by Charlotte Beal
As the world turns and consumers shift their behaviors and mindsets, Iconoculture has been gathering a (metric?) ton of content from across the globe. It’s the perfect moment to take stock of some of the big consumer drivers that businesses need to know about.
The 44 Consumer Outlooks — our yearly snapshots of broad consumer categories and demographics — Iconoculture has published since January 2011 paint a colorful picture of key consumer takeaways. Looking across business categories and demographics, five macrotrends rose up as commonalities: TechnomorphingSM, SynesthesiaSM, Dollars and SenseSM, Mindful MattersSM and EvolutionariesSM. To those who might not be schooled in Iconospeak, this suggests, speaking in the broadest terms, that consumers value both their online connections and their sensory experiences. That they’re mindful of budgets and are embracing simpler, smarter consumption patterns. And that despite challenges, they’re feeling savvy and empowered.
Sound pretty grounded, with a touch of escape to keep things fun? Those patterns also jibe with our Global webcast from last month, “2011 Worldview: Top Macrotrends to Watch.” The correlating values important to consumers across the globe right now are ones like relationship, practicality, connectivity, control, security, convenience and innovation. So, when dreaming up marketing plans for 2011, a good place to start might be concepts like sensible and streamlined.
