Global Consumer Trends: Individualism
Datamonitor, June 2009, Pages: 109
Understanding global consumers’ individualistic and self expressive attitudes, behaviors and lifestyles and how this translates into marketing opportunities
When surveyed in August 2008, more than two thirds of respondents across the Asia Pacific region expressed the view that using specifically-designed products is important or very important to them. This is indicative of consumers growing desire (across geographic territories) to be recognized as having personal needs rather than being part of the mass market
Scope:
- Detailed trend analysis outlining what constitutes value for consumers (trends are, after all, a reflection of whats important to consumers)
- Global in focus, but also offers country-by-country and sector insights thereby catering to top-line or more specific information needs
- Covers all major FMCG sectors, but also with applicability to wider consumer goods audiences
- One of 10 dedicated mega-trend reports outlining the most important issues shaping global consumers buying behavior both now and in the future
Highlights of this title:
Good trend-watching is about taking the bigger-picture approach. Adopting a broader global perspective to trend-tracking facilitates better decision making by overcoming category myopia. Monitoring the broader FMCG environment will enable bigger picture learning that can be applied more specifically.
Nearly three-quarters of global consumers attach importance to individuality and being able to express themselves. This is symptomatic of changing value sets whereby cultures once regarded as being collectivist are increasingly shaped by values that emphasize self expression and self-assertiveness.
Self-congruent consumerism is a trend whereby the image that a person has of her/himself often influences the brand/product choice. By choosing brands with particular image associations, individuals can communicate to others the type of person they are or want to be seen as.
Key reasons to purchase this title:
- Understand the significance of the different individualism-aligned trends across territories and FMCG sectors to help support market diversification
- Save time and gain maximal insight by using this one-stop-shop resource which offers a clear and up-to-date framework for understanding consumers
- Access data from two waves of global primary research to increase the likelihood of being on-trend with NPD and marketing activities
Overview
Catalyst
Summary
INTRODUCTION: THE IMPORTANCE OF TREND-TRACKING
Tracking consumer mega-trends is fundamental to long-term success
Trend-tracking insight 1: mega-trends can be classified in two ways according to desirable benefits and societal complexities
Trend-tracking insight 2: trends are aligned with pre-existing, but evolving human values, attitudes, needs and behaviors
Trend-tracking insight 3: mega-trends can be broken down into trends and sub-trends highlighting that trend frameworks provide structure and clarity at a time of information overload
Trend-tracking insight 4: manufacturers, retailers and researchers/futurologists perpetuate trends
Trend-tracking insight 5: adopting a broader, global perspective to trend-tracking facilitates better decision making by overcoming category myopia
Trend-tracking insight 6: trends have longer-term implications than fads and can be categorized by evolvement
Trend-tracking insight 7: for every trend there is a counter-trend while trend-crossover is also and important phenomena
Takeouts and implications: a trend framework boosts the quality and frequency of insight generation ensuring maximum return from the broader market research processes in place
THE FUTURE DECODED: DECIPHERING THE INDIVIDUALISM MEGA-TREND
MEGA-TREND SYNOPSIS: Self reliant and self expressive consumers want more personal and customized brand experiences
TREND: Growing self reliance and respect for individual freedoms and rights characterizes global consumer societies
SUB-TREND: Respect for individuality, democracy and individual freedoms is growing globally, but not without exceptions
Individuality and freedom of speech is considered very important to Europeans, but many in the east feel their freedom is more stifled
Consumers in Latin America are torn between retaining their own national identity or succumbing to Western influences
Asia Pacific consumers, though still existing in comparatively more collectivist consumer cultures, are ever keener to display their individuality
Individuality is also an increasingly prominent and important value in the Middle East
Key take-outs and implications: the growth of individuality creates a more engaged, confident and vocal consumer
SUB-TREND: Taking responsibility and taking care of me are key features of individualistic orientations
Europeans particularly value their own health and remaining financially solvent
Consumers in the Americas are taking more responsibility for their own actions in day-to-day life
Consumers in Asia Pacific are paying more attention to their own health and financial wellbeing
Consumers in MENA have become more health-focused than environment-focused in recent years
