Consumer Trends 2025 - Meaningful Moments

As the world becomes louder and busier with our brains being increasingly bombarded with more content, the need to disconnect and simply be is rising. Fuelled by mental health and wellbeing focus, consumers are searching for moments of truly meaningful connection with others, but also with their own Selves.?

The ‘Switch off culture’ is entering consumption practices with craft workshops, offline entertainment events and nature walks becoming more common experiential practices. Increasing self-awareness, fostering social connections and improving overall wellbeing are core motivations driving consumer engagement.

To help customers to fully switch off and get engrossed in the moment, certain circumstances need to be created to allow the brain to relax, feel safe and get lost in the moment. This is where the importance of eliminating Meaningless Friction and increasing Meaningful Friction comes in. It is however NOT about making experience frictionless as this is a non-happening for the brain. Experiences that are too smooth are not memorable, not important, and don’t add value to our lives. Whatever is truly meaningful requires friction, challenge, a bit of difficulty.?

Meaningless Friction are all those things that annoy customers, that don’t add value to their experience and relationship with your brand. It’s the extra step in the checkout process, the inability to find contact details, the illogical navigation, the unhelpful sales associate and much more. Reducing these instances help the brain relax and focus all its mental processing power on this moment, allowing customers to truly get lost, to enter a State of Flow.?

Meaningful Friction is the challenges along the customer journey that add value, that create meaning. Gamification, personalisation and co-creation are just some such examples. But even simpler things like choosing your delivery provider in a checkout adds value as it makes customers feel more in control.?

The experiences that get us to truly switch off, be mindful and benefit our wellbeing contain a lot of Meaningful Friction. Board games, scavenger hunts or exercise require your focus resulting in fulfillment and enjoyment with some even experiencing the ultimate State of Flow.?

Brands delivering curated opportunities to switch off, connect with oneself or others are going to benefit from increased customer engagement, positive word of mouth, repeat patronage, increased conversion, higher brand loyalty and stronger brand equity.?

What will be your take on the ‘switch off culture’? How do you need to adapt your retail and experiential strategy for 2025??

Not sure what is the best take on this trend for your brand? We are here to help. We have worked with brands like Swarovski, Nespresso and others on their retail experience bringing a unique behavioural perspective that creates a true differentiation for your brand in people’s brains.?

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