Attest, a consumer research platform for the world’s biggest brands has released new data on the marketing trends that are likely to shape 2022.
The research is found within the second annual UK Consumer Trends report that tracks sentiment and behaviours ahead of the new year. Key findings include:
1. UK consumers want brands to be funny and entertaining in 2022:
- As the pandemic and negative news cycles drag on, the British public’s priorities seem to have shifted regarding what they want from brands. People say they most want to hear, see and experience humour in brand messaging (48 per cent) in 2022. By contrast, last year only 5 per cent said they wanted brands to make them feel “amused”, signalling a stark consumer shift away from serious messaging.
- Behind the demand for humour, consumers are most likely to want brands to be motivational (37 per cent) and reassuring (also 37 per cent) this coming year, followed by thought-provoking (30 per cent) and educational (27 per cent).
2. However, consumers do want brands to take a stand on issues, a small minority don’t:
- Climate change (at 42 per cent) is the top issue that the public wishes brands to take a stand on next year.
- The issue of poverty & inequality has grown in importance among UK consumers – it’s the second biggest issue (at 34 per cent) they want brands to take a stand against, potentially reflecting developing concerns about the rising cost of living. By contrast, one in ten Brits (16 per cent) state they “don’t want brands to be political” at all.
- Yet younger and older Brits are split on the top issue brands should be taking a stand on. Gen Z and Millennials most want brands to address racism but Gen X and Boomers think brands should take action on climate change as a priority.
3. Brits becoming less open to email marketing:
- Heading into 2022, the research finds that receptiveness to email marketing is down from last year (53 per cent versus 59 per cent) amongst British consumers.
- There’s also been a small bump in the number of people who don’t want to hear from brands via email at all from last year (14 per cent versus 11 per cent), signalling an overuse of the medium by brands through the pandemic.
- However, more of the British public are interacting with brands on social media than last year (rising from 70 per cent to 75 per cent). Interaction has especially increased on TikTok (11 per cent to 20 per cent) – making it the platform for marketers to watch in 2022.
Jeremy King, CEO and Founder of Attest, said of the research: “This research points to the British public favouring brands that will help them escape from reality next year. Digging into the Attest data more, what’s interesting is that when we asked a similar question last year, just 5 per cent wanted to be amused by brands. However, twelve months later, perhaps due to an overall sense of pandemic fatigue, Brits are seeking out entertainment in 2022.”
“Looking at next year further, what’s also clear from this research is that consumers want brands to take a stand on societal problems, however, authenticity is key for consumers when it comes to purpose-driven marketing.”
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