Key take-outs and implications: marketers must capitalize on the proactive, assertive nature of todays individualistic consumers by tapping into what is important to them
SUB-TREND: Living alone: the growth of single person households and compact living is a particularly important trend as urban living becomes more common
Rising house prices may put the breaks on the growth of single person households in Europe
The percentage of single person households is increasing in both North and South America
Consumers in Asia Pacific are increasingly disposed to living alone
Living alone is not a trend with significant relevance in the MENA region
Key take-outs and implications: living alone is an extension of societal individualism and leads to distinct consumer needs that can be targeted with specific product features and benefits
TREND: Personal branding: the branded self has become a feature of more individualistic, self-orientated values and lifestyles
SUB-TREND: Brand me: purposeful grooming and image management is important in todays visual culture
Upholding appearances helps many Europeans feel good about themselves
Levels of conspicuous consumption in the Americas varies depending on how developed a country is
Attitudes towards self-branding (and brands more generally) differ vastly across the Asia Pacific region
Consumers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia believe it is important to look good and this is also associated with opportunities in life in a similar manner to Western consumer societies
Key take-outs and implications: appearance consciousness and beauty products are heavily aligned with consumers attempts to self-brand
SUB-TREND: Self-improvement: the continual pursuit of success and acquiring new skills is something that shapes consumer lifestyles
Rewarding work and recreational activities are high priorities for many Europeans
Consumers in the Americas could be happier about how well their careers are going
Consumers in the Asia Pacific region are striving to climb the social ladder and gain new experiences
Survey data suggest that consumers in MENA are satisfied with their occupational statuses
Key take-outs and implications: industry players must help people be better consumers
TREND: Self-expressive and personalized consumerism continues to gain prominence
SUB-TREND: Self-congruent consumerism: choosing self congruent brands is an important trait of individualistic, self-orientated consumer behavior
Matching brands to their outlook is of relevance to some Europeans
Consumers in the Americas believe it is important that brands say something about themselves
There is a high demand for self congruent brands in Asia Pacific
Middle Eastern consumers are brand-conscious and like to express themselves through consumption
Key takeouts and implications: people today increasingly purchase on the basis of whether a product conforms to their self-image
SUB-TREND: Make-it-for-me consumerism: more demanding and sophisticated consumers, combined with the desire to be treated as individuals, increasingly welcome personalized products and services
Europeans like the concept of customized products, but value other product attributes above this
Customization is important to consumers across the whole of the Americas
Consumers in Asia Pacific want products which solve problems that they personally experience
Customized products are highly desirable in the Middle East
Key takeouts: personalization/customization benefits fulfil important needs, both for consumer and for producers looking to differentiate their offerings in saturated consumer markets
SUB-TREND: Customer made: adaptive and participative consumerism
UK food and drinks makers have turned to the public to help develop new flavor and label designs, capitalizing on consumer enthusiasm for such activities
Crowdsourced products are growing in popularity in Asia Pacific
Key take-outs and implications: losing control of brand development does heighten risk, but consumers increasingly want to interact with brands on their own terms
APPENDIX
Definitions
Methodology
Further reading and references
Ask the analyst
Disclaimer
List of Tables
Table 1: Consumer survey: support and satisfaction with democracy, in Latin America, by country 2007-08
List of Figures
Figure 1: Datamonitors mega-trends are having a long-term and substantive impact on the marketing landscape and can be grouped into two categories
Figure 2: Consumer behavior and the innovations targeting it inevitably fit into a trend hierarchy
Figure 3: Trend tracking can be a source of (comparative) competitive analysis
Figure 4: Datamonitors mega-trend framework helps set the agenda for the specific topics covered in the New Consumer Insight (NCI) research stream
Figure 5: Trend development is dictated by both consumer pull and manufacturer push and Datamonitor offers the intelligence tools to capitalize on this reaity
Figure 6: In a consumerist global culture, the broad consumption spheres/segments transcend borders
Figure 7: Several factors distinguish a trend from a fad
Figure 8: There are numerous compelling drivers driving individualism
