Multisensation

Trend - Keyboard manufacturers are creating keyboards using special keycaps and switches in order to appeal to fans of ASMR and soft, gentle sounds. These keyboards are crafted using special keycaps, lubrication, and materials that help customize the sound emitted when a key is pressed.

Insight - More people are seeking ways to enhance their work-from-home environments as remote work practices reach an all-time high. For some consumers, the fuzzy or tingling sensation felt when listening to certain recorded sounds can evoke a sense of relaxation and peace. Consumers who are fans of ASMR may gravitate towards keyboards with PBT, lubricated, or soft-sounding keycaps, as these offer an auditory benefit for fans of gentle sounds.

Trend - Businesses are moving customer service units toward artificial intelligence. AI chatbots for customer service have complete knowledge of any trained dataset, and can deliver instant answers to any related question to any number of customers at a time. This scalability saves money for the business and time for the consumer.

Insight - Some of the largest complaints with e-commerce and online retail interactions are related to misrepresented products, the inability to ask retail workers questions, and the slow response time of online customer service agents, particularly during high-traffic times. However, many customers in this space would rather deal with these challenges than shop physically due to travel or time constraints. This means customers place pressure on brands to improve online experiences.

Trend - Brands are launching air fryers designed for outdoor patios. These air fryers are weatherproof and serve as replacements to barbecues during gatherings. These air fryers consume less resources and produce healthier foods than traditional barbecues, as they use fewer resources and no oil.

Insight - Home grillers and home chefs continue to pursue tools and appliances that enhance the home cooking experience. These customers desire new smart features, alternative cooking methods, and tools that streamline the cooking process. In recent years, more home chefs have gravitated toward oil-less cooking methods, namely air fryers, for health reasons. However, most air fryers are small and designed for indoors, creating a gap in the industry for users who frequently host outdoor events and desire healthy alternatives to grills.

Trend - Brands in the home appliance space are launching smart fridges with UV light-controlled crispers that mimic the sun cycle. These fridges extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables and ensure the foods retain as many vitamins as possible. This technology saves consumers money and time.

Insight - As North American consumers become more interested in personal health and wellness, these consumers incorporate this lifestyle into their daily routines. This includes healthy eating, exercise, and other wellness products. However, as natural, organic foods often retail for more than the regular alternatives, these consumers aim to reduce costs and preserve their foods for longer. This created a space in the industry for smart storage appliances that extend the life of foods.

Trend - Brands in the kitchenware and appliance industries are creating compact, low-power alternatives to large utilities such as dishwashers and microwaves. These are designed to be portable cost-saving measures, requiring less resources to operate while also being suitable for multi-homes.

Insight - Many consumers choose not to use large, power-hungry appliances in the home, for example, choosing to do dishes by hand rather than with a dishwasher due to rising hydro bills. Each additional appliance takes more space out of the kitchen, with ovens, dishwashers, microwaves, and more, taking up the majority of the floor and counter space. This creates a demand not only for smaller, more compact appliances, but also for those that are more energy-efficient and portable.

Trend - Brands are launching new focus-enhancing technology designed to help students better concentrate on their work in remote or hybrid learning environments. These products and features help immerse students in their school work, showcasing the benefits of technology in the classroom and eliminating procrastination and potential distractions from outside sources.

Insight - The rapid rise of remote learning, in hybrid classes, or in busy environments has posed issues for some kids. Distractions in these environments, and/or varying learning styles, can make remote learning a challenge for some students. As a result, parents and educators are becoming interested in technological resources that promote concentration, which helps ensure their students receive the same quality of education without external factors interfering. Focus technology helps students refine their fine motor skills while filtering out background noise, which is especially important for kids under 10.

Trend - Gaming furniture and peripheral brands are launching gaming-focused chairs with built-in surround sound speaker systems. These chairs are immersive and comfortable, offering directional audio without the discomfort of a headset, enabling longer, more enjoyable gaming sessions.

Insight - Modern gamers continually seek devices that improve their performance, comfort, or experience. These players seek whatever products offer a competitive edge without breaking the bank. This involves purchasing multipurpose devices, such as multiplatform peripherals or heavily adjustable chairs for ergonomics. Brands have responded to this pressure by launching furniture with smart features. These appease the consumer's desire for increased performance, cost-saving, and personal comfort.

Trend - Sports brands are entering the metaverse with web3 experiences such as virtual reality (VR) worlds, collectible NFTs, and online events. These services deepen community involvement in sports, providing a convenient and accessible way for fans to connect with athletes and each other.

Insight - Sports fans are a very community-involved group, frequently connecting with fellow fans through fantasy leagues, watch parties, and discussions. This group wants to take its involvement in sports even further and is willing to try new services and experiences to achieve this goal. The popularity of the metaverse provides a means of filling this desire, as it offers convenient community-building, as well as exclusive perks and collectibles that further immerse fans in sports.

Trend - Brands in the consumer electronics space are using hall sensor technology in controllers and input devices. Hall sensors use a magnetic field rather than a physical analog connection, which means the parts do not physically deteriorate over time, and are more precise.

Insight - Repair costs and additional service fees often dissuade home electronics consumers, as these devices often require professional work and cannot be repaired at home. For this reason, fans of home electronics, such as video games and smart home devices, are gravitating towards products made with durability, repairability, and accuracy in mind. Brands are responding to this pressure by crafting products with long-lasting components without adding too much to the upfront costs.

Trend - Brands are launching attachments for showerheads that incorporate aromatherapy into the showering experience. These products enhance showers from just a grooming process to a necessary part of a daily self-care routine. These products are easy to install on existing shower systems.

Insight - Each person has a different shower routine, with some showering in the morning and some at night. For many people, the shower is a calming experience that helps them relax before or after a hard day. Additionally, many people spend more time in the shower than necessary, either listening to music or thinking. While the steam produced by a shower is effective at clearing sinuses and opening pores, the amount of time spent in showers shows that it is a viable space for more value-adds.