This article discusses one of the trends from the Top 10 Global Consumer Trends 2021 white paper. Download the full report here.
The Shaken and Stirred trend involves reevaluating mental wellbeing. Consumers are responding to new or intensified stressors and changing how they address mental health.
Rising above Adversity
While consumers have increased focus on mental health in previous years, the pandemic of 2020 brought intense and immediate stress factors: health risks, unemployment, economic hardships, isolation, upended routines, and demands for new roles and skills. Normal habits and customs dissolved, leaving many feeling adrift and helpless. 73% of consumers rate depression and mental health as currently having a moderate to severe impact on their everyday life.
As a result, consumers are Shaken and Stirred. They are reassessing their priorities and identities, reconfiguring work-life balance, and exploring new hobbies in a socially distant world. Their new spending habits diverge from novel experiences or time-saving practices to focus on investments in durable skills and products that support resiliency into the future.
Sound Body, Budget and Mind
The Shaken and Stirred now understand that only treating the symptoms of stress is not enough; they must seek out more successful strategies to improve mental health and increase preparedness. Many are turning to creative activities and nostalgic products to foster feelings of productive accomplishment and comfort; existential threats like unemployment and lower budgets also urge consumers to seek products and services that can help them withstand future crises.
Global sales of educational, hobby-related toys and games are expected to rise as a result of the pandemic. Arts and crafts, musical instruments, sports equipment and online classes will also benefit as consumers look to develop specialised skills.
Companies offering digital products and services are well-positioned here, helping Shaken and Stirred consumers access information and virtual engagements to promote self-improvement and lifestyle balance. Various industries can also benefit from bringing back childhood snacks and recipes, although these will depend on unique preferences, as consumers conform to a changing environment.
Consumers have a new understanding of themselves and their place in the world, and their focus is the pursuit of a more fulfilled, balanced, and healthy lifestyle. To gain trust, businesses must provide products and services that support resiliency for mental wellbeing and help Shaken and Stirred consumers to weather adverse circumstances.
To learn about the Shaken and Stirred consumer and more key trends, please download the Top 10 Global Consumer Trends 2021.