Three Pop Culture & Media Trends for 2023

 How are current pop culture and media shifts set to change the digital landscape in 2023?

 Stylus’ head of Multimedia, Christian Ward, hosted a LinkedIn Live event where our content director, Katie Baron, and Pop Culture & Media editor, Julia Errens, discussed the three pop culture and media trends that businesses need to know about for 2023.

Trend 1 – Avatars & VTubers: The Pseudonym Economy

 Opening the LinkedIn Live, our experts described how they’re seeing two divergent directions emerge in the way people use avatars online. On the one hand, Baron noted, there’s the high value that people from marginalised communities place on being able to have avatars look the same as they do in real life. But on the flipside, there are consumers who explicitly don’t want to appear online as they do in person – either to maintain anonymity, or develop their creative self-expression through more fantastical personas.

 Noting how avatars are experiencing a new lease of life – thanks, in part, to online virtual experiences – Baron explained that the deeper we go into the metaverse, the more versatile they will need to become. She also touched upon the technological advancements that are enabling “high-fidelity facial expressions” to lend one’s own mannerisms to digital counterparts. Adding to this, Errens attributed part of the rise of avatars and VTubers to the notion that they let individuals be present on social media, whilst also preserving their privacy.

“Anonymity is so powerful in all kinds of digital experiences – a lot more than people give credit for sometimes. This idea of spending time with synth beings, or being anonymous yourself – talking to somebody or something that won't judge you – is really comforting.” - Katie Baron

But what’s the opportunity for brands? Baron said that no matter the size of your business, avatars will be a common touchpoint for digital brand communications – making it an extremely competitive space. As Errens explained, livestreamed video is a great training tool to prepare for the sort of fully immersive 360° experiences we’re going to see in metaverse-like environments – so now is a great time for brands to get involved.

Trend 2 – Small Social: Content for the 'Friend Zone'

 TikTok’s success in the attention economy has prompted other platforms – including Instagram – to prioritise recommended content from creators that people don’t follow. The result? Online users now increasingly feel that such algorithmic content recommendations are cutting them off from existing one-to-one connections. Enter small social.

Users are flocking to smaller, human-curated sanctuaries to recapture facetime with others. “That’s why there’s growth in chat and community management platforms like Discord or Geneva,” explained Errens. The success of apps like BeReal, where you share with smaller, hand-selected social groups, is rooted in the crucial dynamic that “you can only participate if you’re an active participant”. She added: “[Creating this kind] of reciprocity – rather than endlessly scrolling a feed – is probably much better for everybody’s balance and mental health.” 

With people seeking more genuine connections online, where does this leave businesses? Errens said that downscaling to smaller groups will let brands turn their cause-driven campaigns towards societal action. Community and chat platforms allow you to create hubs for conversation, facilitate connections, provide guidance, and expand your research and development work at the grassroots.

Trend 3 – Mindful Media: Mainstreaming Mental Wealth

 Mindful media refers to entertainment that’s specifically crafted to provide mental or physical health benefits. Our experts explained that this approach includes explicitly ‘good for you’ experiences like audio meditation apps. But it also comprises new outlets and brands that are tapping into neuroscience to create media that’s chiefly entertaining and incidentally beneficial. It could be described as an antidote to overstimulation.

 Baron highlighted the diversification of wellbeing as another key opportunity for brands. She explained that the digital wellness space has seen a rise in platforms that cross over with editorial content, forums and e-commerce, such as British youth-centric site Woo. A more attainable and straightforward version of self-care is emerging, one that holds a sense of “keeping it real”, makes wellbeing relevant and aspirational to young consumers, and empowers people to “feel all the feels”.

 Mindful media platforms are about showing up as your authentic self, celebrating small moments, and providing users with a greater sense of belonging.

“Especially when we speak about the metaverse, I think people get these visions of virtual lifestyles where everything is going to be really quick […] But really, we’re seeing the most cut-throughs with stuff that gives us little poignant moments that we can then choose to share.” - Julia Errens

If you missed the conversation, you can watch the full LinkedIn Live now.

Want to know more about the future of pop culture and media? 

The topics discussed during our LinkedIn Live are just a taster of Stylus’ extensive insights into the pop culture and media landscape. Get in touch with the Stylus team, who can explain how your business can harness the power of trends and insights like these – and more.