A new report from Wunderman Thompson Intelligence explores how “a tumultuous few years have left global consumers yearning for something more.”
As part of the ‘The Age of Re-enchantment’ report, the agency surveyed more than 3,000 adults across the UK, the US, and China, found that more than three-quarters of people now say they “just want to feel something, to feel alive”.
The study, which also includes interviews with Gen Z-ers from 17 different countries around the world, alongside expert interviews with thought leaders across a range of fields including psychology, neuroscience, technology, architecture, and design, found that eople have always enjoyed being transported, but crucially, there is now an appetite for brands to deliver this, with almost two thirds (65%) of respondents saying they want brands to wow them with spectacular advertising.
Meanwhile, 61% want brands to help them feel intense emotions, and 63% want companies and brands to provide multi-sensory experiences.
According to the report, consumers are craving experiences that deliver feelings of joy, wonder, magic, and awe, with some looking to darker thrills like the uncanny, surreal, and dystopian.
“Uncertain times might imply a shift to a more practical attitude, but instead people are yearning for emotion-inducing experiences that deliver feelings of joy and wonder, craving the spectacular, the surreal, and the otherworldly.”
The survey showed that twice as many respondents said they are more likely to buy from brands that bring them a sense of joy (49%), or those that surprise and delight them (45%) than from brands that just do what they say they will (26%). More than half of consumers want to live in a world where brands think giving customers goosebumps is an important metric.
Key stats
- More than three-quarters of people now say they “just want to feel something, to feel alive”
- 74% say they feel like they are waiting for something good to happen.
- 76% agree that when something is magical it allows them to escape from the mundane
- Nearly half of those surveyed (48%) say they tend to avoid things that are predictable and formulaic.
- Half of respondents say they are fascinated by content that explores dystopian themes or futures
- 55% agree that horror provides an opportunity to experience fear in a safe environment
- 67% believe technology makes us more detached from the real world.
- 70% say they can’t remember the last time a brand did something that excited them
“Certainly, it seems that brands have an opportunity to help people transcend tough times and jolt them from malaise by celebrating the thrilling, the uplifting, the awe-inspiring and the magical, and can do more to deliver inspiration,” the agency said in a release.
However, it notes few brands are tapping into this desire, as 7 in 10 cannot remember the last time a brand did anything that excited them.
According to Wunderman Thompson’s data, 61% of people say that “companies and brands aren’t doing anything original” with more almost half saying they “feel tired and burned out all the time” and over two thirds agreeing that technology is making us “feel more detached from the real world.”
“Uncertain times might imply a shift to a more practical attitude, but instead people are yearning for emotion-inducing experiences that deliver feelings of joy and wonder, craving the spectacular, the surreal, and the otherworldly,” said Marie Stafford, Global Director, Wunderman Thompson Intelligence.
However, the report notes, few brands are tapping into this desire, as 7 in 10 cannot remember the last time a brand did anything that excited them.
“The new brand metrics are jaw drops, heart swells, and goosebumps. Brands can help people transcend tough times and jolt them from long-standing malaise by celebrating the thrilling, the uplifting, the awe-inspiring, and the magical. Welcome to the age of re-enchantment!”
The report additionally offers a number of key brand takeaways – from promoting full-spectrum emotion, escaping the rational, and even ‘going dark’. Meanwhile, unleashing the ‘Joyconomy’, building in moments of joy, play and fun can be a powerful strategy for brands to uplift and engage customers.
You can download the full report here.
Image by Afif Ramdhasuma.
