“I want to get more enjoyment from
the simple things in life; to have
experiences that add more fun and
meaning”
1
“I want to get more enjoyment from the simple
things in life; to have experiences that add more fun
and meaning”
•The economic crisis has forced consumers to
re-adjust their lifestyles, often changing the
foundations on which their lives are built.
•For many this created a sense of
disconnection and a feeling that life is less
fulfilling; the values and social occasions that
once bound friends together evaporated
leaving a life without fun and a sense of
purpose.
•But as time has gone on people have started
to discover the value of what they still have
rather than morn what they have lost.
2
“I want to get more enjoyment from the simple
things in life; to have experiences that add more
fun and meaning”
•People are spending more quality time with
others and trying new things in order to make
life more enjoyable, even whilst managing on
a budget.
•People are seeking to reach out again, either
to connect with friends and family in different
ways from the past or, to establish new
connections with people who share their new
found approach to life.
•People are setting their own goals to gain a
sense of achievement and rebuild a sense of
pride or, indulging in small rewards and
moments of fun in order to feel they are more
than just getting by.
3
Living life to the maximum has become less important as
harder economic times has revealed new priorities
„It is important to live life to the maximum‟1
% Agree
2008
2009
2010
2011
80
67
70
60
68
65
63
60
59
58
53
53
53
50
63
57
61 61 62
51
46
46
44
40
30
20
10
Ireland
UK
Western Europe
USA
59
The downturn has made
consumers more acutely aware
of their priorities and what
they value in their life: 64% of
Irish consumers say that the
downturn has helped them to
prioritise what is most
important in their life.2
BRIC
Source: 1. Global MONITOR. See appendix for base sizes; 2. Feeling the Pinch 6
4
A new mindset of enjoying what we have and finding
pleasure in simple things is emerging
Simple pleasures give us the most happiness
A PruHealth survey shows it is the simple things in life that
make us happy - spending time with family is the one thing
that makes British people most happy, with more than half
of the adults putting it top.
A third said that they were most happy when they got to
enjoy the achievements of loved ones such as children and
grandchildren.1
Brands tapping into the happiness movement by
lifting the spirits
Mr Kipling launched an interactive Billboard in March 2012
that dispensed free cake slices to commuters waiting at bus
stops in London.
Similarly, fashion label Kate Spade‟s colourful New York
taxis offered shoppers a free ride to anywhere in Manhattan
so they could make the most of the Thanksgiving sales.
Source: 1. PruHeath, 2011, 2,014 adults surveyed
5
Food remains one of life‟s simplest, accessible and
sociable pleasures
Affordable indulgence remains key
In Western Europe, confectionery sales are being driven by
strong demand for premium indulgence, among other
things. Chocolate confectionery was the best performing
confectionery category in 2010, posting 2% retail value
growth and 1% volume growth, largely driven by
premiumisation, as consumers look for affordable forms of
indulgence.1
New patterns of socialising around food
A trend towards socialising over breakfast in the UK is
emerging as consumers have cut back on expensive lunches
or evening meals out, but still want the enjoyment of
socialising around food with friends and family.
“The trend is particularly popular for family get-togethers
that may include elderly as well as younger relatives..as it is
a time of day when all ages feel they could join in…it also
costs less than a big meal out.”2
Source: 1. Euromonitor, 2011; 2. Alison Williams, Director,
Beckworth Emporium, 2011
6
Key takeaways
•
Connection and valuing time with the people that matter in their lives has
become a top priority for people. Time is being ring fenced for friends and
family or just to have fun; it is no longer a case of fitting it in around other
priorities, it is now becoming a priority that other things need to fit around.
•
People are looking for low cost ways to add more meaning to life; setting new
achievable goals and taking pride from even the smallest task completed well
or, finding reasons for small rewards or moment of indulgence that can often
be shared.
•
Food has gained greater meaning in people‟s lives as a route for selfimprovement, connection and experimentation.
7
Drivers
Sub-trends
Fun and play
Enjoyment through play and novelty
Growing knowledge of the
world‟s opportunities
Co-creation
Changing working patterns
Enhanced sensations
Proliferation of new media and
telecommunications
technology and devices
Seeking connections
Continuing economic
uncertainty
The enjoyment and fun of being part of the
creative process
Desire for intensified sensory experiences
Making, maintaining or deepening
connections with others
Rich rewards
Indulgent experiences that offer respite and
reward
Passion and purpose
Experiences that introduce new meaning,
purpose and goals in life
8
SUB TRENDS
9
HOW IS THE SUB-TREND EVOLVING?
