3 Steps Forward, 50 Years Back

Image credit: Alex Radelich via Unsplash

2023 tested us, tempted us and sometimes tormented us. Women’s rights rolled back half a century. Civil discourse was anything but civil. Mass shootings were still largely met with just thoughts and prayers. Books are banned and banned books are protested. Twitter became X and was followed by an exodus of users trying to figure out new spaces. The nation is polarised as a daily theme and daily drama. Economic worries drowned out the facts of real economic growth. AI is finding its champions and detractors.  

No wonder so many people of all ages are finding incremental ways to take control of their lives, at least some part of it.

This is how it may play out this year.

Gen Z Takes the Reins

Gen Z has truly arrived. With their voting power, which they are leveraging to great effect, and their growing purchasing power, the gen Z impact is making its mark in the marketplace of ideas, culture and brands

2024 may well be when their growing power finds expression in shifting values. For gen X, gen Z, all the way down to Alpha, life is filled with new freedoms and new fears. The discussions about gender and de-stigmatizing gender have broadened at the same time that reproductive rights have narrowed and LGBTQIA+ seem next in line. Scrutiny is fierce. 

The fear of gun violence and mass shootings that defined gen Z’s school days has now enlarged to the global stage, most vividly as the war between Russia/Ukraine and the highly charged Israel/Palestine conflict dominate the news. The shock of war and its global implications are jolting and confusing.

Look for gen Z, which has proven itself to be effective organisers and activists, to run for more public offices, take key roles in 2024’s political campaigns, and continue to be modern-day muckrakers. They are translating their fear into fearless endeavours, writing their own scripts, and rewriting the rules of resilience. 

Sustainability Is No Longer a Luxury Brand. It’s A Guiding Principle. 

While Earth Day began more than 50 years ago to raise awareness of environmental issues, public policy and private innovation have been slow to gain traction. 

Carbon emissions and the quest for carbon neutrality have dominated the discussion but to many still feels more aspirational than not. Jammed airports, packed highways, the rise of brands like AirBnB and travel experiences rather than vacations have been a big elephant in the room of sustainability. 

But gen Z does not see sustainability as external to their day-to-day lives. More than most, this generation takes seriously the warnings that we have little time — some say 18 months, others 12 years — to correct the damage we have done to the planet. They see climate change as a tangible matter of life and death and their sense of urgency is bringing new seriousness and personal responsibility to the table. 

In 2024, we expect people will approach major life decisions through the lens of consumption and earth’s longevity. Gen Z will lead the charge but expect more generations young enough to be making long-term family decisions for the first time to do it against a rubric of sustainability.  

Low-key elopements will become as common as Pinterest-inspired weddings with all the trimmings of couple-branded trinkets. Couples are already opting to not have children or will choose to have only one. Higher adoption rates may be an unaccounted benefit of climate anxiety.  

In the same vein, energy efficiency will play a larger role in purchasing a home, and gen Z will be at the forefront of housing innovations that combat climate change. especially for younger generations, thrifting will become more vital and interesting. 

When it comes to fashion, people will prioritise natural fibres, organic textiles and classic pieces. Brands like Everlane that continue to make sustainability initiatives central to their brand and business model will find new levels of brand loyalty. 

Consumer packaged goods companies that invest in local refill and package free stores will see their early adapters become evangelizers for the brand. While it seems unrealistic for plastics to be abolished anytime soon, the brands that become part of the solution rather than remain part of the problem will be more and more attractive to consumers. 

What Entertains Us Now?

The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes and resolutions will certainly have an impact on what will be created, this year and beyond. In terms of trends, however, we see a few things on the horizon that reflect the cultural angst.  

The entertainment industry, particularly the streaming platforms, will lean in on nostalgia as the comfort food that will attract their viewers. Suits blew up on Netflix this year and Hulu promoted the ‘80s hit Moonlighting, streamed for the first time ever. With gen Z’s adoration for 90s/00s fashion and music, we can imagine shows like Freaks & Geeks (’99-00), My So-Called Life (1994) and The O.C. (03-07), having a strong resurgence.  

