Consumer Trends I’m Noticing

Read below the massive vertical photo for my thoughts on how the digital & physical media worlds are colliding and other trends you should know.

Harrison Forman
2 min readNov 6, 2018

Localization

Brand & publishers are starting to take the Anthony Bourdain approach with local marketing. Cities are rising in popularity. One of the most common questions we hear when we travel: “How do you like living in <X>?” I’m fairly certain a way to scale your company is by focusing on locale-by-local execution (see The League, Thrillist, Color Factory, etc).

Events/Experiences

There is too much content out there. Do I have data to back it up? Not really, but I do know we are becoming jaded by the abundance of content or shows launching on digital platforms. With this in mind, the rise of premium experiences has only begun (Music Festivals, live dating shows).

Emojis

Alright just hear me out for a second. Emojis are a universal communication language everyone in the brand/marketing/tech world needs to take seriously. Marketing campaigns with emoji subject lines perform well, Emoji movies are on the rise, and even Emoji domain purchases are supposed to be the next big thing. Stay tuned for more here, or should I say 👀.

Exclusivity

With too much clutter available for everyone at all times, exclusive content or limited release product “drops” are all that remain (and something extending beyond fashion into burgers & tacos). When you can have everything, what we really want is what we can’t have during a time when we can’t get it. Brands taking advantage of this in a smart, structured way will generate buzz. It’s only a matter of time.

Owned/Operated Networks

Glossier is moving off social to launch their own network and other brands are following suit. A social media presence is still important, but forward-thinking brands are recognizing the power & rise of niche social networks that they can control.

Self-Validation, not Self-Help

I’ve said this for awhile now, but I believe the self-help era does not appeal to Millennials. What an expert once was is simply a talking head to our generation. The voices that really resonate with consumers are the ones similar to their own, telling relatable stories. I call this self-validation.

Thoughts? Think I have no idea what I’m talking about? I did predict the rise of the V-Neck in High School, so let’s have at it in the comments below.

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Harrison Forman

Formerly @Facebook, Create @UpDatingShow, Blogger, Alum @umich and #PhillySports. Millennial on Earth (Opinions, my own)