Also inside: Puppies, power cuts, and poking holes in disinformation
14 December 2022
Hi folks,
Itâs official: âWordleâ was the most googled term globally in 2022, and Pinterest has released its trends forecast for the coming year. Spoiler alert - it looks like 2023 is the year of the puppy pool party.
Scroll down to read about generous gift givers, cancel culture, and a shout out to the word of 2022.
đ Are we budgeting or splurging this festive season? Well⊠45% of gift-givers plan to spend the same on pressies as they did last year, while 24% plan to spend even more. Looks like Santaâs on the way, though he might not be making as many trips to Europe, where over a third are planning to spend less on gifts. (GWI Zeitgeist)
â« Speaking of Europe, blackouts have been in the headlines a lot recently, so weâre keen to see how many people are actually worried about them. Over 2 in 5 Europeans think power cuts are fairly/very likely. It looks like quite a few are thinking worst-case scenario, and who can blame them? (GWI Zeitgeist)
đŽ Consumers around the world are finding comfort in tomorrowâs vacations. 34% of international vacation planners are looking to spend more than they usually would on their next trip, which is higher than the number predicting theyâll spend less (25%). For many, a low-key holiday just isnât going to cut it. (GWI Travel)
đ 74% of people feel that brands should stop working with celebrities immediately if they do something offensive â so it sounds like Adidas, Gap, and Balenciaga did the right thing. How brands react to these challenges in 2023 will be important â consumers want meaningful action and for it to be communicated when itâs achieved clear results. (GWI Zeitgeist)
đ Hereâs a heart-warming stat for you. As more struggle to make ends meet, high earners are stepping up â the number who say they give to charity every two weeks is up 12%. In other news, Jeff Bezos was recently quoted saying he plans to donate most of his money to charity, the first time heâs made such a pledge.(GWI Core)
đ Things are looking up for physical retail. The number who prefer to shop in-store is at its highest point since 2020, and itâs jumped in places like the UK (+14%) and Singapore (+11%) in the last two years. In-store shopping was also a headline following the latest Black Friday event â a sign that, no matter how much we shop online, the in-person experience is irreplaceable. (GWI Core)
Whatâs on our radar
Lockdown haircuts are old news, and now weâre focused on the color, rather than the cut. Viva Magenta is officially Pantoneâs color of 2023. Havenât heard of it? Itâs a shade of red thatâs said to promote a âjoyous and optimistic celebrationâ. And Pinterest has told us to look out for Gemini hair (two-toned tresses) in 2023.
As beauty and grooming brands poke holes in misinformation on social media, men's electric shaving brand Philips Norelco is using Roblox tomarket health to Gen Z â because if you canât beat âem, join âem.
When it comes to deliveries, quicker is better. But how do you feel about a delivery by drone? DroneUphas partnered with Walmart to make home deliveries even faster, following in the footsteps of Instacart, who will deliver a Christmas tree to your door on the same day you order it.
âGoblin modeâ, which describes any lazy or slovenly behavior, is Oxfordâs word of the year. Itâs been used as a backlash against perfectly created social media feeds with consumers wanting to be real, or more specifically BeReal, online.
We know a lot of consumers are keen for a four-day work week, but companies will want to know if they stand to benefit. Early signs are looking good, with companies trialing it reporting a boost in employeesâ productivity, increased revenue, and fewer employees taking time off or resigning.
Chart of the week
Despite the cost of living crisis, travel is still a priority, and continues to climb since its dip during the pandemic. People are clearly feeling that theyâve been cooped up for too long and would rather make cuts on other items before they scrap their travel plans. Vacations clearly count for a lot, which is something travel marketers should really double down on.
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Bits and bobs we thought you might like:
From self-tanning in Ireland and tennis in Chile, to Russian cats and drinking beer (not tequila) in Mexico, letâs explore the world one stat at a time.
9 media trends every marketer needs to know right now
Hot off the press: our global media landscape report. Screen times have reached a plateau, trust in the news is down across the board, and Gen Z are currently finding products by [sorry, no spoilers].