Fun and play
TOWARD
Enjoyment through fun and play
Facilitating shared play or
integrating fun and play into the
packaging of everyday objects
As an antidote to life‟s daily pressures,
people are looking for ways to incorporate
lighthearted and easily accessible moments
of fun into their day. Practical products
that incorporate a playful dimension, and
brands that facilitate fun and play with
others hold strong appeal.
FROM
Low-tech fun and playful
communications
Chupa Chups
promotes playful
attitude to life,
Moscow
Juice drinks double up
as building blocks for
children to promote
family play time, Mexico
Frozen yogurt brand
Yogoberry organises free
water balloon fight for 700
people at a park in São
Paulo, Brazil
Heart shaped
knife and fork for
playful food
Rowntree‟s Randoms
sharing,
encourages consumers to
US
have a more random, fun
life, GB
10
SUB-TREND: Fun and play
Enjoyment through fun and play
Yogoberry‟s childhood
games, Brazil
Frozen yogurt brand Yogoberry
organised a free water balloon
fight for 700 people at a park in
São Paulo. Exciting for
participants and entertaining for
onlookers, the Yogoberry water
fight reminded consumers of the
childhood games they once
played, while associating the
brand with free-form fun.
Heart shaped knife and
fork, US
The Heart Part aims to bring
back some fun into meal times
and reinvigorate the spirit of
sharing a meal with another. The
cleverly designed eating utensil
combines and fork, knife and
scoop and breaks into two parts
to be shared. It is also made of
100% biodegradable plastic.
Juice bottle building
blocks for children,
Mexico
Frutsi Blok Juices now come in
new packaging which allows
children to use the drinks as
building blocks to play with.
The accompanying campaign
explains that the products
promote children‟s creativity and
encourage families to spend
time playing together.
11
HOW IS THE SUB-TREND EVOLVING?
Co-creation
TOWARD
The enjoyment and fun of being
part of the creative process
Creativity remains a key outlet for fun and
people are continuing to embrace the
opportunity to become more involved in
shaping or even creating the brands they
love. As the dialogue between people and
brands becomes ever more fluid, this is
encouraging more active involvement.
More continuous interaction with
brands and active involvement in
production processes
World‟s first chocolate
3D printer paves the
way for new generation
of co-creation, GB
Farm hands over decisionmaking to consumers, GB
FROM
More open dialogue, and
democracy around a
product‟s creation
Walkers‟ Do Us A
Flavour campaign
saw the general
public voting for a
flavour, GB
Asahi test new
versions of alcoholic
drinks with
afficionados before
mass release, Japan
Coca Cola uses online
user generated video,
animations and
designs to bring to life
its brand promise, US
12
SUB-TREND: Co-creation
Enjoyment through fun and play
Tapping into user
generated content, US
Farm hands over decisionmaking to consumers, GB
Coca-Cola used online cocreation to gather expressions
of its brand promise
“energising refreshment”. They
gathered videos, animations,
illustrations and photographs
that could be used in its
marketing campaigns
worldwide.
A large working farm has been
taken over for the first time by
web users across the world, who
vote on every key decision taken
on its cattle, pigs, sheep and
crops. Up to 10,000 farming
novices choose which bull to buy,
which crop to plant and which
sheep to breed via the MyFarm
experiment in Cambridgeshire.
3D chocolate printer, GB
The University of Exeter have
developed a 3D printer for
chocolate. Its inventor says:
“This opens up the possibility for
the much wider participation of
the consumer in the production
process.”
13
HOW IS THE SUB-TREND EVOLVING?
Enhanced sensations
TOWARD
Desire for intensified sensory
experiences
Multi-dimensional sensory
experiences and more
sophisticated tools for creating
enhanced sensations
Products with multi dimensional sensory
appeal continue to resonate strongly as
people look for ways of elevating everyday
experiences in an accessible way. Products
and brands are evolving into more
sophisticated offerings to truly surprise all
the senses.
