New audiences, new targeting, new channels.

PART 1: The era of emotional, positive and soft marketing

INTRO

With the beginning of each year, the typical January blues followed by the February freeze, come the usual predictions, thought-led ideas and forecasts on what future can possibly bring to our professional surroundings. The revolution of marketing has already started, and as Einstein summarised with his brilliant “I never think of the future – it comes soon enough” quote, every single day we see new sets of behaviours triggering innovation and vice versa, cultural innovations triggering new behaviours. With this thought in mind, I wanted to put on paper some of the current fascinating trends which are clearly already the shaping drivers of the future, 2018 and beyond.

"I never think of the future - it comes soon enough." Albert Einstein.

The below is a mix of wider behavioural changes happening in the society and some reflection on how these impact everyday marketing efforts. Focusing on the travel, wellness and luxury product sectors. Such cultural moves call for changes in practices of how brands build their relationships with the potential consumer. Especially, if that consumer falls under the smart, the new and the progressive ‘type’ of the future. Here we go:

BIG CULTURAL AND BEHAVIOURAL SHIFTS = THE NEW CONSUMER

Most of marketing efforts in the past years have been focusing on the magic word – the Millennials. The Generation Y has been studied in every single way and on every single level. Often described as the generation ‘always on the go’, we learnt that Millennials were the first ones to expect constant access to a computer and become the first proficient users of digital technologies. The less talked about characteristics, is that many of Generation Yers were also the first to ‘leave their jobs and pursue their dreams’. The ‘Peter Pan’ individuals are not that bonded to a workplace as their predecessors. We’ve seen the rise of the ‘digital nomad’ concept, a belief in a future based on a dream activity and self-development. On the other hand, what is also interesting, is the staggering number of studies labelling Millennials - 'Generation ME'. And this label being a negative notion... Millennials were often named as selfish and narcissistic self-lovers and lazy workers.

However, this side of the equation can in fact develop into a much more positive self-awareness seeking nature. While this generation matures (with Millennials in their 30s), the ME notion becomes more and more positive. Haven't we been witnessing the rapid growth of activism-led movements ranging from snow sports lovers advocating for climate change awareness through to animal welfare-led vegan groups?? Get healthy, get fit, learn new things, do more of what makes you happy, get involved in a cause… Isn't a happier society an ultimate goal?

Well, all we have known about Millennials times a hundred, characterises the next generation - Gen Zers. These increasingly important consumers now in their 20s, have everything to become a driving force for future brands. Disposable cash on hand (often self-earned at a very young age), great influence on decisions taken on a daily basis and a lot of opinions. While millennials were used to access their computer or mobile on the move, Gen Zers simply do not recognise a world without a mobile access to web. They are not digitally-proficient, they are simply digital natives. And let’s not forget that by 2020 they are said to account for a staggering 40% of all consumers. Social acceptance is extremely important for them, they are strivers and testers. At the same time, they are much more time-poor and with a visibly shorter attention span. They tend to judge based on the first impression... so if your brand does not give immediate answers/solutions or looks old – they will not see a value and ultimately won't connect.

NEW LIFESTYLE = NEW PERSPECTIVE

What applies to both generations is that as they mature, they really shape their goals and aspirations, which is what I would like to talk about in more detail.

Especially in the digital sphere, the new consumer continues to have more choices than ever and is often overwhelmed by data. Behavioural emails, big data categorisation, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Super Saturday or even Blue Monday??? Where does this end? And here come the new concepts such as turning into minimalism, curing affluenza or fighting with stuffocation to name a few.

More and more mature and self-conscious consumers switch to a somewhat different stage in live. Not only but especially those with mid to higher salaries, who achieved a lot early in life, seem to seek something else. Only now they start understanding the meaning of life. For them it is all about going back to basics, back to the meaningful aspect of existence. Seeing that less is not only more anymore, less is now, less is TRENDY. And this being a simple metaphor, applicable to several areas of life. For these new audiences it is all about QUALITY above QUANTITY. But, we are not talking here about the end of materialism... no - we are talking about the rise of the real love of things and moments, things and experiences worth loving.

Marketers need to think how to help the new type of clients and empower them rather than simply sell and ask for actions.

Values such as health (wellness), passion, personal growth and community are becoming synonyms of status. Those concepts are all about regaining the precious things in life. A status means that an individual is now actually able to regain time, to develop passions, to maximise experiences, to grow, to contribute to important causes, and ultimately bring more contentment and more freedom to everyday life. Think in simple terms – an electric car instead of a luxury sports one, a sustainable house, a beautiful antique item passed through generations, more time with the family, a meaningful experience with others, a cruelty free gadget, a statement of contribution to world’s sustainability…

WHAT DOES TRAVEL HAVE TO DO WITH IT?

Even a couple of years ago, a thought of an employee opting up for a longer holiday allowance rather than a higher salary was, to say the least, ‘a strange thing to do’… Today, the trend is slowly evolving with baby steps of such behaviour emerging in more developed cultures and big cities. Some governments (i.e. northern Europe) have already opted for 35 hour working weeks in order to improve the work-life balance of the workforce. Sweden for example grants 5 fully paid weeks of holidays per year – a big proportion of which can of course be spent on travel.

The new audiences are the ones who firmly believe in the importance of life-work balance. Travel is an integral part of that equation, on all levels. The need to travel will increase with both of the generations in question maturing. And the nature of travel will also evolve. Certain types of travel experiences have the same symbolic value as products such as expensive purse or a sports car. There is no reason why people should not, and are not already using holidays as status symbols in exact same way as an expensive bag, jewellery or a sports car. For some, the usual symbol of ‘luxury holiday’ would have been a photo of expensive drink on a private beach…

But with the new audiences there’s time for the ‘new luxury’. With enriching travel and authentic holiday experiences we go on a higher level of the status ladder – it is all about self-care, contribution, sustainability, time well spent with the family, health and quality of time – the most opulent of luxuries of current times.

TAKEAWAYS

To sum up - working longer hours in order to make more stuff is no longer trendy. In fact there are arguments that it is also not necessarily increasing the economic activity. Jobs of the future include remote workers, ‘digital nomads’ and job shares with more time committed to those important things in life. How can this and further cultural shifts affect travel and wellness industry? It is in fact a rebirth for those. Minimalism has already gained traction in hospitality in relation to decor and space design. More guests than ever prefer simple rooms and even upgraded tents. But looking beyond decor the general trend is to no longer impress with stuff, impress with authentic experience. Impress with the way we travel, the way we manage that precious time and what remains lasting long after the holiday. The reasons to travel are passion, contribution, growth and wellbeing.

Now, what is even more fascinating is finding out which of the marketing channels and techniques will really allow the brands to build a strong basis for a long term relationship with the new client. This will be focus of my next article.

*Sources: Find inspiration amongst such lifestyle & economy concepts as: The Minimalists, Curing Affluenza, Stuffocation, Centre for Humane Technology. Articles about characteristics of generation at Forbes.

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