The rise of hyper-comfort seeking and its impact on brands

Geopolitical and climate forces have created a bedrock of anxiety and unpredictability

Think back to early 2022, two years into the Covid-19 pandemic. The non-key workers amongst us had spent two years living slowly, enjoying small pleasures and alone time; we’d even come to accept that the underlying monotony provided us with a sense of certainty. For the most part we didn't have to rush to ultimately miss the bus to work, or waste our Saturday in huge supermarket queues. We knew our place and our role was to protect ourselves, our families and the community around us.

February 24th 2022 changed all that, the UK officially ended all COVID restrictions. We could officially burst free of prescribed rules and live life the way we wanted. We had high hopes and expectations, eager to explore and consume everything and anything again.

However whilst the UK opened up to wider freedom, Ukraine’s freedoms were being shuttered as Russia launched a full scale invasion. This event not only exposed us to the underlying currents that had been at play for years, but also got us fearing, "what's next?"

February 24th 2022 will ultimately mark a pivotal change in our lives which will play out for generations. Europe didn't just enter a new cold war, but entered the largest period of upheaval and uncertainty in a generation. Existing cracks in the western democracies began to widen, and the journey to a new world order has been accelerated. The dominance of the west, already in decline for years, was further broken, with the war in Gaza and Israel again pushing the western nations further down the influence list. A global power shift is at play, as the growing soft powerhouses of India, Korea and Vietnam have shifted global policymakers to interact more heavily in the region than for decades. Ultimately today is an uneasy time for governments and populations.

Closer to home anxiety has changed our behaviour

Not only do such wars and power shifts create broad existential questions, but they bring more tangible effects; with war comes uncertainty, not just over safety, but over goods, often bringing inflation, which we feel much closer to home.

Mortgage and rent rate rises have snatched the brief freedoms gained in early 2022 from many. These inflation pressures have left many younger generations feeling forced to move back or spend longer living with parents and GenZs have been cutting back on drinking in their attempts to save money and improve mental and physical wellbeing. Vital in such turbulent times.

Climate anxiety has reached new levels, as storms and droughts upend lives across the UK. Freezing ice storms take down rural communities and spiralling heatwaves drive urban areas into rampant overheating cycles with a new UK temperature record of 40degC set in June 2022.

This has stimulated a surge of concern amongst younger generations, GenZs especially, who are seen as particularly vocal about the climate crisis. These climate concerns, in an increasingly turbulent world, add to an already burdened generation who are known to suffer from the highest level of anxiety since the 1970s.

GenZ increasingly see themselves as overly burdened by concerns, and highly targeted by indecipherable misinformation across social media, and so are having to pick their battles. It's perhaps no wonder that some choose to disengage, even disbelieve in issues such as climate change. Particularly as misinformation on the subject becomes more prevalent and harder to spot across social media.

Recent news of living in a ‘pre-war’ generation and of raising a citizen army, caused a backlash and a frenzy of conscription refusal conversation. Recent polls found more than a third of under-40s would refuse conscription in the event of a world war, and perhaps only 17% would willingly fight. However unprecedented a world war may sound, a national rise in uncertainty and fear has driven some to prep for what they see as the inevitable, while many others simply prepare for when they cant afford their heating bills.

All these threads have woven into a seemingly tightening straight jacket that threatens to limit our very freedoms. As we still try to succeed at work, save money for a house, enjoy time with friends at weekends, and holiday abroad; the doomsday clock sits at 90 seconds to midnight.

Global sentiment could hardly be better summed up than by the unexpected response to Elmo's recent tweet:

It's no wonder anxiety and concern runs rampant, threatening to take away the one thing we strive for as human beings: comfort, authenticity and control.

A market flooded by choice only breeds uncertainty and anxiety

Against the backdrop of pandemic monotony there was a need for hyper novelty, the market and brands responded with infinite choice, even Apple released more products in 2022 than ever before.?

This explosion in consumption opportunities has brought with it a rampant absorption of entertainment, the re-commoditisation of romance into app based games, and the wider exploration of gender. 2023 saw a huge rise in gender-fluid fashion designs on the high-street with over half of Gen Zers having purchased fashion outside of their gender identity. Even online searches for “genderless” and “gender neutral” are increasing year on year.