The resurgence of reading books goes hand-in-hand with changed consumption habits. The pandemic brought back reading, but in these post-lockdown times, the spike hasn’t had a significant downward dip. Late in 2023, Spotify began offering free audiobooks to Premium subscribers and Amazon keeps aggressively driving the Kindle Unlimited trial. Newer entries into the market, Libby and Hoopla found success this past year as the 2 and 6th most downloaded book apps. This suggests that the level of access to books digitally — whether for free or for purchase — is something we will see continue to increase in 2024, particularly as independent reading and book clubs proliferate.

Finally, given the enormous spurt of concert attendance and concert tourism, there will likely be a continued shift in spending from screen to stage. With this, concert films may well be the new draw and income producer to get people in theatres or renting via streaming. 

Three Steps Forward, 50 Years Backwards

Last year was, to understate it mightily, a year of opposing trends for women. The rolling back of Roe v. Wade made the 50 states fierce battlegrounds between pro-choice advocates, showing the power in numbers to legislate abortion rights, and anti-abortion zealots who see Roe v. Wade as a critical turning point in the crusade to control reproductive (and human) rights entirely.  

While the public arena diminished female agency, the private sector celebrated, perhaps even uplifted, women. Older women received their cultural due — not as retrospective curiosities but as continued valued contributors. Martha Stewart’s Sports Illustrated cover this year went viral. Michelle Yeoh reached the height of her career in her 60 with an Oscar. Shania Twain and Joni Mitchell’s musical comebacks cemented them as matriarchs of the music industry. Julia Louis Dreyfus launched a podcast Wiser Than Me that features women “older and wiser” than her 62 years, such as Carol Burnett and Amy Tan. The Golden Bachelor, whatever you think of its format and content, helped normalise love, sex and relationships no matter your age. 

The phenomenon of Barbie proved both a cultural and consumer success. Launching Barbie, whose origins were hardly feminist, into a global discussion of postfeminist self-actualisation both inspired and underscored real conversations about women’s role in the world, all the while boosting the Mattel’s brand and bottom line. Quite a success on two wildly different fronts. 

And, of course, Taylor Swift’s Eras tour propelled her into the billionaire’s club, which she managed to do while gaining the unwavering loyalty of her fans, who shelled out enormous sums of money to bask in her flow. 

These cultural goalposts may signal a new front for women. In 2024, we will see smart advertisers not only recognise the purchasing power of older women but shift to a more respectful and realistic representation that is more about their agency than ageing. Similarly, we believe that this will be accomplished by increasing the ranks of older women in an industry that often still clings to youth as the magic bullet for consumer connections and creativity. 

At the same time, younger women will continue to re-examine their relationship to work and family, defining and redefining their work-life balance unapologetically.  

So, We Really Are What We Eat

Healthcare continues to confound and confuse. The new Covid vaccine, targeted for current strains, is struggling to find arms. Cold medications that people have relied on for decades are now said to be ineffective. The Supreme Court’s decision to hear the mifepristone case could have massive ramifications of the authority of the FDA.  

If there is a single theme, it is consistent with the trends of scepticism and control, an imperfect match to say the least. In the past few years, the growth of supplements has increased. More than half the US adult population takes supplements, first and foremost multivitamins. And supplement takers tend to be a more educated demographic.  

What is clear is that there is distrust of the medical world, big pharma and big supplements, and to some extent vaccines. The annual flu vaccine is getting far more takers than the new bivalent covid vaccine.  

What is also clear is that there is a greater mixing of traditional and alternative medicines. And what is clearly in our control, is what we eat. We see the trend of food as medicine, or at least with promised medicinal properties, will continue to surge. Diets and products that promise glucose control, gut microbiome management, or allergy control will find larger audiences. We will see more and more homemade tonics and tinctures, teas, drinks, fire ciders, and even spices find their place in the overall approach to health. These affordable, personal decisions may or may not move the medical needle, but they give people a sense of direction and empowerment. And sometimes they even taste great. 

What Does It All Mean?

We can be sure of one thing: 2024 will be intense and interesting. The passionate desire to do good in the world will be met with an equally strong drive to have fun, be entertained, enjoy frivolity and embrace one’s individuality. This makes for interesting times for those of us who are perennial students of people, and a chance for advertisers to make interesting, long-lasting connections with their consumers. These are times that cry out for sensitivity and transparency in making connections, but also a good dose of humour might just make the difference.