Divergence

Trend - New applications are being released that automatically categorize and sort SMS messages. These tools determine whether an SMS is work or personal related, spam, or fits into a created subcategory. This is designed to make responding to messages more efficient for individuals.

Insight - Between email, phone calls, text messages, and various other messaging applications, individuals are tasked with keeping track of several aspects of their lives, including professional and private communications, through different forms of text-based messaging. While many of these applications have tools designed to enhance convenience and organization, SMS apps built into phones are often barebones. Brands are looking to improve these applications with smart and AI-based organizing tools.

Trend - Food & beverage brands are creating drinks designed to alleviate stress. This is achieved by swapping out stressing ingredients, such as processed sugars and caffeine, with stress-relieving alternatives, such as magnesium and lion's mane, generating healthier energy for consumers.

Insight - It is clear that many adults in the western world live high-stress lives. Between balancing work with personal lives while trying to maintain personal health, time is stretched thin. However, many adults are unaware of how impactful a diet is on both their mental and physical health, with sugars and processed goods raising heartrates and causing increased average stress levels. In order to help regulate the stresses and sleep schedules of these adults, brands are offering de-stressing beverages.

Trend - Luxury fashion labels across Europe and Asia are opening dedicated restaurants and cafes. These are designed to transform the boutiques from simple shopping ventures, to full-blown experiences. The experiential retail helps build consumer connections to one another and the brand.

Insight - In major cities across East Asia, in-person retail is once again thriving. Consumers in these regions have a wealth of options when going shopping, leading to them becoming more preferential in their destinations, seeking out unique retailers rather than simply shopping for necessities. This is a way of prioritizing feelings and experiences rather than simple errands. In order to appeal to this type of consumer, fashion labels are making their boutiques more appealing with dedicated cafes.

Trend - Retailers in various industries, such as department stores, luxury brands, and more, are launching in-store lounges and experiential events. These events are designed to enhance the comfort of shoppers while deepening the connection between the shoppers and the brand.

Insight - While many consumers made a strong shift toward online shopping over the past decade, in large part accelerated by the pandemic, there are still cases to be made for in-store shopping. Some consumers prefer to be able to touch a product before purchasing it, while others value the inherit socialization of in-store shopping, and prefer to interact with others and immerse themselves in the retail environment. Capitalizing off of this feeling, retailers are opening experiential lounges in-stores.

Trend - Game companies are launching efforts to enhance diversity and expand the variety of hairstyles in character customization. Focusing on Black hair textures and other historically underrepresented styles, these organizations aim to create a space where all players feel valued and represented equally.

Insight - Black gamers frequently struggle to find hair options that represent their natural textures and styles, a challenge that often stems from limited diversity in character customization menus. In response, gaming companies are investing in DEI initiatives to better reflect the full spectrum of player identities. Recognizing that representation is key to player satisfaction, these companies prioritize inclusivity, knowing that it strengthens player retention and garners positive community feedback.

Trend - Brands are creating data leak detectors that consistently monitor the internet to see if a company's, or individual's intellectual property has been leaked. These services are designed to provide insight into weak points of servers, while informing individuals when they may need to change passwords.

Insight - As more of the modern world moves online in both personal and business situations, the risk of sensitive data being compromised increases in turn. Bad actors are prevalent on the internet, and often find ways to access data, whether by social engineering or via a security breach. This fact has placed businesses with large amounts of stored IP on high-alert, leading to third-party businesses creating data leak detectors to offer peace of mind and helpful insights into businesses' data security.

Trend - Audio hardware manufacturers are designing high-end turntables that blend modern conveniences with the analog audio quality of turntables. These premium devices are also designed with unique aesthetics to serve as a design piece as much as a functional piece of audio technology.

Insight - Audio professionals and audiophile hobbyists alike typically have higher standards than the norm when it comes to selecting technology. Important factors often include frequency ranges of the audio, compatibility with different forms of media, the overall quality of the components, and more. In order to appeal to these consumers, while offering devices that are an experience as much as a functional piece of technology, brands are launching premium turntables for higher-income consumers.

Trend - Businesses are increasingly investing in fully constructed and finished bathroom units to streamline project delivery and sustainability goals. These units, which are built off-site in a factory-controlled environment, are delivered and installed at construction sites as ready-to-use modules.

Insight - Businesses operating under tight deadlines are increasingly seeking solutions to expedite project completion without sacrificing the quality associated with on-site construction methods. Modular units offer an effective solution for large-scale projects that require efficiency and reduced on-site disruptions, allowing builders to focus on other critical development aspects. Therefore, these companies desire reliable, aesthetically pleasing services that enable them to meet client expectations.

Trend - Personal care brands are developing products that address the skin's needs in intimate areas with the same care and precision used in traditional skincare. These products, spanning serums to masks, can be used to soothe irritation, reduce hyperpigmentation, or moisturize delicate skin.

Insight - Consumers are becoming more educated about the skin's unique needs in different areas of the body, primarily due to the increase in accessible information about self-care and body positivity. These products address specific concerns unique to intimate areas, providing solutions that weren't widely available in the past. This shift has led consumers to favor brands that provide targeted, practical solutions, enabling them to care for every part of their body confidently and without stigma.

Trend - Toiletry companies are launching eco-friendly product lines with recycled and organic materials. Utilizing post-consumer recycled plastics, papers, and bamboo, these products further reduce the environmental footprint of single-use disposable papers, while only marginally increasing prices.

Insight - Environmentally-conscious consumers find pride in using products from brands that align with their personal values. These consumers are far more likely to purchase products with recyclable packaging, recycled materials, and without single-use plastics. These consumers believe in voting with their dollar toward products that make progress toward a genuine greener future. As a result, brands from typically unsustainable industries, such as toiletries, are now turning to recycled materials.