Whilst most crave the freedom to choose, the side effect of infinite choice is that of choice paralysis, the current atmosphere of uncertainty and lack of confidence, coupled with an explosion of choice, coming together to form this paralysis.

Humans naturally seek stability and confidence, but the economy turns in favour of constant progress, advancement, exploration, novelty and choices. It doesn't provide structure in terms of navigating these choices, as such we are becoming far more risk averse. GenZ, also known as the sensible generation, yearn for stability, they want to know where they stand. It is in these moments of high instability that consumers seek decision making guidance, be it reduced choice, better pack design, or transparent product claims.

The rise of AI drives anxiety whilst simultaneously solving for it

For those seeking simplification and stability in daily life, perhaps an AI driven future will help us with our decision making fatigue. AI can weigh the odds for us and give us the least risky path. It's long been keeping us in our comfort zone of Netflix documentaries and helping us find fragrances and lipsticks at Sephora.

However AI brings one larger benefit to the consumer + brand relationship: Personalisation

Consumers don’t want to feel they are one of the masses, they want to be treated as an individual. They don’t want infinite choice, but they do want curated choices that are right for them; perhaps a small range of products that can each be personalised to their individualism.?

Generative AI has the potential to bring a new era of hyper-personalization to marketing; tweaking adverts, content and product placement in real time based on your prior shopping habits, gaming profile and TikTok searches (Gen Zs most used search engine is TikTok not Google).

Of course, AI brings its own uncertainty on where it will stop, whose job it will take, or when it might take over our human interactions. However, perhaps a more realistic way to look at the future of AI is that:

“AI itself won’t replace people… but people who embrace AI will replace those who don’t.” Karim Lakhani, Harvard Business School, 2023

Comfort seeking behaviours are manifesting physically

Despite the recent return of low rise jeans, many of us reached for comfort and functional fashion in 2023. The casual comfort trend gave us knitted woollen underwear, and more pockets than we knew what to do with.

Perhaps the likes of DryRobes as a coat replacement tells us comfort is king. Like Crocs and the Ugg before it, they continue to grow in popularity as streetwear, no matter how divisive.

“I gained a lot of weight over the last year and now don’t fit into my regular waterproof (due to pregnancy). I don’t want to buy another for the short time until I lose the baby weight, so I decided to just use my dry robe. I’ve been so dry and cosy I might keep doing it.” PenguinePower89, 2023

Dating and romance activities are shifting dramatically towards the transparent and honest

The lack of authenticity and transparency in the online dating world only leaves us seeking control over an area of our lives often the least predictable.

Dating apps have been no stranger to the paradox of choice, as we deal with hundreds of prospective candidates at a time and dozens of “you ok?”s. Once a turn on, this commoditised way of vetting potential suitors is now a turn off.

“Many say the apps feel like work and there is a genuine sense of burnout as people struggle to commit to what is essentially hours of admin a week alongside their day jobs and other responsibilities.” Robyn Vinter, 2023?

The real issue with online dating is that it requires you to pitch yourself not as a person, but as a “brand”. This means sacrificing real authenticity for talkability and potentially likability just to work towards a real life engagement. In much the same way as most online experiences, the goal of online dating is a physical and tangible end point to a virtual interaction, a face to face meeting. More often than not, this real moment of authenticity is let down because it doesn't live up to the optics that have been set up by the “brand” earlier.

The same follows through to everyday brands. Most rarely tell the truth, instead portraying what they think people want to see and hear. Many stand for little beyond selling a highly desirable way of life or functional benefit, and again most rarely follow through in reality, often failing to deliver on expectations.

It's this lack of authenticity and transparency that lets us down, leaving us feeling lost and lacking control. If we could see things at face value then we wouldn't have to second guess the motive, it's a question of morality.

Implications for brand navigating todays tricky state of play

Today we are not only fatigued by choice, but by the pressure of making the right one. We want to see ourselves making the right moral decision by buying ethical products, but face internal conflict when we sacrifice that choice because we can't afford to make it.

Our current economy champions hyper consumption and massive growth, but there is also a strong sustainability consciousness across the population. We are all trying to be more conscious capitalists.

