It's the beginning of a new year, the holidays are behind us, and we're back at our desks ready to tackle 2025.
Over the last year we've looked at consumer sentiment and behavior from a variety of angles. Here are a few highlights from 2024.
Wellness was a hot topic in 2024 and likely into 2025
Physical, mental, emotional, and financial wellness were topics we revisited in our research throughout 2024. We looked at how consumers define wellness, what kinds of products they use to support their wellbeing, and how brands can meet consumers where they are on their wellness journeys.
Holistic Wellness
Meet the health & wellness consumer
In earlier research we uncovered two approaches to managing health - proactive and passive. In this spring 2024, we sought to build on those learnings to identify key segments, based on how consumers approach and manage their health. We identified four primary segments, each comprising about 1/4 of the population.
Financial wellness plays a large role in overall wellbeing
Our research indicates that financial wellness plays a large contributing role in overall wellbeing. In October 2024 we checked in with consumers on if and how financial wellbeing and emotional/physical wellbeing are intertwined. We heard from them in their own words using our proprietary eCollage™ technique and social listening.
Consumers are constantly in pursuit of health and vitality, and they heavily rely on apps, wearable trackers & health devices to support their lifestyle. When it comes to what consumers look for and value in these tools, priorities are shifting away from competition and community and toward ease of use. We will continue to explore this space in 2025.
FinTech helps consumers better manage their financial wellbeing, but GenZ feels left behind
We asked GenZ to participate in our quali-quant Blobs projective technique to gauge their thoughts on FinTech. Respondents were asked which amorphous character represents how they feel about using online financial services or apps and why. Despite GenZ being the first digitally native generation and natural tech adopters, these tools are confusing to them due to a lack financial knowledge and literacy. Apps and services willing to invest in that will likely see faster adoption from this generation,
Due to major shifts in consumer behaviors 2024 was a year for deep diving into consumer segments, both demographically as well as attitudinally and behaviorally.
Generational Segments - Meet Generation Jones
Generation Jones refers to the cohort born between 1954 and 1964, situated between the Baby Boomers and Generation X. Though typically lumped in with the Baby Boomers due to their similarly high birth rates, Generation Jones is its own distinct cohort. They are often called the "anonymous generation," lacking a single defining event that unifies and shapes their identity.
In keeping with our wellness theme, we looked into how Gen Jones prioritizes health and wellness and how brands can reach this audience.
Behavioral Segments - Meet the Engaged Sustainability Consumer
What can we learn from engaged consumers to help brands understand how to sharpen their strategy and succeed in their sustainability initiatives?
We identified four consumer segments, focusing on sustainability attitudes, issues they are engaged in, and purchase impact.
We gathered examples on how these engaged consumers minimize waste and make consistent and conscious eco-friendly choices in their daily lives.
Healthcare Behavioral Segments - Patients Struggling with Medication Adherence
In the world of healthcare, we looked into the medication adherence of patients in 3 groups (Asthma, Depression, and T2 Diabetes) to look into the attitudinal and behavioral barriers of patients struggling with non-compliance. We found that emotions toward taking medications can be complex and can vary depending on the medical condition.