Youthfulness

Trend - Skincare brands are releasing moisturizing creams, lotions, and elixirs made with sea buckthorn oil. This is a natural ingredient derived from the sea buckthorn plant. The ingredient is said to heal and moisturize skin with omega fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins ---without requiring preservatives.

Insight - Younger Millennials and Gen Z consumers are more drawn to natural, chemical-free self-care products. Additionally, the percentage of Gen Z consumers who engage in daily skincare regiments is higher than in previous generations. When selecting products, these younger consumers favor those fit for sensitive skin and will pay a premium over heavily processed chemical-based products. Skincare brands are now integrating more natural ingredients, such as buckthorn oils, to appease demand.

Trend - Brands are tapping into nostalgic soda flavors, reimagining these drinks as health-positive products filled with probiotics. These items satisfy nostalgic desires for hearty, classic sodas while simultaneously boosting consumers' gut health.

Insight - Many consumers remember the joy of drinking soda as a youth. However, far fewer customers continue to drink soda in adulthood for health reasons. These consumers desire to recapture these flavorful, youthful experiences, but not to the detriment of their own health. Therefore these customers place pressure on brands to create better-for-you products that appease nostalgia.

Trend - Brands are creating retro-style kitchen appliances equipped with modern technology. These appliances offer nostalgic designs, bringing a natural, simpler feel to a modern kitchen. These products do not compromise on function or convenience, as they feature modern smart technologies.

Insight - Nostalgia is an evergreen trend when considering customer motivations. When a modern product boasts the right balance between function and nostalgia, the target customer is more likely to purchase the product due to the inherent emotional connection. While many industries embrace nostalgia, such as the entertainment industry offering remakes of past content, others look at nostalgia as a gimmick. This places pressure on more industries to incorporate nostalgia into functional products.

Trend - Esports organizations and game developers are introducing new esports initiatives for countries based in the Middle East. As countries like Saudi Arabia continue to invest in the growth of the esports sector, brands are starting to recognize the untapped potential that the region holds for gaming.

Insight - As esports continues to captivate the globe, consumers are looking for ways to engage with this content in their own regions. By hosting Middle Eastern esports competitions, launching esports organizations, and pioneering grassroots initiatives, consumers in these regions can experience gaming content in a more accessible fashion. Additionally, local gamers and content creators can join the major global leagues to compete professionally and attract an international following.

Trend - Brands are launching teas, ice creams, and other sweet foods made with taro flavoring. Taro is a popular starchy ingredient from Southeast Asia that appeals to western customers for its subtle sweetness and nutty flavor. The introduction of Taro in the west offers more variety for consumers.

Insight - Consumers in North America are continually searching for new flavors, specifically with respect to dessert-style drinks and foods, as sweet flavors are easy for customers to try. This places pressure on brands to look outward and try flavors and ingredients from other cultures, rather than trying to find new mixtures of flavors already popular in the west. Consumers then become drawn to these flavors as modern trends or obsessions, despite the long-standing history in other regions.

Trend - As reusable menstrual care products continue to rise in popularity, brands are now marketing these products directly to teenagers and girls. Products in this space include menstruation underwear and pads that can be washed and reused.

Insight - Gen Z is passionate about the various social and environmental issues that concern the world today. Their appreciation for eco-friendly brands is especially notable, and indicates not just how they currently shop--but how they'll continue to consume decades from now. With this generation more accustomed to making sustainable purchase decisions, brands that appeal to their needs while prioritizing sustainability have an opportunity to establish long-term loyalty with this consumer group.

Trend - The metaverse welcomes more developments as architectural studios begin constructing buildings and other infrastructure to mimic the physical world. These structures are able to push the limits of traditional architecture with physics-bending designs.

Insight - The metaverse is a space where the imagination can run wild and concoct structures that are otherwise impossible in the physical world. Consumers are turning to the digital space for content that fulfills their desire for the fantastical. Digital infrastructure is, therefore, being built using cutting-edge technology to provide visual stimulation and appease the consumer's need for escapism.

Trend - Brands in the skincare space are leveraging the benefits of plant-extracted ferulic acid. The ingredient is said to protect the skin from environmental stressors that cause signs of aging due to its antioxidant properties.

Insight - In recent years, consumer desires have shifted from products focused on attaining certain beauty standards to products that nourish the skin to heal the complexion as a form of self-care. Part of the self-care rituals entails a hyper-awareness of product formulas. As consumers pay closer attention to the ingredient lists, brands in the cosmetic space are highlighting product ingredients that better serve the consumer shift towards self-care in response to new beauty needs.

Trend - As mask mandates are discarded, the makeup industry is seeing a resurgence and pushing forward vibrant, bold colors and applications of makeup for upcoming seasons. These more playful looks are intended to help consumers express themselves after several months of mask use and limited social interactions.

Insight - Consumers are increasingly excited to get back to pre-pandemic routines, and are increasingly hopeful that things are changing for the better. For young Millennials and Gen Z, these feelings are partially being expressed through fashion and cosmetic trends--with nostalgic Y2K themes and contemporary pops of color merging for playful experimentation.

Trend - Kid-friendly content is usually focused on TV shows and movies, but it's now being adapted to accommodate music as well. Now, everything from streaming apps to children's TV networks are prioritizing musical content for kids.

Insight - Children born in the last decade are known as digital natives, and increasingly have their own needs and preferences when it comes to their digital habits and content-consumption. As a result, brands in the entertainment industry are having to prioritize more personalized content for people of all ages.