Savanta - Consumer Unwrapped Webinar

Consumer
Unwrapped
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The Qualitative
Practice Group
We are a hive mind of brand experts. We are obsessed with
understanding why people act the way they do. Our goal is to
empower through empathy, enabling our clients to walk in the
shoes of their consumers to inspire change and unlock opportunity.
And we’ve been busy! In 2022, we…
40 +
500 +
50 +
23
clients
consumers
research
projects
industries
globally
We’ve learnt a lot.
Here are a few insights we think you should consider as
you plan for the rest of the year…
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Let’s go beyond
the obvious…
We get it. Sustainability, cost of
living, ChatGPT, these topics are hot
right now, and every self-proclaimed
guru on LinkedIn and their grandma
is talking about them.
But we've got some fresh ideas that
we think you should also consider.
Here are three themes that are sure
to spice up your thinking:
01
02
03
The New
Value Equation
Blurring
Boundaries
Balancing Acts
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01
The New
Value
Equation
The consumer’s definition of value is
evolving. Brands must understand and react
to these changes - look beyond price and
creatively assess how their products and
services deliver value. Lucky for you,
consumers have told us all about the factors
that drive purchase consideration.
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Ownership alternatives
Fear of commitment? Consumers, especially Youth, are
increasingly interpreting ownership as being “tied down”.
Whether it’s a house, car or even clothes, consumers want
freedom and flexibility in how they experience a product.
Subscriptions such as Volvo, Own the Runway, Love Home
Swap, and Depop succeed in providing value via access
rather than ownership.
What flexibility in ownership do you offer your
consumers?
How can your brand facilitate peer to peer ownership?
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5

Authenticity is king
The Attention Economy forces brands to bombard consumers
with a cacophony of messages and ads across social, digital
and physical mediums. Brands are starting to sound alike,
feeding an inherent distrust and a perception that brands
pretend to care. Instead, consumers are turning to peers for
authentic feedback and relying on social commerce to construct
their perceived value of a brand.
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When it comes to
finding the right
product or service…
2/3 young people find ‘customer online
reviews’ and ‘word of mouth’ useful
Vs.
1/3 say ‘brand advertisements’ are useful…
How and when do consumers brag about your brand?
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What is your social commerce strategy?
7

The Warm Glow
Behavioural Science shows that people make choices that support
their personal narrative. These choices may not always be logical,
but they align with what we think about ourselves and give us a
sense of joy and satisfaction (a “warm glow”) when we do our part to
help others or society. Consumers are slowly but surely valuing
brands that reflect their ideals and can deliver ‘warm glow’ moments.
“[Our choices] align with what we
think about ourselves and give us
a sense of joy and satisfaction (a
“warm glow”) when we do our
part to help others or society”
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42% of young people say they are highly influenced to buy a
product/ service if it makes them feel good about doing the right thing
for society…
What are the emotional rewards in your
product/service portfolio?
What are the warm glow opportunities?
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02
Blurring
Boundaries
The outlines that have defined long-standing
social norms, behaviours and categories are
dissolving. We’ve noticed a blurring of
boundaries in numerous industries and
across varying contexts which present brands
with both opportunities and challenges.
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No Labels Needed
Gen Z, Alpha and younger Millennials express a strong aversion
to prescriptive labelling, no matter how implicit. Consumers
deeply value the freedom of authentic self-expression. Whatever
the industry, from fashion to finance, brands need to consider
how their products and services are presented, ensuring that
consumers feel like they have the room to make their own
choices, to forge their own narrative.
Have you made any assumptions about the
consumer in your messaging or marketing?
Do you know how to speak to your consumers?
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11

Dissolving the barrier between
consumer and brand
From hospitality to retail, we are seeing brands re-envision the
traditional consumer dynamic by lifting the veil on the creative
process and inviting consumers to co-create at the earliest
stages of innovation. When done right, this not only generates
meaningful and memorable interactions, but creates a cuttingedge
brand truly shaped by the consumer and in tune with the
times.
How are you innovating in consumer experience to
remain relevant in the mind of your consumers?
How are you engaging your consumers in a twoway
dialogue?
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Redefining home
Lockdowns and remote working have changed the way
people think about home. Not only has home taken on a new
symbolic meaning – more than ever home is felt to be a
sanctuary from the turbulent outside world – but there are
also practical changes in the way we relate to the space we
call home. The blurring of home and work life has not only
given rise to the need for a truly multifunctional space but has
also transformed many of our daily rituals. From how we
make a cup of tea, to how we decide what clothes to wear, to
how we design our homes, to what software we use, there
are myriad opportunities for brands to adapt to consumers’
new ways of living.
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80% of young people say they’ve changed their patterns of
behaviour since covid lockdowns
How have your consumers’ in-home rituals
changed?
How has your brand reacted to consumers’ new
way of living?
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03
Balancing
Acts
There is a tension between the need for
product curation on the one hand, and the
desire for choice, adventure and discovery on
the other. Brands need to think creatively to
walk this delicate tightrope.
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Surprise to delight
Consumers are bored from being pigeonholed. Despite the
expectation for curation, there is a sense that it’s leading to a stifling of
discovery. Brands that manage to challenge consumers’
preconceptions provide the sense of delight and adventure they’re
craving. Unusual collaborations, unexpected product pairings, and
interesting product re-packaging are ways to facilitate brand discovery
without compromising on expectations for personalised curation.
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76% of young people find it refreshing/ exciting when brands do a
combination of repackaging, bundling products, forming unexpected
collaborations and / or offering opportunities to personalise a product.
How is your brand surprising and challenging
consumer preconceptions?
How is your brand facilitating the discovery of new
brand elements?
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Create environments that
transport
One way brands can tilt the scales in favour of adventure and
discovery is by creating 5-star physical experiences. The
Peak-End cognitive bias means that people tend to judge an
experience based on how it feels at its peak and at its end,
rather than on the average of every moment. Top performing
venues facilitate peak experiences by creating environments
that transport the consumer away from the stresses of their
daily lives. Ensuring that all sensory stimuli - lighting,
textures, sounds and smells - work in harmony to achieve a
carefully curated environment is crucial.
Where are the peak moments in your consumer
journey?
Has your retail or on-trade experience achieved multisensory
harmony?
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Elevated personalisation
How can you walk the tightrope of inspiring consumers to access your
wider product range without it seeming forced or irrelevant? One way
that successful brands have tackled this is by suggesting interesting
add-ons, attachments and accessories that allow consumers to
personalise their original purchases. From hair dryers with
customisable barrels and brushes, to shoes with made-to-order soles
and laces, the best consumer experiences combine education and
discovery with opportunity for personalisation.
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Young consumers want curation and discovery
in equal measure…
43% only want to see brands
relevant to their interests and do not
care about discovering new brands
41% are bored of overcuration
and want more variety
and discovery
How is your brand encouraging the
discovery of new products?
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Can you push the boundaries of
personalisation opportunities?
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I know, it’s a lot to
take in.
01
Understand how your consumers’ definition
of value is evolving.
In a nutshell, we
think it’s crucial that
you…
02
03
Identify where the opportunities and
challenges lie as category and societal
boundaries start to blur.
Think creatively about how to reignite that
lost sense of adventure in the consumer
experience.
Let us know if you fancy a chat. We’re here to help.
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Savanta is the full-service global market research and data insight company that helps businesses make better decisions.
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