Market Consumer Insights

Trend - SaaS companies are launching Artficial Intelligence (AI)-based tools that gather and analyze both customer feedback and product information to provide recommendations for product managers. These tools are designed to automate monotonous tasks and free up time for managerial action.

Insight - Product managers face challenges in making data-driven decisions and handling large volumes of data. These users are often stretched thin, and gravitate toward organization and automation platforms, particularly those related to more monotonous tasks. In order to appeal to these users, brands are creating AI-based consumer and product analysis tools designed to provide actionable insights from datasets comprised of consumer priorities and demands, as well as product information.

Trend - Software companies in the gaming space are launching marketplaces designed for game developers. These marketplaces offer assets, such as 3D character models, audio tracks, or maps, to be purchased and licensed for use by other developers, aiming to streamline and decentralize game development.

Insight - Novice game developers could encounter any number of issues when entering the space based on their prior expertise. For example, those with an artistic background may have no trouble drawing their character models and maps, but may struggle with music or 3D animations, while the inverse may be true for another developer. In order to appeal to these developers and alleviate stress where it may arise, gaming software brands are launching marketplaces with licensable assets.

Trend - Brands in the CPG space are turning to chia seeds to create better-for-you alternatives to on-the-go breakfast offerings. Coming in the form of bars, bowls, and snackables, these packaged products offer healthy breakfast options for consumers with busy lives and limited time.

Insight - As individuals age, they typically take on more and more responsibilities ranging from advanced schooling to full-time employment and personal obligations, such as families and friends. This often leads to periods with very limited free time, leading to these consumers turning to time-saving options when possible, preferably without compromising on their lifestyle preferences. In order to appeal to such consumers, CPG brands are creating healthy on-the-go breakfast options with chia proteins.

Trend - AI companies are launching platforms that focus on licensing and distributing content generated by artificial intelligence (AI) models. These platforms protect the users of such content, ensuring that the users do not have to worry about legal concerns surrounding the use of AI content.

Insight - As AI-generated content gains popularity in nearly every creative and professional field, consumers who use such content for commercial products, such as advertisements or entertainment media, are increasingly worrying about the gray area zone that AI content currently exists in. In order to appease these consumers and increase the popularity of using AI content in commercial use, companies are launching platforms that handle the legal licensing of such content databases.

Trend - Beverage brands that specialize in electrolyte-based hydration drinks are now creating more health-conscious options for consumers with diabetes and other conditions with strict dietary restrictions. These drinks are available in pre-packaged and mixable formats for convenience and accessibility.

Insight - Many consumers with diabetes begin to adopt more active lifestyles in order to control and counteract the condition as much as possible. However, increasing activity levels requires adjusting one's diet alongside it to yield optimal results. Particularly when being physically active, it is important to maintain proper hydration levels through beverages with electrolyte formulas. In order to appeal to these consumers, brands are creating electrolyte drinks with fewer sugars.

Trend - Startups are launching AI tools that generate product descriptions for online retailers. These tools take into account cost, highlight features, and detailed information to generate attention-grabbing copy quickly. These tools are designed to save time and money for online storefront operators.

Insight - Retailers with storefronts are aware of the challenges associated with each aspect of the website. These challenges include paying either internal IT departments or third-parties to maintain the website, taking product photos, dealing with online fulfillment and post-service support, and more. These retailers are closely following the AI revolution for tools that alleviate one of these challenge categories. Brands are addressing one category with AI product description-generating tools.

Trend - Brands in the food and beverage space are releasing meal toppers designed for instant noodle dishes. These meal toppers are designed to either enhance the flavor or nutritional content of the meal without inhibiting the convenience of the meal. This helps elevate the meals of consumers on a budget.

Insight - Consumers with little time or money to spend on food, such as students in university or workers with tight schedules, often turn to meals that are quick to prepare, such as canned food, frozen food, or instant noodles. However, these consumers are not blind to the nutritional downsides of these meals, and instead eat them only out of necessity. Consumers are now looking to improve the quality of such dishes with toppers that enhance both the nutritional content and flavors.

Trend - Brands with online storefronts are launching assistants powered by generative AI to improve experiences for customers. These assistants can interpret natural language, and have intimate knowledge of the business' product portfolio, enabling them to suggest well-suited products for consumers' needs.

Insight - One of the prevalent barriers that slow the adoption of online shopping is the lack of in-store assistants. Consumers accustomed to interacting with staff members to find the best product for their needs are less likely to shop online, as online shopping requires consumers to do their research and make all decisions themselves. In order to reduce this barrier, and make online shopping feel more natural for such consumers, brands are launching AI-powered online assistants with 24/7 availability.

Trend - Retailers are deploying in-store kiosks powered by artificial intelligence (AI). These AI kiosks interpret and make recommendations for consumers interacting with them, thus streamlining the retail process. The advent of AI kiosks also reduces the required staff and, thus, costs for retailers.

Insight - Smart technologies are arguably the largest contributor to the ever-increasing number of retailers with seamless, stress-free in-store experiences. Consumers who shop in-stores enjoy the benefits of assistance from employees, as well as the ability to demo items that they may not have known about prior to entering the store. To further improve these experiences for consumers, brands are launching smart kiosks that use AI to assist, make recommendations to, and process payments from, consumers.

Trend - Brands are making portable espresso makers designed for camping and travel applications. These are durable with long-lasting batteries, often including secondary features such as lights or app connectivity. Portable espresso makers target the traveling on-the-go or outdoorsy adult demographic.

Insight - Many adults today live with busy schedules and only a select amount of free time. As a result, these consumers look to save time and effort in their day wherever possible. For some, this means meal planning and scheduling, while others turn to smart apps and digital solutions to save time and money. Appliance brands and startups are appealing to these consumers, often through crowdfunding, by launching a compact espresso makers designed for portability and reliability,