Consumer Insights > Life-Stages

Implications - More than simply a sensory enhancement, fragrances are being added to products as an added gamified feature. From using smell to add a competitive element to board games to adding incentive to activities like waking up, brands are utilizing the multisensory element of fragrances to add more engagement and motivation to traditionally mundane activities. Targeting the senses, brands are using various scents to reinvent certain experiences into something much more multisensory in nature. [More]

Implications - Brands begin creating cosmetic-like toiletry products for children in the hopes of generating a loyal following from young consumers. Typically adult-oriented products like perfumes are being redesigned for younger demographics, as a way for children to get a head-start on their personal brand and experiment with their personal preferences. Brands that begin to target young consumers first, are likely to remain in the consumers’ mind and therefore more likely to holster a loyal audience. [More]

Implications - Augmented reality is increasingly being used in children's toys, both for outdoor and indoor use. The incorporation of this emerging technology into kids' products speaks to the desire for tech to fuel play, while still offering enough variety and flexibility to please parents who are more old-fashioned in their approach to establishing how their children interact with games. [More]

Implications - As STEM fields become introduced to children at younger ages, brands are adopting this educational process into the traditional storytelling format that is so familiar to kids. This shift allows for parents to create all-encompassing forms of education that include theory in addition to the interactivity that STEM toys allow, and therefore deepens the influence such ideas have on the children being taught them. [More]

Implications - For companies trying to lure and retain Millennial employees, student loan repayment benefits are topical efforts that have the opportunity to encourage loyalty. This creative benefit strategy challenges the workplace stereotype that Millennials are less concerned with money and are more enticed by lifestyle-based perks. As the high cost of replacing fickle Millennial workers remains a consideration for employers and the average repayment balance for graduates continues to rise, efforts like this serve as an effective retention strategy by aligning the values of the employer and employee. [More]

Implications - Brands are working directly with children to co-create futuristic products that combine imagination, reality, and technology. This approach to product development empowers children to embrace their inventiveness while inspiring brands to become visionaries of free-spirited ideas. Unlocking a sense of nostalgia, product creators are more likely see the world through a new, childish perspective; therefore pushing the boundaries of technology to create meaningful products that will resonate with young consumers. [More]

Implications - Tapping into a bit of nostalgia, toy brands are reverting back to hands-on activities that not only encourage interactivity, but that entail mess as part of the process . Appealing to various sensory elements, brands are offering kids toys that encourage behavior like getting your clothes wet to creating custom-made slime. This turn toward more messy, hands-on activities suggests a shift back to not only more analog activities for kids, but activities that encourage disorganized, unconventional play. [More]

Implications - Whether in the form of pre-made snacks or supplement powders, protein-powered products that ensure children consume an adequate amount of energy-boosting food and drink are winning over wellness-driven parents. This progression highlights the relationship between adult and children's wellness fads, as well as the interest in child-safe healthcare products that satisfy the same expectations as products championed for their adult parents. [More]

Implications - For infants with allergies to cow's milk, the recent prevalence of infant formulas featuring goat's milk signals an increased appetite for hypoallergenic alternatives. Goat's milk formula serves as a nutritious alternative for parents prioritizing health and wellness for their infants, and underlines the evolution of large brands as they increasingly accommodate niche consumer needs and interests. [More]

Implications - As streetwear inspirations permeate all levels of contemporary fashion culture, established brands expand on their cult statuses by introducing capsule collections designed for young children. This progression speaks to the ability of brands to provide new product ranges that keep their original demographic enthralled as they age, as well as the new emphasis on youth-targeted options that broaden luxury experiences up to being family activities. [More]