FROM
Augmented reality
technology lets you
taste and hear fireworks
as you eat candy, Japan
„Alchemical larder‟ set of
taste-enhancers to
stimulate the senses, GB &
US
More extreme experiences,
Scented lid boosts the
high design in everyday
flavour of takeaway
coffee, China
products and secret
African palate-altering
formulations
Real eggs, which
look like ordinary
boiled eggs, but
when cracked open
contain egg
pudding, Japan
berry that, once
consumed, changes
perceptions of bitter and
sour tastes into sweetness,
US
14
SUB-TREND: Enhanced sensations
Desire for intensified sensory experiences
Boosting the flavour of
takeaway coffee, China
MINT aims to improve the flavour
of takeaway coffee with its Aroma
Lid, designed as a solution to the
problem of plastic aftertaste and
restricted aroma experienced with
standard lids - smell is responsible
for 80% of taste. MINT claims
that coffee consists of 800 distinct
flavours, and the Aroma Lid uses
the finest of these flavours to
enhance the taste of the drink.
Taste-enhancers to
stimulate the senses, GB
& US
Augmented taste, Japan
Easy Tasty Magic is a line of wildly
creative, beautifully packaged
rubs, pastes, sprays and spices
designed for kitchen alchemists.
The collection of “taste-enhancers”
stimulates the senses, with
refreshingly original flavour
combinations. The range includes
an assortment of rubs, alchemical
larders, seasonal salts, elixirs,
umami paste and “food bling”.
The TagCandy machine transmits
vibrations and sounds to candy –
the sense of fizzing, or fireworks
exploding and aeroplanes taking
off. A piece of candy is inserted
into the unit, which is equipped
with a sensor that detects when a
person's mouth touches the
candy. A vibration speaker emits
a programmed sensation, and
transmits these vibrations
through the candy.
15
HOW IS THE SUB-TREND EVOLVING?
Seeking connections
Making, maintaining or
deepening connections with
others
Building closer connections with those we
love has strengthened as a priority as
people place renewed importance on
spending time with close friends and
family. Celebrating and strengthening
existing bonds has become more important
than broadening social circles for many.
FROM
Seeking out new
connections and
broadening social circles
Rise of Supper
Clubs as a way to
meet new people
and share home
cooking, Global
Mashable launch
Social Media
Meetups to bring
online users
together, Global
TOWARD
Brands facilitating or encouraging
people to reconnect with friends
or loved ones
The Pepsi Social Vending
System lets users buy
PepsiCo drinks for a
friend remotely, US
Singles club where people
meet up to cook a meal
with their combined
leftovers, Sweden
Special package deals
for women-only
bonding parties, Japan
16
SUB-TREND: Enhanced sensations
Making, maintaining or deepening connections with others
Female bonding parties,
Japan
Making leftovers a reason
to meet, Sweden
The Pepsi Social Vending
System, US
The growing popularity of
joshikai - girls only bonding
parties - has prompted
restaurants, hotels and travel
agencies to offer special
package deals for women-only.
Restdejting is a group where
members looking to connect with
others are encouraged to
combine their left over
ingredients and create a meal
with another person. They begin
by visiting the website and
entering up to five ingredients
they have left over. This list is
then published to Facebook for
other Restdejting singles to
browse.
Users of the touch screen Pepsi
Social vending machine can
choose to buy a drink for
themselves and subscribe to the
Pepsi Refresh Project to gift and
redeem a drink to or from a
friend.
17
HOW IS THE SUB-TREND EVOLVING?
Rich rewards
TOWARD
Indulgent experiences that offer
respite and reward
Richer and more indulgent
rewards that can be shared or are
accessible throughout the day
Through tough times small rewards have
offered a lift and distraction to the
economic crisis. Whilst moments of
personal reward remain key, those rewards
that can be shared command permission
to push the budget just a little bit more.
Graham Beck Wines are
the little reward that
everyone should give
themselves, South
Africa
Selling peace and quiet in
a busy city, Russia
FROM
An opportunity to share
and make more of
moments at home
Cupcakes delivered to
your home for an
indulgence you can
share, GB
A popcorn that helps
bring the feeling of
being in a movie
theatre to the home,
Brazil
Dairy Milk‟s Bliss
bar encourages
people to treat
themselves with
a little indulgent
reward, UK
18
SUB-TREND: Rich rewards
Indulgent experiences that offer respite and reward
Indulgent little treat, GB
Selling peace and quiet in
a busy city, Russia
Reward yourself with
wine, South Africa
Dairy Milk‟s new Bliss range
advertises itself as „the world‟s
most pampered bar‟. The
advertising encourages people to
treat themselves with a little
indulgent reward.
