Future Thinking 2022: A Guide to Avoid Uncertainty.

Today, we look towards the future from different perspectives and find that uncertainty is the only worldwide constant. Even so, the pandemic isn’t the only thing that impacts the current context of our brands and consumers: The environment continues to be a concern with increasing challenges. In terms of policy, extreme positions progressively generate tensions in governments worldwide. The economy continues to transform with new models such as cryptocurrencies and NFTs, enabled by innovations and rapid technological transformation. It then makes sense that in 2022 we talk about these macro trends so that we can understand the changes in our customers’ current behavior and ask ourselves how our brands can move into action from the opportunities these changes present us.

Here's a list of the 6 Macro Trends to help navigate 2022

‍

Moment of Healing: Taking control of care and well-being

During the pandemic, we spent numerous days at home taking care of ourselves and our loved ones. This impacted how we understand health, personal care, and well-being. Consumers adopted new habits and routines to stay well and always be one step ahead of illness, not exclusively in physical terms. The sudden pandemic also shed a light on the conversation about mental health. Now, more than ever, we value being healthy, taking care of ourselves, and taking control of our overall well-being more proactively rather than reactively. We went from asking ourselves: What can I do to treat this pain or illness? To asking ourselves: What can I do to take care of myself and not get sick?

‍

The pursuit of purpose: Living from a new perspective

With the pandemic, we had time to stop, observe, and reflect on our lives: the same old routine, the passing of time, and the fragility of the future. Amid so much uncertainty, consumers have lost confidence in the future and have decided to live a life centered around the certainty of the present. This has caused many to question their purpose in life: Where do I invest my time? What purpose do my responsibilities carry? What am I passionate about? Is this the best way to live and take advantage of every single day of my life?… Showcasing how consumers are making radical decisions so as not to “waste” another minute, transforming how they work, live, relate to others, and consume goods and services.

‍

Life 2.0: Redifining aging

Experts state that by 2050 the world population over 65 will double, reaching an estimated 1.6 billion people. Soon, throughout every geography, we will begin to see more seniors, but they won’t behave as we’d expect. These new seniors are redefining the way we age by challenging any traditional bias and paradigm. For them, aging is not the end; it’s the beginning of a new stage of enjoyment and freedom. However, it’s vital to take care of their physical, mental, and economic autonomy for this to be possible. This “beginning” challenges the current businesses to design new products and services by understanding that this segment will increase drastically and be more diverse and demanding.

‍

Perfectly imperfect: Sharing a more real virtual life

Tired of the pressure to show a perfect and often unreal life on social networks, which is driven by the anxiety that many people feel when they scroll down their social feed, consumers have begun to share the good things on their networks, as well as difficult moments, unedited photos, and spontaneous video. This behavior plays a leading role in keeping the networks real and imperfect, as life truly is. Authentic, honest content and life told without so many filters are the preferred content of many today.

‍

Self-inclusion: Exponential acceptance

After living through a pandemic, many people realized that time shouldn’t be wasted in hiding who you really are, living afraid of being different, or trying to be someone else. Diversity has always been a fact, but inclusion only started to be present in every conversation until a couple of years ago. Today, consumers are focused on their process of growth and acceptance to increase their self-esteem and feel confident about themselves. This identity reconstruction emerging from empowerment and not fear is taking inclusion to another level. Brands, not just beauty brands that accompany consumers in this transformation and empowerment process, will be better perceived and valued.

‍

Watch the whole webinar here: