Consumers Want Brands to Make Shopping Fun in 2021

After a year of loneliness, social unrest and constant change, consumers are holding brands to a much higher standard before buying from them. Retail media research startup Future Commerce's Vision 2021 Report showed that consumers are craving a shopping experience that is entertaining, authentic and tailored to their needs and values. Digital shopping should be a social experience In-person shopping was once a form of entertainment, where consumers could take hours to browse stores with no final destination in mind. As a result of the pandemic, most shoppers haven't experienced this joy in almost a year, instead buying necessities online, alone, in a digital environment that the report describes as "optimized to death." Because consumers miss the social interaction of shopping, they want it to move to digital, the report said. Phillip Jackson, co-founder of Future Commerce, predicts that video games will be the best platform for recreating the social shopping experience he calls "communal commerce." "Streaming video shopping is already happening amongst Gen Z within platforms like FaceTime and WhatsApp, which are not necessarily captive platforms," Jackson said. "Video games represent a place where people congregate that will present new opportunities for communal commerce." Brands have already joined the trend by integrating their marketing campaigns into video games such as Roblox, Minecraft and Fortnite. Luxury fashion brand Balenciaga released its FW21 collection through the game Afterworld, and Cottonelle teamed up with T-Pain to sell toilet paper through Animal Crossing. Jackson predicts these integrations will continue to increase. Creators are driving brands to think differently Content creators, the showrunners of popular culture, represent "our generation's performance artists," the report said. They invented memes, gifs, hype culture, brand influencing—and now brands must tap into that energy and innovation if they want to reach young consumers. To do that, companies are partnering with young creators to make content, amplify their brand and reach large audiences with authentic, user-generated content. Etsy and Parade Underwear are two brands that have done this well—expanding influencer strategy and boosting conversions through Instagram creators. Jackson believes this trend is reflective of what generates revenue in today's market. "Young brands are indexing toward smaller creators due to market forces," Jackson said. "The costs of performance marketing have presented a challenge, and solo creators have a captive audience." Brands must be socially conscious, sustainable and transparent After a rise in social justice movements and an increased interest in brand values, consumers are taking a deeper look at what brands stand for and how that's reflected in company infrastructure. The report cites the example of the 15 Percent Pledge, which asks participating brands to pledge 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses and has gained support from Macy's, Sephora and Rent the Runway. Similarly, consumers are watching to see which brands prioritize sustainability: 81% of people have secured a second lifetime for their items by passing clothes down to others and donating to charities, the report said, indicating a growing appetite for second-hand clothing. In response, Levi's, athleisure brand Girlfriend Collective and Patagonia have all created their own recycled clothing lines. But it doesn't stop with a single pledge or statement. Brands are also held responsible for how they're combating disinformation, where they place their political funding and which voices they are amplifying. "Callout culture on social media, especially during the social unrest of the summer of 2020, has created an open conversation for brands to engage around the topic of anti-racism and representation, especially at the executive level," Jackson said. "This allows customers to vote with their wallets for brands that represent them more fully in their values." What Next? Adweek’s 2021 Outlook for Media, Marketing and Tech

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Consumers Want Brands to Make Shopping Fun and Reflect Their Values

A new report from Future Commerce outlines what matters to shoppers in 2021

Digital shopping should be a social experience

Kaila Mathis

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Digital shopping should be a social experience

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Kaila Mathis