight - The rapid advancement of metaverse-adjacent technologies, such as VR headsets, has made these devices far more sophisticated and cost-effective. This has led to an increased interest in these technologies from tech-enthusiast consumers looking to try new technologies as early as possible. As a result of these factors, brands in adjacent industries, such as gaming, are repurposing these new technologies to diversify product offerings in their spaces.

Trend - Tech brands are developing head-mounted wearables with built-in high-definition screens. These devices do not have onboard processors for VR, and serve primarily as large, private, simulated screens. This enables brands to reduce prices and appeal to consumers who require on-the-go displays.

Insight - Many remote workers choose to work in environments different from their home desks, such as coffee shops, for a change of environment and mindset. These workers prioritize remote productivity solutions to optimize workflow on the go, and are drawn to low-cost solutions to these desires. Tech brands are recognizing the need for remote productivity solutions and are creating lower-cost wearables with privacy features to address these consumers.

Trend - New products are being developed that monitor virtual reality environments and release scents accordingly. These devices store scents via fluid or wax pads, and can custom-mix sources to produce more scent varieties. This is designed to enhance immersion in entertainment or for scent therapy.

Insight - The increase in popularity of metaverse applications spurred upon by new affordable hardware in the space has led to tech-curious consumers wanting to push the boundaries of what is possible in VR. These consumers are drawn to devices that push immersion further, such as haptic feedback wearables or omnidirectional treadmills. However, there is an ever-present desire for more immersion in VR applications. In recognition of this pressure, brands are experimenting with scent-based devices for VR.

Trend - Smartphone manufacturers are creating luxury phones with displays that expand horizontally by rolling. These displays function similarly to folding phones but do not leave any visible crease or visible bezel. The larger expandable screen is designed to improve both productivity and entertainment.

Insight - While smartphones have had the same design for over a decade, the recent popularity of foldable phones has led to an increase in experimentation. Consumers interested in future-facing technologies are curious about major innovations in consumer electronics, particularly smartphones, given their necessity in modern life, and are willing to pay more for unique products, especially those with added practical value. As a result, brands are improving on long-stagnated designs to offer new features.

Trend - Brands are launching standalone spatial computing headsets that have processing power built into the device. These devices are small, portable, and do not require the user to be tethered to a computer. This makes the headsets quicker to use while reducing the barrier to entry for new customers.

Insight - For the average adult consumer, two of the main barriers that prevent the adoption of spatial computing and VR headsets are related to cost and complexity, in part due to headsets often requiring several high-priced devices to function, effectively placing VR experiences behind paywalls that outweigh the value proposition. Hardware brands in the VR space are addressing these concerns by creating lower-cost, lower-power VR headsets that function entirely on their own.

Trend - Online retailers are launching shopping services specifically for VR headsets. By adding shopping directly to these devices, e-commerce is made more convenient for consumers. These immersive apps enable try-ons and previews in a 3D environment, more accurately conveying the details of products.

Insight - Tech-forward consumers have begun adopting spacial computing at accelerated rates while citing limitations of traditional human-machine interface (HMI) devices. In recognizing that consumer-grade spatial computing is in its early stages, brands are racing to ensure their services are available on these modern platforms. Brands that take advantage of the interactive HMI features native to these devices can more effectively market to both long-time users and new consumers entering this space.