New global study from InSites Consulting reveals 12 ‘trends’ to guide brand action in APAC

‘The ‘top trend’ across the globe is ‘Adaptable Essentials’ – reflecting a desire for more purposeful, affordable products and services in a future facing resource constraints. In APAC, however, this trend only ranks 1st (based on attitude) in Australia, the Philippines and Singapore

This is according to new consumer research from InSites Consulting which identifies 4 Meaning Drivers and 12 trends that represent what matters to people for creating a more meaningful future.

Highlighting 2023 as a moment of cultural and environmental transition, the report explores a collective desire to reimagine, reinvent and transform the world around us.

The report is a call for brands to help create the future that matters for people and the planet, the company said in a media statement.

The report summarises findings from a three-part proprietary study which culminated in quantification with 15,000 consumers in 17 markets (including 6993 consumers in 8 Asia Pacific markets) in November 2022.

Highlights of the report include:

    • ‘Life Rewilded’ – a trend that focuses on bringing nature and wildness into daily experience – ranks 2nd globally for guiding everyday behaviour, meaning that many people are acting upon this trend already in their lives. It is an expanding trend in Asia Pacific, with Australia scoring highest within the region based on importance (attitude) and third highest on behaviour (behind Taiwan and the Philippines).
    • The cultural conversation around health continues to grow and diversify, with the trends ‘Social Health’ and ‘Interconnected Well-being’ ranking in the top 3 in terms of importance for all APAC markets except Thailand. Both trends are emerging in APAC, but that is not the case for all markets, with ‘Interconnected Well-being’ being categorised as expanding in Taiwan.
    • Globally, ‘I think we should be thankful for what we have now, instead of what we have lost’ was the most agreed with statement in the study – reflecting a focus on preserving and growing moving forward, rather than getting lost in crises

Lily Charnock, Director at Space Doctors (part of InSites Consulting), who led the study, said, “Our aim with this study was to move beyond a standard trend report to something that speaks to our collective imaginations and societal imperatives, while being grounded in what people need. The next step is of course applying this to drive action. Behind the report we have rich & diverse data that we can’t wait to explore for specific client challenges, categories and cultural contexts.”

Niels Schillewaert, Co-Founder and Head of Solutions at InSites Consulting added, “The trends we’ve identified should inspire brands to put people – and what matters to them – at the heart of product and service innovation for 2023 and beyond. We hope to inspire brands to explore what their role as a changemaker could be.”