Figure 9: Post-materialist values emphasizing self expression and individuality are driving influences in the trend towards growing self reliance and respect for individual freedoms and rights
Figure 10: Self expression is an important issue to European consumers
Figure 11: Asserting ones individuality is highly important to consumers in the Americas
Figure 12: Democracy is second to economic progress for a large segment of Latin Americans although there are notable variances across the region
Figure 13: Though the overwhelming majority of Brazilians consider individuality and self expression to be important, other research suggests that the feeling that freedom of expression is restricted is highly prevalent
Figure 14: Expressing individuality is a core need for consumers across the Asia Pacific region
Figure 15: On a personal basis, environmental issues have not increased in importance to Russians and the Dutch as much as in than other European nations
Figure 16: Reflecting the taking-care-of-me mentality, feeling good about themselves is rated by Europeans as being more important than other non-personal reasons in motivating them to clean their homes
Figure 17: Self reliant Europeans, who are managing their finances more closely, increasingly view credit as an unattractive means of maintaining their prerecession lifestyles
Figure 18: Protecting the environment has increased in importance to most consumers in the Americas
Figure 19: Ones personal impact on the environment has also increased in importance in the Americas
Figure 20: Health continues to grow in importance to consumers in the Americas
Figure 21: Finance is seen as a personal responsibility by the majority of consumers in the Americas
Figure 22: Many consumers in North and South America have become more meticulous with their own finances as a consequence of the credit crunch
Figure 23: Only a minority of consumers are using credit to maintain their lifestyle in the Americas
Figure 24: Motivations for cleaning the home are more strongly related to personal, self-fulfilling factors for consumers in both the US and Brazil
Figure 25: Asia Pacific consumers have become more concerned about their own health than the wellbeing of the environment around them
Figure 26: In Asia Pacific, achieving a personal feeling of satisfaction plays a large part in consumers motivation to clean their homes
Figure 27: Following the financial crisis, majorities across Asia are paying closer attention to their finances
Figure 28: Asia Pacific consumers strongly feel that financial management is an individual responsibility
Figure 29: The impact of the credit crunch has made Asia Pacific consumers more reluctant to rely on credit in order to fund their lifestyles
Figure 30: UAE consumers have become more environmentally and health focused than Saudi consumers in the past two years
Figure 31: Gulf consumers are managing their finances more closely in the wake of the economic downturn
Figure 32: MENA consumers are more likely than other regions to rely on credit to maintain their lifestyle
Figure 33: The growth of single person households is expected to decrease slightly in Europe in the lead up to 2014 as people look for the most cost-effective forms of dwelling
Figure 34: A variety of foods have been launched that target the single person household
Figure 35: Growth in the proportion of single person households in the US and Brazil has occurred in the last five years, but will slow going forwards
Figure 36: Growth in the percentage of single person households is most apparent in China and Korea
Figure 37: Only a small percentage of households in Saudi Arabia and the UAE are single person households
Figure 38: Personal branding is a concept that has gathered momentum in the last 10 years
Figure 39: Personal branding guides reflect an ongoing cultural shift towards maximizing individual capabilities, particularly for achieving occupational success
Figure 40: Being seen with the right brand is less important to European consumers than the belief that beauty products can aid self confidence or look professional at work
Figure 41: For many Europeans, looking ones best is an important aspect of everyday life
Figure 42: French consumers regard how other people perceive their home to be a more significant motivator for cleaning their homes than elsewhere in Europe
Figure 43: Mixed attitudes to conspicuous consumption-as reflected by the importance attached to brand image-exist among consumers in the Americas
Figure 44: Personal care products have a significant positive impact on consumers in the Americas in a way that suggests that consumers use them to define their personal brand
Figure 45: Brazilians are particularly conscious that physically attractive people have more opportunities in life, which perhaps explains the broader value that individuals attach to upholding appearances
Figure 46: More than a third of consumers in the Americas are highly influenced by what others think in driving their home cleaning habits
Figure 47: Koreans and Indians are extremely brand conscious, whereas Australians are less so
