Tell me who your target is , I ’ ll tell you who you are
The days when marketing “ simply ” influenced the consumer are over . Somewhere between the Glorious Thirties and the crowning of Tiktok , the situation reversed : today , the consumer definitely has their say . Today ' s consumers make conscious decisions about what they want to buy , stating their values and wishes loud and clear , and are not easily fooled by fancy marketing strategies . The design offices were among the first to recognise this shift .
More than ever before , brands now need to be informed about society ’ s fundamental expectations , so the design offices have expanded their services to add a consulting dimension . Delivering relevant insights and tailor-made strategies , design agencies assist management teams in handling new societal challenges intelligently , and in responding to the changing needs of the market . Whether they ’ re skilfully integrating sustainability into a company ’ s DNA , fleshing out its vision or realigning its values with those of its audience , design agencies ’ external perspective and expertise plays an ever more essential role .
The results speak for themselves ; more often than not , the strategies adopted with this advice succeed . Sometimes , the success glitters . Consider the case of Always : in 2014 , the feminine hygiene brand ’ s # LikeAGirl campaign was able to capture the zeitgeist by highlighting female empowerment through messages of liberation . This huge marketing success was only made possible by the correct interpretation of a societal phenomenon .
Trends , actually
In the end , the consumer is the real decision-maker in the equation , and especially so now that they can assert their tastes without having to rely on brands . Social networks have horizontalized and accelerated the process of trend emergence . This is due to two factors : on the one hand , these networks offer every individual the freedom to create , comment , share or record the content they like . On the other , platforms have understood the intrinsic value of their data and the results from its analysis ; from the hashtag to the emoji , to the user ' s age , every piece of data is valuable .
Pinterest has fully understood the potential of its platform . In 2022 , drawing on the wealth of data generated by its 445 million monthly users , it created Pinterest Predicts . On the menu : insights , numbers , and ideas on how to make tomorrow ' s trends their own . The platform maintains that “ users go to Pinterest to plan their future ” and boasts that “ For the third year in a row , 80 % of [ our ] predictions have proven to be accurate ”. QED . Finally , Pinterest Predicts makes an enticing promise : “ Before you see these trends everywhere , find out about them here ”.
Human curiosity can rarely resist the chance to find out what the future holds . In response to a gloomy everyday life of restrictions and sobriety over the last few years , 2024 is going into ‘ extravaganza ’ mode . On the menu : parties , glitter , and opulence (“ sequin dress ”: + 90 %). A year of great changes (“ pink and lavender hair ”: + 345 %). 2024 will also be as healthy (+ 245 % for “ seaweed snacks ” and + 75 % for “ mocktail bars ”) as it will be reasonable (“ savings challenge ”: + 135 %), yet without neglecting a few pleasures on the menu (“ wildflower cupcake ”: + 110 %).
One thing is certain : predicting the next big thing will remain the biggest trend of all for a long time to come . So , what do you think : will neon be the new pastel ?
Aparté
57