Tsiferblat, in raucous Moscow,
sells the most precious commodity
of all: peace. Upon arrival,
customers receive an antique
clock that‟s used to measure how
long they‟ve been in the welldesigned and comfortable space,
which offers free tea, coffee and
cookies, Wi-Fi service and board
games.
Graham Beck Wines‟ new
advertising positions the brand
as the little reward that
everyone should give
themselves: „Nobody should
congratulate you on your
success more sincerely,
generously, and regularly, than
you yourself.‟
19
HOW IS THE SUB-TREND EVOLVING?
Passion and Purpose
TOWARD
Experiences that introduce new
meaning, purpose and goals in
life
With a renewed sense of purpose and
priorities, many consumers are seeking out
new skills or passions in life, not just to
benefit themselves, but increasingly to
enrich the lives of others.
Using skills or personal passions
to benefit others
At online marketplace
for $5 tasks, where
proceeds get donated to
charity, Canada
Social game Onefeat
rewards users for good
tasks like “visiting your
grandma”, France
FROM
Pursing personal passions
or individual goals
Italian language
course combined with
cooking classes for
people wanting more
practical, playful ways
of learning, Spain
Piggymojo mobile
savings tool that
provides positive
feedback when
progress is made,
US
Learn about what
you love in 21 days
with short actionable
daily lessons to your
inbox, GB
20
SUB-TREND: Passion and Purpose
Experiences that introduce new meaning, purpose and
goals in life
Sharing passions by
teaching others, GB
LetterClass is a newly launched
platform where people can
create a 21 day learning
programme on their passion of
choice to share with others.
Courses have a very nominal
charge and are designed to be
received in email format for 21
days.
Game rewards users for
good tasks, France
French Onefeat is a social game
that rewards users for
performing and photographing
specific offline activities.
Users signing up via Facebook,
chose a “mission,” or challenge
and win the points assigned to
the challenge, when they
upload a photo to prove it.
Online marketplace for $5
charity tasks, Canada
Raise5 is an online market place
where users sells a skill or a
service, such as designing a logo
for a brand, or providing a
singing lesson, based on their
skill or passion. All the proceeds
received in exchange for the
tasks are donated to charity.
21
COUNTRY RELEVANCE
How does this trend play out in Ireland and GB?
In both markets, the focus has shifted away from a reaction to life‟s stresses, escapism or pushing the
boundaries, and more towards appreciating simple pleasures, spending quality time with others and finding
low cost ways of trying new things to make life more enjoyable. Food is very much at the heart of this trend.
Ireland
• Food has become even more important as one
of life‟s most accessible and inclusive pleasures
– in both urban and rural areas.
• Less pressure and means to eat out has created
the opportunity for more entertaining at home
– often bringing neighbours closer together.
• Pleasure and enjoyment comes from recreating
restaurant dishes at home and putting a new
twist on familiar home cooked foods.
• Reconnecting with others has become as much
about mutual support as it is about celebration
and enjoyment. For some, a need to learn new
skills to cope with changing circumstances has
brought wider benefits.
Great Britain
• Indulgence is a particularly important
dimension of this trend in the UK, even as
health awareness has increased. Small treats
are seen as an important way of easily lifting
the spirits, and permissible if enjoyed with
others.
• In urban areas, the food engaged still seek out
artisanal foods or more specialist ingredients
to try new things. In other areas, people are
going back to more well known basics and
classics.
• For even the less financially secure, food
occasions that bring the family together are
prioritised, even if this means substituting
expensive ingredients for more affordable
alternatives.
22
COUNTRY RELEVANCE
How does this trend play out in Ireland and GB?
