Activism Consumer Insights

Trend - Esports companies are teaming up with mental health organizations to provide guidance and promote safety within the gaming community. Through expert partnerships and campaigns, these initiatives aim to make online spaces safer, inclusive, and better equipped to support those who may be struggling.

Insight - The competitive gaming community can often be marred by toxicity, raising concerns among parents and industry professionals—mainly due to the large number of young players in these spaces. In response, esports companies are adopting a more direct approach to safety, providing players with resources to help navigate harmful behaviors. By leveraging their influence in the esports community, these organizations can position themselves as positive changemakers within the growing esports space.

Trend - Companies are introducing public sensory-friendly experiences designed to create calm, accommodating environments for individuals with sensory processing disorders. These experiences include designated quiet hours, reduced noise levels, dimmed lighting, trained staff and sensory isolation chambers.

Insight - Many consumers, including families and individuals with sensory sensitivities, struggle to navigate traditional public spaces due to overstimulation. The growing demand for businesses to prioritize accessibility and create welcoming environments has fueled interest in sensory-friendly initiatives. Additionally, societal pressures to improve inclusivity in public spaces and respond to the advocacy of neurodivergent communities have encouraged brands to innovate in this space.

Trend - Both athletics brands and those adjacent to the sports industry are launching campaigns to support the inclusion of neurodiverse athletes. These campaigns include community activations, fundraising for charities, and sporting programs, thus building trust and good will with the communities.

Insight - As consumers become more socially conscious, their purchasing decisions increasingly reflect their values, particularly regarding inclusion. This shift in consumer behavior is evident in the sports industry, where there is a growing demand for brands to favor inclusion and show clear support for social issues. This trend is pushing brands to initiate and sponsor events, products, and endorsements that highlight neurodiversity in sports, thereby fostering a culture of acceptance and recognition.

Trend - Consumers are holding brands accountable for their environmental impact, driving a shift towards eco-action. This goes beyond mere greenwashing and performative gestures. Social media empowers consumers to expose greenwashing, demand transparency, and advocate for sustainable practices.

Insight - Fueled by heightened environmental awareness, shifting priorities towards sustainability values, and rising skepticism of greenwashing, consumers are demanding eco-action, not apology. Social media empowers them to expose greenwashing, demand transparency, and advocate for sustainable practices. This eco-accountability trend necessitates brands to demonstrate genuine commitment and systemic changes to address their environmental footprint and build a more sustainable future. Failure to adapt risks public scrutiny and market contraction in the face of empowered, eco-conscious consumers.

Trend - On social media, especially platforms like TikTok, the "de-influencing" trend is gaining traction. This movement flips the script on traditional influencer marketing by encouraging users to critically analyze trending products and resist impulsive purchases. De-influencers often expose potential drawbacks of popular items, prompting a shift in consumer behavior. As this movement gains traction, brands are strategically engaging in de-influencing campaigns to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable practices.

Insight - Social media's relentless promotion of consumption fuels the "de-influencing" movement, as consumers grapple with the paradox of acquiring "sustainable" products that may still contribute to environmental problems. This growing awareness prompts a reevaluation of what truly brings fulfillment and a critical examination of the beneficiaries within the endless consumption cycle – primarily large corporations – and the costs borne by both consumers and the environment. Interestingly, this shift in consumer behavior has the potential to redefine the very nature of brand loyalty in the digital age.

Trend - Brands are integrating activism and charitable actions directly into business models and consumer loyalty programs. This helps consumers directly influence the amount of charitability from a business, making activist consumers more likely to frequently engage in these brands over others.

Insight - Voting with the dollar is a popular concept in North America. Consumers value brands that are transparent, authentic, and have a positive impact on the world. Some interact exclusively with these brands, while others prefer to do so when possible. Of the brands that engage in charity work, consumers prefer those that demonstrate their values with tangible actions. These consumers are more loyal to brands that integrate activism directly into the core business model.

Trend - Corporations are launching DEI programs and initiatives designed to support the careers and lives of neurodiverse employees. These programs ensure equality in hiring patterns, resource access, and worker compensation. These benefit businesses by improving employee satisfaction and retention.

Insight - In the post-pandemic working world, employees have many options for workplace culture, such as finding flexible working hours, locations, or compensation. Employees each have preferences, such as wanting more flexibility or a larger wage. However, workers quickly leave jobs where they feel they do not belong, resulting in high turnover for less desirable workplaces. Companies are avoiding this fault by launching new DEI initiatives that, in addition to other protected classes, support neurodivergent workers.

Trend - Coffee brands are implementing regenerative farming practices to ensure that coffee farming has a positive impact on the surrounding environment. These farming methods result in cleaner coffee blends while improving animal welfare, worker rights, and surrounding ecosystems.

Insight - There is a growing market of consumers that are drawn to products that promote social good, whether it be related to working conditions, animal welfare, or environmental impact. These consumers prefer products with certifications on the label to ensure them that the products are supporting good causes.

Trend - Organizations are launching new Web3 campaigns, tools, courses, and products that are specifically geared toward Hispanic and Latin American populations. The majority of these initiatives have been founded in an effort to make Web3 more accessible and inclusive for both these groups.

Insight - Hispanic communities, as well as Latin American populations more broadly, face difficult and uneven barriers when entering the world of Web3. In the US, challenges include a lack of community funding and unequal Internet access. In Latin America, interested parties are held back by weaker tech infrastructure and fewer educational opportunities. To lessen these barriers, organizations are introducing Web3 initiatives dedicated to supporting these groups.

Trend - Game developers are addressing the issue of inadequate LGBTQ+ representation in gaming. These communities often feel unrepresented by games that center around straight, cisgender characters. Development studios are addressing this blindspot by promoting LGBTQ+ characters and stories in video games.

Insight - Representation is key in the media as all consumers, from teens to adults, look for themselves in content that they consume. In gaming, members of the LGBQT+ community often feel unrepresented, turning to small-budget independent games that tell their stories. This has placed pressure on more prominent, mainstream game creators to incorporate more diverse stories, characters, and identities into video games. These titles also strive to educate gamers on LGBTQ+ issues.