It’s bad enough that chocolate and coffee are getting more expensive, but poor sultana harvests mean mince pies are facing a price hike too. Looks like you’ll be on the carrots with the reindeer this year, Santa.
Scroll down to read about weight training, table tennis, and the enigma of Belgium. And just a heads-up - this is our last On the dot newsletter of 2024 - happy holidays, we’ll catch you on the other side!
Stats to power your week
📅 As we approach the final doors of our advent calendars, here’s a sweet treat of an insight for you: the remarkable growth of Tony’s Chocolonely. The number of UK consumers who say it’s one of their favorite chocolate brands has grown by a whopping 224% since this time in 2021. It’s now neck and neck with Revels and Matchmakers in winning over British chocolate lovers. GWI Core Plus
🧠 When we think about the implications of AI, we have to think globally - people have much more enthusiasm about the tech outside the English-speaking world. Take Mexico, where 57% of consumers are excited about AI - it’s been used to virtually resurrect loved ones during Day of the Dead, and assist with mental health tracking. GWI Core
🥷Without wishing to give too much away, some of you might find a Ninja under your tree this Christmas. No, not like that - we mean a product made by appliance brand Ninja, as the number of consumers who say it’d be their top choice for a household appliance has tripled since 2021. GWI Core Plus (UK, France, Germany, Canada).
🤖 Thanks to a slew of recent announcements (more on these later), AI chatbots are getting more sophisticated and adding even more features. But what do consumers really want from chatbots? Quality (49%) and accuracy (46%) of responses are most important - intriguingly, not many of us care about their empathy (7%). GWI Zeitgeist
What’s on our radar
We’ll try to sum up some of the biggest AI releases in what’s been a bumper week for new developments. Both ChatGPT and Google Gemini can now see video in real-time - handy if you want an explainer on the landmark you’re seeing, or maybe tips on your golf swing.
Alongside the big AI platforms, more websites and publishers are experimenting with chatbots, allowing readers to interact more deeply with the content. TIME Magazine released one alongside its Person of the Year announcement, while Reddit is testing its own conversational feature.
Apps designed to track running and other outdoor activities have been around for a while, but more services are coming along to help gymgoers and weightlifters. Peloton’s new Strength+ app is aimed at that market, while another workout app called Hevy is also attracting attention.
Strength training is becoming important to more people who use GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, as it helps offset some of the medication’s effects of muscle loss. In another response to the weight loss drugs trend, Conagra Brands is adding “GLP-1 friendly” labels to some of its frozen meals.
Google and Samsung are teaming up to release a new mixed reality headset, which will compete with Apple’s Vision Pro and Meta’s Quest devices.
Chart of the week
Whether it’s Spotify Wrapped, the Year in Monzo, or even the Year in Asana, December is all about recapping the last 12 months through data. So here’s our contribution to the festive data feast - a curated list of the brands and services who saw the biggest audience growth this year.
It’s an intriguing blend of familiar stories and hidden gems. The WNBA and ChatGPT need little introduction, while an acclaimed TV series and a Jude Bellingham transfer help explain the growth for Fallout and Real Madrid respectively.
Others showcase more under-the-radar trends. Don Julio’s growth highlights the growing influence of Hispanic culture in the US, while both US and UK consumers are increasingly flying out to Gulf countries. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all is the growth of table tennis in the UK, where along with an increase in viewers, the number who play the sport is up 39% year-on-year.
Local lowdown
Boring Belgium?
Each week in our Local Lowdown, we dive into one of our 54 markets, using data to highlight its unique cultures and consumer behaviors. Today, we’re ticking off a market we hardly ever talk about: Belgium. And there’s a reason we’ve left it late - there’s surprisingly little to say. There’s hardly anything that makes it exceptional on a global scale. Belgians are the most likely not to know what operating system their computer uses, but that’s about it.
So what’s going on? Is it really “the most boring place on earth”, as the Brussels-born artist Jean-Michel Folon described it? Maybe not. Perhaps it’s just understated. With its linguistic diversity and complex politics, its calm exterior is actually quite an achievement. Like a Magritte painting, it might seem ordinary, but there’s plenty beneath the surface.
There’s a lesson here for marketers. We’re often drawn to the outliers - the trendsetters, the affluent, the bold. But it’s just as important to understand the so-called “average”, the people and places that don’t demand the spotlight. And if you’re looking for those that thrive in quiet normality, there’s no better place to start than Belgium.
