Tips from WGSN: What fashion brands can do to combat consumer fatigue

Feelings of burnout often plague consumers. Trend forecasting company WGSN describes in a study how fashion brands can alleviate these feelings.

According to WGSN, 65 percent of respondents said they felt exhausted by a more demanding work life and personal life, exacerbated by a variety of crises: rising cost of living, financial uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and environmental fears. Globally, 48 percent of people under 30 (Generation Z and Alpha) said they felt exhausted at work. In South Africa, 40 percent of working women report burnout.

This feeling leads consumers to yearn for a simpler life and to seek joy in small moments of pleasure and positivity that can combat negative feelings and provide a sense of comfort and security. Think of a sunrise or listening to your favourite song in a café.

Brands need to move, interest, spiritually inspire and celebrate people

In face of fatigue and anxiety, WGSN advises brands to inspire hope by creating products, experiences and spaces that build people up and show them the way to a better future. Here are some recommendations:

• Design branded products and experiences to evoke a specific emotion. Globally, twice as many consumers say they buy from brands that evoke specific emotions such as joy (49 percent) or delight (45 percent) compared to brands that focus only on sales (26 percent).
• With the growing demand for public spaces or social environments outside of the home or office, it will be important to create places where people can explore their niche identities or interests.
• The study on meta-spirituality shows how spirituality is moving into non-religious spaces as more and more people search for meaning and purpose in their daily lives. For example, rave culture (a lifestyle that combines a sense of community with values around parties and electronic music) offers other routes to fulfilment.

This article was originally published on FashionUnited.fr. Translated and edited from English by Simone Preuss.