Science Consumer Insights

Implications - By 2025, the number of global diabetics is expected to hit 300 million. 1 in 3 children born in the US in 2000 are expected to get diabetes in their lives. With only 10% of today’s US cases being type 1, innovations to offset diabetes are more dire than ever, especially for high-risk children and youth.

Implications - Many consumers eschew long hospital waiting room lines in favor of digitally monitoring their health on a day-by-day basis. Self-diagnosing continues to rise, and as many individuals lack healthcare, digital health trackers can help novices accurately maintain statistics on their well-being.

Implications - 2008's culture of customization manifested in more extreme ways in 2009, including the personalization of farm animals and comestibles. This "have it your way" culture takes a slightly more tech-savvy turn with genetic modifications for food sources that are more efficient, easier to raise and that eliminate contamination.

Implications - Our time-crunched lifestyles often don’t leave an opportunity for romance, and savvy entrepreneurs have pounced by introducing products that play on science to lure a lover. This niche isn’t just for singles, though, as couples will continue to seek out products that promise to give a leg up on libido.

Description - Consumers can now showcase DNA as personal artwork or infuse it into cosmetics such as perfumes. Other innovations allow in-depth analysis of an individual’s genetic makeup including personal DNA scanner and genealogy services that track ancestry.

Implications - People are increasingly enamored by the mystery of genetic code. In a world where exclusivity and individuality is in demand, there is nothing more unique than a person’s DNA.

Implications - Consumers have become more aware of germs and bacteria and are constantly looking for sanitization products. Products that make treating this paranoia more efficient and convenient are highly successful. The bacteria detector has become a very popular item on eBay, while in Japan, germ-guard masks are commonly worn. There are even anti-bacterial dresses and stuffed animals that educate kids at a young age on hygiene awareness.

Implications - Pills deliver simplicity and convenience, making them ideal for the busier, more stressful lives consumers are leading today. Increasingly, pills are ingested for both conventional health requirements as well as in novel situations not traditionally treated with pills, such as limiting alcohol consumption.

Implications - More consumers are bearing a survival state-of-mind, taking the alleged upcoming apocalypse of 2012 to heart with extreme preventative measures and apocalyptic “gear,” from retail-friendly weapons to gas masks and survival shelters. This fear of impending doom among consumers presents a new and bizarre niche for anti-doomsday products, services and even brand messaging.

Implications - Autonomous automobiles are quickly becoming a reality, with variations on the self-driving car being conceptualized by designers at an alarming rate. As consumers continue to place more emphasis on convenience in their purchasing decisions, the rapid development of driver-less vehicles may just coincide with a just-as-rapid demand.

Implications - The biological and chemical science of food preparation, molecular gastronomy, has been around for decades. However, it is only recently that the science and art form is receiving more widespread attention from both establishments and food consumers. More restaurants are centering themselves on the theme of molecular gastronomy, hoping to attract patrons through their intriguing chemical and physical food processes and laboratory-style kitchens. Likewise, innovations allowing consumers to try out their own molecular meals at home are also on the rise.