Business Consumer Insights

Trend - Having grown accustomed to working remotely for several months, office workers are increasingly protesting mandates that require workers to go back to the office. Workers are now quitting, organizing against such policies, and/or ignoring these policies and continuing to work from home.

Insight - The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated what was already an emerging trend in the professional world. The normalization of remote work has resulted in consumers having a greater understanding of how they're most productive, while also balancing their personal lives. No longer restricted to commutes and long days in the office, the average worker is increasingly feeling the value of flexibility in the workplace--and is unwilling to go back to more rigid schedules and policies.

Trend - Some banking and investing services are prioritizing community-based, social experiences that help clients pool resources, get more information, and/or create a sense of comfort and familiarity with financial services.

Insight - Financial services tend to be intimidating, particularly for consumers who weren't raised with financial literacy as part of their education. Those who find banking and investing intimidating benefit from apps, services and community spaces where information is simplified and shared. These consumers require services that prioritize accessibility, whether that's through community or by other means.

Trend - Retailers are increasingly merging the convenience of online shopping with the engagement of in-person retail--now with accompanied in-store apps. These apps help enhance customer experiences with everything from product information to shopping assistance.

Insight - Consumers' appreciation for online shopping comes from its convenience, and the wide range of choices they have when shopping online. However, in-person shopping offers a different level of engagement with products, and makes consumers feel more confident in their purchase decisions. Brands that are merging the benefits of both will be increasingly relevant in the contemporary brick and mortar space.

Trend - Brands in the PC components industry are now releasing both dedicated standalone SSD coolers and those bundled with SSDs. The fifth generation of SSD technology has been released with speeds of up to 13,000mb/s, which comes at the cost of raising temperatures and requiring dedicated cooling.

Insight - Consumers using PC computers for professional workspaces or recreational hobbies continually seek more powerful components to get the job done faster. Companies have responded by continually releasing more powerful components that push compute speeds and temperatures to the limit. As a result, PC enthusiasts have begun seeking new ways to reduce their computers' operating temperatures to prolong the components' life cycles and ensure reliability.

Trend - Established and emerging esports entertainment companies are using blockchain technology to better engage consumers and fans. The companies utilize NFT collections to offer exclusive experiences, such as invite-only parties, NFT-holder lounges, and conferences where the organizations listen to their most dedicated fans. This aims to increase engagement while rewarding dedicated communities.

Insight - Consumers in the realm of esports are often loyal to certain teams, companies, or brands. As a result of this, fans are seeking new ways to immerse themselves in the world of esports and support their favorite entities beyond viewing tournaments and wearing branded apparel. Leveraging blockchain technology provides these very opportunities to interested consumers.

Trend - A new wave of startups are utilizing blockchain technology and smart contracts to offer filmmakers and musicians an alternative artist-centric solution for connecting with fans, acquiring funds, and distributing their projects.

Insight - Filmmakers and musicians operate within a highly centralized industry and, as a result, find themselves routinely faced with creative compromise and lowly compensation. Meanwhile, fans are seeking new ways to support these artists in more direct and personal ways. Accordingly, new blockchain-based platforms are aiming to empower creators by cutting out the middleman, enabling them to connect directly with fans and financiers so they can independently distribute their work.

Trend - As businesses adapt to hybrid work models where employees work from home some days, and in-office others--they're in need of tools to organize this new work model. Software programs that help run operations under flex work models are becoming more popular to maintain workplace productivity.

Insight - Businesses and their employees are still having to adapt to the ongoing changes that the pandemic has brought on over the last couple years. The rapidness of these changes is what made consumers require navigational tools in order to better adapt to a new way of living--whether that has to do with the social or work-related changes that the pandemic has brought on.

Trend - Supermarkets are leveraging IoT solutions to improve inventory management processes. Not only do IoT systems ensure supermarkets are stocked with the right items in the right quantities, but they also help these brands achieve their sustainability objectives by reducing food and energy waste.

Insight - Consumers are accustomed to streamlined e-commerce experiences and no longer have the patience for the inefficiencies associated with in-store shopping, such as empty shelves and near-expired produce. In addition, as sustainability gains importance from a consumer perspective, many of these shoppers will prefer to buy from retailers that adhere to eco-friendly practices. As a result, grocers using IoT tech are satisfying both these consumer needs via one inventory-focused solution.

Trend - As Gen Z seeks financial independence, fintech companies are creating new banking-alternative solutions to meet the young generation's tech-based needs. The neobanking platforms are app-based and allow users greater access to their financial services with fewer limitations.

Insight - Traditional banking services no longer resonate as strongly for the younger generations as they once did with Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers. Known as the tech natives, Gen Z consumers have grown up with instant access to information and seek the same level of convenience to manage their finances. Therefore, neobanks are creating intuitive apps for instantaneous banking experiences in response to Gen Z habits.

Trend - Traditional forms of customer support like going in-store or calling in and being put on hold are slowly being pushed aside for more modern, convenient options. Now, SMS-based customer support programs offer quicker service that requires less patience from both parties.

Insight - Traditional customer support programs tend to create friction between customers and representatives, with issues like long wait times having the potential to build frustration among customers. In order to prioritize convenience and reduce points of tension in the customer service journey, programs that use up-to-date technology and prioritize convenience and speedy responses will be increasingly necessary.