Figure 48: Asia Pacific consumers are more likely to engage in beauty routines in order to boost their own self-esteem than to look professional at work
Figure 49: In a mentality that conforms to the ideology of self branding, Asia Pacific consumers believe that physical attractiveness will ultimately be advantageous to in making progress in life
Figure 50: When it comes to cleaning the home, consumers in Asia Pacific are generally equally motivated by self-interest and the interests of others
Figure 51: Gulf consumers are more concerned about looking their best than the average consumer globally and also associated appearances with opportunities in life
Figure 52: From building confidence to the art of picking up, there are a growing array of self-help books tapping into the mentality to self-improve
Figure 53: There are around 19 million people in tertiary education in the EU
Figure 54: Many Europeans are not satisfied with their professional success, but place high value on this aspect of life in creating a feeling of wellbeing/wellness
Figure 55: Seeking new experiences and challenges in life has become more important to Europeans and is indicative of pushing the boundaries and not getting stuck in the comfort zone
Figure 56: Consumers in the Americas value occupational success in their lives, but are seeking to improve their satisfaction with this aspect of their lives
Figure 57: New challenges and experiences are important to many consumers in the Americas
Figure 58: Enrolment into tertiary education is comparably high in Korea and Australia
Figure 59: Asia Pacific consumers strive for occupational success but believe that they are underachieving or undervalued in the workplace
Figure 60: Consumers in Asia Pacific, especially in India, China and South Korea, are more concerned about seeking new challenges now than they were two years ago
Figure 61: Enrolment rates in UAE and Saudi Arabia are around a quarter
Figure 62: Gulf consumers are generally satisfied with their careers at the present moment in time
Figure 63: Seeking new challenges and experiences in life has become significantly more important to consumers in UAE and Saudi Arabia
Figure 64: A consumers self concept is multidimensional and is heavily influenced by cultural differences
Figure 65: Russian consumers are particularly taken to brands which match their outlook on life
Figure 66: Self-congruent brands interest some consumers in the Americas
Figure 67: Asia Pacific consumers firmly believe that brands reflect personal attitudes, and strive to define themselves through consumption
Figure 68: Chinese and Indian consumers are becoming increasingly accustomed to purchasing brands as a means of self-expression
Figure 69: Four key personal benefits as well as the additional ease of customizing have driven the trend toward more personalized consumer packaged goods
Figure 70: Many Europeans place high importance on products that suit their specific needs
Figure 71: Specific nutrition formulations are seen as appealing by many Europeans and many are opting for more personalized benefits with greater regularity
Figure 72: Customization is of less important to Europeans than other attributes/features when it comes to making day-to-day food choices
Figure 73: Customized beauty products are more appealing to Europeans than food and drink products
Figure 74: Europeans value customizable skincare products more than any other personal care product type
Figure 75: Personalization is important to the vast majority of US and Brazilian consumers
Figure 76: Personalization in food and beverages is of some interest to consumers in both North and South America
Figure 77: Customization benefits influence consumption of personal care products for some consumers in the Americas
Figure 78: Customization benefits are often a mid-ranging factor in consumers personal care choices in the Americas
Figure 79: Asia Pacific consumers believe it is important that products are suitable for their individual requirements
Figure 80: In Asia Pacific, customization is not as important a factor to consumers in food and beverage choice as others
Figure 81: Customization is more important to Asians in personal care products than foods and beverages
Figure 82: Customization is deemed most important in cosmetics but least important in fragrances
Figure 83: Customization is important to MENA consumers for all types of personal care/beauty products
Figure 84: Consumers media orientations are changing, with participative and engaging social media becoming more important
Figure 85: Manufacturers are giving consumers the ability to customize and express themselves through branded products via packaging and basic aesthetic modifications
Figure 86: Competitions both global and locally based have been launched in the UK to capitalize on consumer enthusiasm for customer made creations
Figure 87: Companies in the Americas have successfully integrated elements of individualism into their product offerings
Figure 88: Asia Pacific: consumers can now become more involved in the creative side of businesses
Figure 89: There are differences between consumer values and attitudes
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