Independent’s Day was the Digital Publisher’s Alliance (DPA) inaugural combined Upfronts, featuring insights from more than 20 independent publishers.
Evolving consumer preferences have spurred new markets, purchasing trends and social behaviour over the past 10 years, but it’s the next decade that marketers need to pay attention to, said Frank Arthur and Scott Purcell, co-founders of Man of Many.
In a presentation at Independent’s Day, Man of Many shared that after surveying 1,000 of their readers, they had identified four key trends for marketers to be aware of over the next decade and the actions they can take to stay ahead of the competition.
Purcell said that company values matter now more than ever, with Man of Many’s research showing 91% of their readers believe a brand’s success should be measured by more than profit and over 72% boycotting a brand based on their social stances.
“This shows that there's a clear demand among consumers to deal with brands that align with their values and to brands that truly live by their values and work to build a community around them.
“As a marketer, does your brand effectively communicate its values to the consumer? Do the publishers you work with share your values and can they effectively communicate that message?"
Arthur said that among the readers of the men's lifestyle site, being a ‘conscious consumer’ has now become a mainstream movement. Climate change came out on top when asked what the ‘most urgent and primary concerns for society’ were, ahead of such issues as unemployment, economic growth, income equality and racism
“85% of respondents are taking actionable steps to live a more sustainable lifestyle, while 76% are willing to pay more for products by brands that practice sustainability.
“As you approach the next decade, you need to ask yourself - is sustainability just a checkbox or is it embedded in the foundation of your brand? Are your sustainability initiatives proactive, transparent and accountable and how can you work with publishers to effectively deliver these messages?”
Purcell said that the pace of technology is moving faster than the consumer. While nearly half of Man of Many’s readers said that their next car would be electric, most were not yet willing to embrace self-driving technology, and 85% said that they were not yet ready for the metaverse.
“It's clear there's a huge amount of education that's required for this full adoption of bleeding edge tech.
“Have you made efforts to understand technological trends shaping our future? Do you harness these technologies to better service customer needs? Are your customers educated on what these technologies mean for them? How can you best work with publishers to deliver those messages?”
Arthur said that the final trend that Man of Many’s research showed was people becoming far more comfortable with opening up about and paying more attention to mental health. Two thirds of those surveyed said they've been affected by mental health challenges, and nearly half had seen a therapist in the past three years.
“It's clear that our relationship with social media is complicated, and although we spend so much time on these platforms, 68% believe that social media has a negative impact on mental health. The good news is there's an optimistic future with initiatives such as R U OK? Day and Movember.
“As a marketer over the next 10 years, ask how can you leverage social media and publishers to engage with your audience in a meaningful way? And how can you best utilise your platform to promote wellness and positive messaging? And what does a constructive and supportive community mean to your consumer base?”
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