Consider that two detergents should be easy to choose between. We convince ourselves we want to buy the ‘ethical’ one with the best eco credentials, but we baulk at the price, and leave feeling guilty. Brands need to deliver morally just and appealing choices, at an affordable price point.

How might brands help in today's chaotic reality:

1. Get their stories straight and be genuine

Many large and established brands have taken onboard trending social pressures and jumped on the CSR or ESG bandwagon, attempting to market themselves as more virtuous. Whilst they may be idealistic and seemingly sincere in this regard, they are rarely honest about the pressures on their idealism. It can even be detrimental when an established brand speaks out about an issue they cared little about for years and portrays themselves as an authority on the subject, even worse when they say one thing and do the opposite. Adidas’s decision to condemn Kanye Wests anti semitic comments, and then still sell off their stock of Yeezy’s, allowing him to profit, is one such example.

“A company is allowed to change its beliefs, but when that happens, it should be willing to establish a track record as an ally before becoming a leading voice.” Dan Monheit, Co-Founder of Hardhat.

Even smaller brands are trying to be more virtuous, and whilst many startups align themselves with a cause from day one, others quickly find a cause to rally for once they can divert attention from simply surviving. Tribe is one such example that quickly updated its mission inline with its customers' beliefs.

However virtuous the intent, startups and smaller brands can sometimes overdo it. Being unable to command certain price points, and with consumers often facing financial constraints, they watch as their once loyal customers fall back to established names who suddenly offer similar CSR credentials. They forget that short term gratification is key to continuing the engagement and only then can they ensure that the longer term cause they serve is solved for.

Brands should certainly not take the high and mighty ground that alienates those who might not yet be true believers. Ultimately all brands, big or small, should admit the challenges they face that impede their ethical goals and make the consumer a participant in overcoming those challenges. If a brand is honest up front that buying a certain SKU, or choosing a certain ingredient, will help them achieve something meaningful, then this gives consumers the opportunity to use their consumption choice as a direct driver of meaningful change.

Ultimately brands should be clear and provide clarity about what they actually offer. They should not masquerade between mixed messages and themes which create more uncertainty. This way they wont let people down, but when they do, real brands will improve themselves and not just apologise.

2. Reinvent messaging around aspirations

Overtime brands can shape value systems and shift aspirations. For a long time marketers have focused on independence, freedom and power; all ultimately traits of being by oneself.

In the current climate of uncertainty brands should reinvent the aspiration they sell; from selling adventure, to security, connection and comfort. Perhaps they should take inspiration from their own Christmas adverts, where most revolve around family and friends. Ideally ‘tidings of comfort and joy’ should not just be a Christmas theme, as those warm emotions are desired all year.

Brands should also consider the state of affairs when their messaging lands. Today for example, many people's desires might be closer to home than in prior years, as the inequality divide widens. Some customers who once planned holidays in the Spanish sunshine may instead be deciding if they turn the heating on today.

3. Embrace hyper personalisation

Brands need to solve for the individual, not their four or five target segments.

By leveraging new Generative AI, brands can not only develop ideas and products faster, but can develop highly specified marcoms material to suit individual customers needs, helping point them in the right direction.

Cadbury India’s 2021 AI driven Diwali advert was praised for aiding local businesses:

Let's assume an AI marketing program could leverage larger data sets on the consumer across their social media and other e-coms sources. Any advert they see online could be specifically pieced together in real time to showcase specific imagery, copy, music and even appealing human faces, all whilst offering useful service recommendations, deals, or a timely reminder of products in an abandoned basket.

Whilst this is perhaps an extreme example, Generative AI has the potential to be leveraged for offering genuinely useful advice and guidance online, helping customers navigate the myriad of choices they face today. Not to mention reducing the volumes of copy an ad agency would need to write to reach 100s of customer segments, not just the top four.

Uncertainty is here to stay

The doomsday clock sits at 90 seconds to midnight, we’re all feeling time poor and anxious and we sit in a world of decisions that often trade affordability with morality.

Brands have a unique opportunity here, not only to guide us, but to shape our world and our own mental health. They should help us navigate our tough choices, not provide us with more. They should champion real and meaningful connections for the individual, providing authentic and honest interactions that ultimately provide comfort. May they embrace the challenge and ultimately reap the rewards.

With thanks to Aftab Kaushik for some culture brainstorming