Category
Lifestyle
Assisted Choices
Trend cluster
Category
Narcissistic
Tradition
Consumers turn to self-promotion tactics as a mode of personal branding.
6.1
Trend score
Trend
What is the Narcissistic Tradition trend?
Narcissistic Tradition: It can be argued that social media has bred a socially sanctioned culture of narcissism, allowing people to share all aspects of their lives with a participating audience. This culture of narcissism is most clearly observed in the tradition of "the selfie," which has mutated into something much larger than itself, indicating that beyond sharing, many consumers are interested in the larger scheme of personal branding and shameless self-promotion.
Trend themes
Themes within the Narcissistic Tradition trend
Three behaviours holding the trend together01
Personal branding
The selfie trend has led to a larger scheme of personal branding, which can be leveraged by businesses looking to market themselves through consumer-led social media.
02
Virtual avatars
The popularity of the My Idol app showcases the potential of creating realistic digital versions of oneself, opening up opportunities for businesses to create virtual spokespeople for their brands.
03
Transparency
Apps like Primo demonstrate a growing interest in authenticity and transparency in the age of the selfie, which can be leveraged by businesses looking to build trust and credibility with consumers.
Industry implications
What the Narcissistic Tradition trend means for industry
Where the trend changes the playbookFor
Social Media
The rise of selfie and personal branding trends have created new opportunities for social media platforms to offer features that cater to those needs and keep users engaged.
For
Cosmetics and Surgery
Selfie trends have contributed to the growing demand for beauty treatments such as cosmetic surgery and non-invasive procedures like photo touch-ups, opening up opportunities for businesses in these industries.
For
Marketing and Advertising
The rise of personal branding and virtual avatar trends create new opportunities for businesses to leverage consumer-led content and create innovative marketing campaigns that speak to the desires of a younger, social-savvy audience.
Workshop question
How do consumers reconcile your brand with their own personal branding?
Trend signals
Trend signals for Narcissistic Tradition
Trend score 6.1 out of 10, from popularity 90%, activity 84%, freshness 8%.
Popularity90%
Activity84%
Freshness8%
Audience
30%Men
70%Women
- Gen Alpha
- Gen Z
- Millennial
- Gen X (not a primary audience)
- Boomer (not a primary audience)
Market
Asia-Pacific
Evidence
Examples of the Narcissistic Tradition trend
4 featured examples from Aug 1, 2014 to May 5, 2015CategoryTech
Virtual Doppelganger Apps
The My Idol App Lets Users Create a Digital Version of Themselves
The gaming industry can benefit from the trend towards virtual avatars by incorporating more realistic and customizable characters into games, especially given the growing popular…
CategoryPop Culture
Ungroomed Armpit Selfies
Chinese Teens Make Hairy Underarms Popular on Social Media
The beauty industry can explore new products and services that cater to the demand for embracing natural beauty and self-expression through unconventional grooming practices.
CategoryTech
Selfie-Exposing Apps
The Primo App Uncovers Photo Touch-Ups to Show What's Really Underneath
The trend of more natural-looking selfies opens an opportunity for photo and video editing software providers to offer a 'make-under' feature that removes touch-ups and filters.
CategoryLifestyle
Beauty-Rating Restaurants
China's Jeju Island Joint Gives Free Meals to Good-Looking Customers
Restaurants can explore innovative promotional strategies like beauty-rating systems to attract customers and generate buzz
