Anyone receiving chocolate this Valentine’s Day, whether it’s from a partner, suitor, or themselves, really ought to be grateful – the price of cocoa has literally never been higher.
Scroll down to read more about Kiwi allergies, Roblox translations, and a global guide to avoiding the ick.
Stats to power your week
💉 Weight-loss injections like Wegovy and Ozempic are hot topics in the US. Only 11% of diabetics (who they’re designed for) have tried them, compared to Red Bull drinkers (18%), meditation tool users (15%), and even second home owners (12%). GWI Zeitgeist
♟️ 1 in 5 consumers played chess online or in–person in the last month. Chess overlaps much more with traditional sports than you might think, with 40% of FC Barcelona fans and 39% of Arsenal fans worldwide plotting gambits and checkmates. GWI Zeitgeist
📉 As our 2024 consumer trends highlighted, the US is in the middle of a trust crisis across media and politics. But even during these historic lows, there are some startling insights. The FBI is trusted “completely” by 12% of people in the US – low, but still higher than the 7% who say the same for the Democrat and Republican parties. GWI Zeitgeist
đź“… The number of full-time workers who receive unlimited paid time off has gone up 15% since 2019. Many large tech companies are driving this, hoping to use the perk to signal steps to achieving a better work-life balance. As Gen Z enters the workforce, companies may want to consider benefits that speak to them, like student loan repayment matching and mental health support. GWI Work
📺 Short-form videos are the most popular way to consume political information on social media around the world (29%). Brands, politicians, and news organizations may look at cutting up speeches and debates into digestible soundbites, but they shouldn’t count out long-form. 22% of consumers still interact with longer videos, and that number could go up as people look to watch full interviews and segments. GWI Zeitgeist
What’s on our radar
What sort of trends can we detect from the Super Bowl ads? EVs are down, Temu and AI are up, Duolingo is still unhinged, and health/beauty brands took advantage of a potential audience waiting for glimpses of Taylor Swift.
An AI chatbot helped more people, especially minorities, receive referrals for mental health support from the NHS in the UK. Sometimes it might be better not to talk to a person.
Roblox players can now chat with players around the world in their native language, thanks to an in-house AI-powered translator. Large language models often require massive amounts of data to train, but scientists at NYU found a potential cost-cutting measure by using a human baby for learning inputs instead.
Both Meta and OpenAI are making moves to label AI-generated images, while Apple is testing an image generator of its own. This comes at a helpful time as election campaigns in Indonesia and Pakistan have used generative AI extensively.
In the retail world, Amazon has introduced “Rufus,” its AI-powered shopping assistant. Walmart recently introduced a similar tool, as the two retail giants look to AI to grease the gears for both customers and suppliers.
If you’ve ever wanted your video feed to be more aesthetic, YouTube might have a solution for you – it’s testing sorting by color as you scroll for a video to watch. Color harmony has been a practice in marketing for a while, especially among beauty brands.
After Andre 3000 released an album consisting exclusively of flute compositions, Lil Jon is the latest rapper to say “Yeah” to mindfulness, in the form of a guided meditation LP.
Chart of the week
Valentine’s Day isn’t the best day for a first date, but if you’re looking for tips on how to keep your potential other half interested, we have you covered with our global dating guide.
In most markets, you’re best avoiding getting takeout. Drinks, coffee, and dinner are safer bets, though you should avoid suggesting outdoor activities in India if you can.
The biggest outright turnoffs in each country are largely the same – poor manners and talking about yourself. But cultural differences really shine when we look at each country’s most distinctive “ick.” So you’d best dress smart in Japan and Germany, reply on the double in China, and nail the banter in the UK.
Local lowdown
Allergies in Aotearoa
If you’ve been to New Zealand and couldn’t stop sneezing, there are a trillion microscopic reasons for that.
Its pollen season is one of the worst in the world, and dust mites thrive in its warm, humid climate. Put that all together, and Kiwis are not only the most likely in the world to have asthma, but they’re also 107% more likely than the average global consumer to suffer from hay fever or other allergies.
These allergies create interesting side effects. In an attempt to clean up, New Zealanders are also the most likely in the world to buy vacuum cleaners. Still, this wasn’t enough to save Godfreys, a floorcare retailer from over the pond in Australia, going into administration recently.
