The Reading Revival

In our world’s hyper-digitisation, consumers are craving a re-connection to real-life events, experiences and hobbies. More than social interactions, they found a renewed interest in physical objects, going back to nostalgic items such as film cameras, vinyls and books. Combining both IRL and tangible objects that remind them of simpler times, events like book and chess clubs are on the rise.

A November 2023 study by ALA (American Library Association) shows how Gen Z use the library more than any other generation. In the US, almost 50% of Gen Z said they’d used the library in the past month. Interestingly, only 40% of the generation said they actually identify as readers, showcasing how this generation are using libraries as ‘third spaces’ — as places they go to meet people and become part of a community.?

On TikTok , #Booktok has also driven the trend, reaching 28.9bn views at the time of publishing. #Booktok has become a real community on the platform, where creators share books and analysis with their followers. The Guardian interviewed a few creators who are finding success in the space. “I think people my age are craving something more authentic, and looking for something that’s real,” said Henry Earls to The Guarian’s Alaina Demopoulos. “What’s more real than books and physical material?”

It was found that Gen Z buy an estimated 61M books, representing 18% of the overall book market (Nielsen BookData, 2022). 80% of Nielsen’s survey respondents aged 14-25 said they preferred reading a physical book, compared to 30% for e-books and 18% for audiobooks, proving how the tangibility of it all is what’s important, and why libraries and book clubs are seeing a revival.

What does this mean for luxury? In February, model Kaia Gerber launched her own book club, Library Science. She described it as ‘a platform for sharing books, featuring new writers, hosting conversations with artists we admire – and continuing to build a community of people who are as excited about literature as I am’. Gaining 37.5k followers in just a few months and with an engagement rate of 7.95%, according to Lefty data, this shows how you can really foster an engaged community through reading.?

Meanwhile, luxury brands have started to take notice. During Milan Design Week 2024, Miu Miu ’s Literary Club generated nearly $400k EMV after hosting a two-day event highlighting the work of Italian writer and poet, Sibilla Aleramo, and Cuban-Italian writer, Alba De Céspedes, according to Lefty data. Discussing themes like what it means for a woman to find her own voice, the panels featured inspiring women such as 2000 Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri, writer and curator Lou Stoppard, finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in LGBTQ Nonfiction Selby Wynn Schwartz and more.

Zegna also took note, leveraging the Salone moment to honour its founder, Ermenegildo Zegna, with a book recounting the story of the brand. Called ‘Born in Oasi’, the coffee table book was published by Rizzoli and led to huge queues around the city of Milan for fans of the brand who wished to grab a physical piece to take home with them.

Find out what other strategies drove visibility online at Milan Design Week 2024 in our upcoming report, releasing next week.

Over in the music world, Taylor Swift recently released a new album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department’, which she celebrated with a pop-up Poetry Library in Los Angeles, in collaboration with Spotify . The open-air installation featured a curated selection of poetry books that inspired the songs, where fans of the singer could go and connect.

As the reading community grows, luxury brands have a real opportunity to connect with their audience on a deeper level. Interested in learning more about this strategic avenue? Reach out to [email protected] today.?