Insights & Events

Millennials, Gen Zers and Anxiety Consumerism

Have you heard of the latest trend hitting the retail industry? It’s called anxiety consumerism. A trend that sadly has been brought to the fore due to the rising number of people diagnosed with anxiety. Currently, anxiety is the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting about 18% of the adult population and a whopping 25% of the child population. So, it’s clear to see why the market for products built to calm us down has been busted wide open. The past few years have seen a jump in sales for products such as adult coloring books and essential oils and diffusers. And more recently, for products like fidget spinners and weighted blankets - this time with marketing aimed more towards the younger group suffering from this mental health condition. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come as a huge surprise to see anxiety taking over every generation in this country. Our study, 8 Truths About Gen Z from 2016 predicted this very trend, stating that their “off-the-charts anxiety” that stemmed from growing up during a stage of crisis would move them to seek out ways to gain calmness and peace of mind. And this stage of crisis doesn’t seem to be going anywhere any time soon. With the shaky worldwide political landscape, major natural disasters happening every year and the day-to-day struggle between the Haves and Have-Nots these young teens are only growing into young adults with anxiety. Is there any hope for this dire situation? As a follow up to our previous study, we were curious to find out exactly how the younger generations are learning to cope with their anxiety. Our latest infographic, Understanding Anxiety in Gen Z and Millennials (July 2018), finds a multitude of coping strategies named, however none of the products listed above make it into the top 5.

While it remains to be seen what happens with the overall anxiety epidemic taking over the country, and if anxiety consumerism will really take off, it’s good to know that people are becoming more self-aware and are taking action with their health and wellness. Looking for more on mental health? Click here for our Millennials and Mental Health infographic.

A [Very] High 5!

We started participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5 years ago in support of one of our teammates suffering from Breast Cancer, and now we support a second person on our team in her journey against cancer. Side by side we walk and ran in the rain. Just one ounce of the spirit of engagement at BuzzBack. It’s what we bring to work each day, what we share with our clients, and how we work with our partners.

Reengineering the Gender Question in Market Research

While attending a Women in Research event last month I noticed Facebook has 58 gender identity options. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community and a healthcare market researcher I was a curious how our current binary gender option in surveys would transition. FaceBook is just one example. Gender lines are starting to blur more […]

January 24, 2018

How to Get Patients to SPEAK UP!

At times, it can be hard for people to say what’s truly on their minds. Especially when it comes to speaking with their doctor. I’m sure most of us can relate to the patient in this AbbVie Endometriosis ad (shown below), when her inner person is encouraging her to open up and be more descriptive […]

December 19, 2017

Clean Label Shows No Signs of Slowing Down

A year ago, you may not have heard of Clean Label – now the trend is going mainstream and full-steam ahead into 2018. Clean Label incorporates both what is in the product, but also the process to how a product is made. Consumers today – especially Millennials – want transparency in the products they buy, […]

November 21, 2017

Creative Techniques Help Patients Find Their Voice

Health problems are often an uncomfortable subject to talk about, especially when your disease leaves you in pain and making frequent trips to the bathroom. Crohn’s Disease is no walk in the park for patients, and not the most enjoyable topic of conversation. However, when understanding patient experience is key to your strategy you need […]

October 20, 2017

There’s a Disconnect Here

This is an excerpt taken from our article in the October issue of Quirk’s. To read the full article, click here. Twenty minutes, tops. That’s the average interaction between doctor & patient in a typical office visit. But what if it’s not typical because the patient has just been diagnosed with a disease? Discussions regarding […]

September 11, 2017

Run. Walk. Race. Repeat.

Run. Walk. Race. Repeat. Komen year 4 - today our BuzzBack Gives Back program sauntered to Central Park for the Annual Komen Race. We were there to support an important cause but also to support each other. One of us wears a pink number, and we are proud to run with her. That's just one reason we join together. That's what teams do.

June 28, 2017

Market Research in the Age of Uncertainty

I recently spoke at the Insight Intelligence conference in London on market research in the age of uncertainty. The irony is, as I write this short article, we have just had a general election in the UK which returned a hung parliament – the electorate’s way of saying they are uncertain. A perfect illustration of […]

March 07, 2017

Introducing BuzzBack’s Concept Accelerator

Wish there were a more rapid and affordable way to better predict concept success? And one that adapts to today’s mobile-tethered connected consumer? Introducing Concept AcceleratorTM. A fresh, new approach from BuzzBack for rapid concept screening, optimization & accuracy.

January 03, 2017

8 Truths About Gen Z

In our latest study, we talked to the newest ‘it’ group of consumers in the UK and US and uncovered 8 Truths About Gen Z. They shared it all, from their attitudes and behaviors, to their deepest and most intimate concerns. For a sneak peek on what we found out, download our new infographic now.

December 21, 2016

Now Arriving: Gen Z

Don’t look now - here comes Gen Z. We have just released our first study on this group, whose habits, thoughts, emotions and more will be keeping marketers up at night next. So why is it important to keep examining a group in context? Why can’t we broad stroke and make blanket statements about consumer groups or generations, and just be done with it?