📸 Gen Zers opt for authentic and filter-free shots - Gen Z is re-popularizing point-and-shoot cameras in a bid to push back against the intense curation and hyper-stylized images that dominate social media. By allowing people to experiment with their creativity and online personas, brands can reshape the digital landscape to make it feel less curated and more personal.

💻 Internet users have algorithmic anxiety - algorithms are increasingly influencing people’s decisions whether that be what they buy, what they watch, and who they interact with. People are beginning to push back against invasive targeted advertising, and creating slower, more intentional internet spaces can serve as an antidote to a hyper-personalized content landscape.

Charlotte May (2020)

📺 Audiences want accessible therapy content - amid breaking down societal taboos surrounding therapy, content is emerging that introduces therapy into the wider collective consciousness. By providing therapeutic teachings to audiences in a way that feels relatable and accessible, brands can help to level up people’s therapy experiences and access to mental health education.

💡 Gen Xers prove to be resilient - having experienced seismic cultural shifts and the deaths of cultural icons, nostalgia is a uniquely powerful message and coping mechanism for Gen Xers. By engaging and connecting with Gen Xers through nostalgic campaigns and cultural references, brands can create content for this generation that feels familiar yet new at the same time.

📌 Meme culture engages Gen Z in politics - as meme culture has blossomed online, the political meme has become a significant aspect of online political debate and a vehicle to engage younger generations in political discourse. With politics and mainstream media frequently sidelining Gen Yers and Zers, online spaces and communities can provide an avenue for their voices to be heard.

🍟 Foodies want raw and relatable branding - food lovers are favouring brand messaging that feels informal, personal, raw and relatable. Creative marketing centered on fan truths, brand collaborations with social currency, and gamified consumer experiences can appeal to foodies that want to better connect with brands in a way that makes sense to them.

🍭 Young Americans want joyful culinary content - as grocery inflation hits the pockets of young Americans, they’re looking for moments of culinary joy and humour to lighten the mood. Authentic and humorous content, coupled with a strong brand identity, can help brands retain cultural relevance while helping consumers feel good about cutting costs amid grocery inflation.

Andrea Piacquadio (2020)

💭 People are viewing sexual wellness as self-care - with people increasingly viewing sexual wellness as key to holistic wellbeing, new self-care routines are being explored to align with this shift in behaviour. By encouraging open conversations about sex and normalising pleasure, brands can help people overcome cultural taboos and promote healthier and diverse attitudes toward wellbeing.

💖 New forms of feminism elevate the female gaze - by leaning deeply into hyper-femininity and playfulness, the 2023 Barbie movie eschews traditional gender roles assigned to women. With societal pressures funnelling people into traditional gendered roles, brands can subvert stereotypes in a playful way through new media narratives, nuanced character portrayals and diverse forms of storytelling.

💫 Conscious consumers want care-free fun - as people move towards living more sustainable lifestyles and as they increasingly adopt eco-conscious and planet-positive attitudes, they want to satisfy their typical cravings without sacrificing on indulgence. The strong desire to make healthy and more conscious choices is evident, and brands can weigh in on this through fun takes on what it means to be sustainable.