Consumer Trends 2025 - Brands as Social Platforms

Post-pandemic social hangover is still in effect with loneliness and social isolation levels continuously increasing. Shortage of deep and meaningful intimacy driven by lockdowns, relationships happening online and reframing of social taboos around our relationship with body and physical pleasure are fuelling human deeply wired need for connection.?

Intimacy requires time and repetitive contact as well as trust, safety and physicality to form. The way we live our lives reliant on technology, the surface relationships we often form online and increasing mental health issues stemming from loneliness and social isolation are hurting the human experience of intimacy. The insufficient provision of a meaningful physical connection is not only shallowing intimacy, but is also detrimental to our physical and mental health.?

As finding like-minded people to build deep connections with is becoming increasingly difficult, customers are looking to brands, their trusted relationship partners, to become matchmakers. They seek meaningful, safe and enriching moments of deep connection with other human beings. Brands are simply a platform where it happens.?

Well, there is way more to it actually. The best brands are the ones that continuously deliver on self-congruence, value congruence as well as trust and safety. Why?

The human brain is wired to buy from and build relationships with brands that are aligned with our personality and values. We use brands to express who we are, so it is a no-brainer that what we wear, drink or watch should be clearly representing our personality and values to others. We also choose humans that are similar to us and therefore picking a brand as a social platform practically guarantees that a new friend or even romantic partner we meet will be like-minded. A brilliant shortcut for our brain to conserve energy.?

The trust and safety are however paramount to the success of these social relationships grown on the foundation of your customers’ relationship with your brand. If your customers can’t trust you, they won’t feel you have their back and therefore won’t feel safe to create new relationships through your brand. If however you create an oasis where their brains are relaxed and safe, their new social connections will flourish, placing your brand in a much higher position than simply a great purveyor or products.?

The level of attachment, commitment, engagement and even devotion you will benefit from will lead to increased advocacy, loyalty, frequency of visits, increased participation in brand activations and of course higher sales and customer lifetime value (CLV). This is also a perfect strategy for recruiting new generations through fostering deeper intimacy in the existing relationships like parent and child.?

If you are looking to target Gen Z and Gen Alpha, becoming a social platform is a must-have. Are you ready to become a matchmaker and relationship builder? Do you have a robust brand community and experiential marketing strategy for 2025??

If you would like to know how your brand can better tap into this trend, talk to us now. Message us here or email our founder [email protected].?

Download the full version of our Consumer Behavioural Trends 2025 Report here.

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