Personalization

Trend—Brands are increasingly focused on enhancing the mental health and wellness of their customers, and they’re now doing this through pop-up spaces. Whether charitable or business-focused, these activations prioritize mental wellbeing and aim to give consumers the awareness and tools to take care of themselves and others.

Insight—With global stress levels rising due to a variety of economic, social and political issues, mental health is increasingly in the spotlight—particularly in North America. Consumers’ are increasingly looking to reduce the mental toll that both everyday and large stressors can take on their wellbeing, and brands are responding with a more targeted approach to mental health.

Trend–Brands in the hair care industry are increasingly offering personalized options, whether those are for topical hair-enhancing products or ingestible ones.

Insight–As consumers become accustomed to market oversaturation in the self-care space, brands are increasingly turning to personalization to set themselves apart. The preference for personalization comes with consumers' desire for purchasing items based on how exclusive they are, even in cases where they're affordable. Having products that are customized for the individual enhances their perceived luxury in the eyes of the consumer.

Trend–With the supplement industry growing, targeted supplements are increasingly popular. Brands in this space are now offering menstrual-specific supplements–containing ingredients that ease common menstruation symptoms like bloating or pain.

Insight–As consumers focus more on "wellness," they increasingly expect targeted products that can be taken or adjusted to suit their exact needs. The growth of the wellness industry to become healthier comes with consumers' experimentation of experiences and products outside of diet and fitness alone, and what's come out of that is more customizable products that enhance their perceived health.

Trend—Whether for personal well-being, physical health or professional improvements—apps that are able to use fundamental principles of psychology to analyze and offer best results are on the rise.

Insight—The adoption of psychology into algorithms for the purpose of personal and professional growth comes as consumers seek out meaningful additions to their lives that promote both productivity and wellness. As consumers balance their various responsibilities, they turn to tech to reduce the load. The use of psychology-backed apps that streamline various aspects of their lives empowers consumers with the knowledge they need to succeed in their day-to-day.

Implications - Speaking to the expectation and value that millennials place on aesthetics, many dentist offices are differentiation themselves by taking on an informal and modern look. As young people today seek out products and experiences that specifically reflect who they aspire to be, this effect is impacting even the most unlikely of places.

Implications - As efforts toward greater authenticity and brand loyalty continue to thrive, we're seeing a rise in unbranded, logo-less tactics, often from bigger, more mainstream companies. Not necessarily looking to move away from heritage or legacy, brands are relying on the iconic imagery, aesthetics or references to their products to connect with consumers. Often satirical but straightforward, these unbranded examples are serving to create more approachable identities for brands, allowing consumers to better connect with product references, experiences and emotional connections.

Implications - On-demand, 24-hr services are moving beyond QSR and food establishments into other retail spaces like fashion and beauty. Realizing the importance of customer care, brands are seeking to offer elements of convenience, personalization and access to their goods whenever customers need it. Such on-demand tactics by retailers, especially those not typically associated with such accessibility, speaks to the growing consideration of consumer needs among brands, to the point where retailers are adapting their business models and operating processes to better support them.

Trend–With both traditional and more modern "open" office plans no longer being well-suited for contemporary work habits, employers are creating or offering more flexible office designs that are able to adapt based on employees' needs of the moment. With transforming furniture and workstations, brands are aiming to find solutions to the new ways that professionals are working in-office.

Insight–The busy routines of urban professionals has led to their desire for a healthier work-life balance, which can be enabled with processes like creative or remote work. This increased focus on work-from-home or creative professional opportunities has required that consumers have flexible working environments that allow them spaces for both independent and collaborative mindsets–a shift that was first seen in the growth of the "open office" plan that grew so popular in the last decade. The current adoption of more dynamic workstations is a natural progression from the open office plan, with professionals now looking to better balance both productivity and creativity.

Implications - Businesses and institutions are offering platforms that provide personalized information on mental health resources that individuals in need can access. With accessibility often being a major roadblock for people in the process of getting help, these services are able to reduce barriers to mental healthcare and cater specifically to Millennials–who are accustomed to receiving information online and prioritizing self-improvement in many different realms.

Implications - Seeking to create more personalized overnight experiences, P2P hotel rentals like Airbnb are expanding their options to include unique, outside-the-box options for guests looking for something a little bit different. Moving beyond just minimalist aesthetics and high-end decor, alternative options are emerging that speak to more kitschy, non-typical overnight stays - where travelers have the chance to sleep cliff-side in a hanging tent to a curated experience and stay at the infamous Louvre museum in Paris. These unusual, and sometimes adventurous, P2P hospitality options not only offer more choice for consumers, but they also speak to the willingness of consumers to try something new or outside their comfort zone, all in efforts to achieve more memorable moments.