Ireland
Great Britain
Fun and Play
Fun and play
Co-creation
Co-creation
Enhanced sensations
Enhanced sensations
Seeking connections
Seeking connections
Rich rewards
Rich rewards
Passion and purpose
Passion and purpose
Enjoyment through play and
novelty
Enjoyment through play and
novelty
The enjoyment and fun of being
part of the creative process
The enjoyment and fun of being
part of the creative process
Desire for intensified sensory
experiences
Desire for intensified sensory
experiences
Making, maintaining or deepening
connections with others
Making, maintaining or deepening
connections with others
Indulgent experiences that offer
respite and reward
Indulgent experiences that offer
respite and reward
Experiences that introduce new
meaning, purpose and goals in life
Strength in 2012:
Experiences that introduce new
meaning, purpose and goals in life
Cooling
Still warm
Heating up
23
SHOPPER DIMENSIONS
24
SHOPPER DIMENSION
How does this trend play out for shoppers?
Retail spaces are offering a 3600 sensory
experience
The physical retail environment, as well as the products
themselves, provide the opportunity to create more
immersive and interactive experiences that can build a story
around a brand and evoke multiple senses to make the
experience memorable.
Technology is playing an increasingly central role in
facilitating more captivating, playful and sensorial
experiences. Digital screens that recreate the sensations of
physically touching products have significant potential in
making retail design more experiential and sensory.
Multi sensory and interactive packaging, such as labels with
digital displays, provide another opportunity for interaction
with shoppers, in addition to injecting some excitement and
playfulness into the retail experience.
Glimpses of the future
Motion
sensitive store
display,
France
A store front at shoe store Repetto
in Paris invited shoppers to direct
the dancing of a digital ballerina in
the window. The motion sensitive
window responded to hand gestures.
Creating the
sound of
perfume, UK
For the Tier 1 retail launch of Bleu de
Chanel, design agency Moksha
created „The Sound of Bleu‟. Inspired
by synesthesia they created a piece of
music where each of the five key
notes in the fragrance were translated
into pitch and timbre, literally creating
the 'sound of the smell'. Multi touch
interactivity and motion graphics were
paired with tactile scented objects.
25
SHOPPER DIMENSION
How does this trend play out for shoppers?
Shopping will become an increasingly
social experience, even remotely
Shopping continues to have a strong social dimension, but instore technology and mobile applications are making it easier
to connect to others remotely to share potential purchases or
outfits, with friends, family or social networks offer new
opportunities to connect with others.
Physical retail locations can also act as Third Spaces, where
shoppers can come to socialise or have fun. Versatile layouts
that allow spaces to be transformed from day to night allow
shoppers to transition from shopping to socialising.
Research by JWT Intelligence suggests that Millennials are
eager for third-space experiences at food outlets. More than 7
in 10 said they would be interested in special events at
grocery stores or restaurants, and more than half liked the
idea of communal tables and meeting other diners at
restaurants.1
Glimpses of the future
Tweet
mirror, UK,
US
Tweetmirror, recently installed in
London‟s Westfield centre, lets
shoppers take pictures of what they
are wearing to share with their
friends online. They can then get
advice on whether it suits them and
whether to buy the item or not.
Head to
Wholefoods
for a date,
US
Whole Foods, the organic and
natural food retailer, recently
debuted a series of comedy videos
on YouTube that showcase the store
as a spot for socialising and
matchmaking.
Source: 1. JWT Intelligence 2011, 1,270 adults polled in the U.K. and the U.S
26
POINTS TO PONDER
Consumer
•
How can you inject some playfulness into your
brands? Can you help people add a little fun into
their everyday lives through packaging that
encourages play or facilitates play with others?
•
Can you encourage people to be more involved in
the design or production process around your
products or brands? How might social media or
crowd sourcing be used to facilitate this?
Shopper
•
How can retail spaces be used to create a 360
degree sensory experiences for shoppers? How
might new technology such as haptics be used to
make products more engaging or stand out a the
point of purchase?
•
Could new technologies and packaging
innovations be used to create a sensory
experience at the point of purchase?
•
How can you address people‟s rising expectations
around the multi-sensorial experiences products
deliver?
•
Is there an opportunity to get shoppers more
involved in the design or production of a product
or service at the point of purchase?
•
How can your products and brands be used to bring
people together?
•
•
Can you offer people indulgence for different times
or moments throughout their day?
How can retail design and layout make shopping
a more social experience? Can retail spaces be
designed in such as way to bring people
together? Can you create events or experiences
around your products where people can
reconnect or socialise with others?
•
Can you encourage people to strive for new passions
or achievements in their life? Could your brands offer
them rewards or encouragement for reaching these
goals?
27