Traditional age demographics are no longer relevant. Today, baby boomers and millennials have much more in common than ever before. More often than not — values, lifestyles and priorities are aligned. Our mindsets and needs are shifting to taking care of oneself, focusing on prevention and overall enjoyment of life.
There is an increasing emphasis on balancing mental, spiritual and physical health and well being. In an effort to stay healthy consumers of all types are demanding transparency.
Organic everything! Organic food, organic cleaning, organic beauty… the list goes on. Over half American’s are buying natural and organic products. In an effort to have complete transparency ,relative to chemicals and food quality, Americans are taking ownership of their food by gardening. The Farmer Foodshare reports that 1 in 3 people are growing their own vegetables and/or raising their own livestock. This same shift to organics is occurring in beauty and many other categories. The organic beauty market in the US was $11m in 2016 but it’s doubling in size each year. Transparency of beauty ingredients is a key consumer pressure point.
Physical health and proactive management Group exercise is increasing with High Intensity Training, Weight Training, Group Training all growing. Also the number of participants in Marathons and organized physical challenges are growing at all ages. Walking has been and is the most popular physical activity in the US. Over 50% of Americans report they walk as an activity and 30% walk as a form of transportation. Walking is outpacing (I had to do it) any other physical activity. When in doubt – walk if off!
Focus on experiences vs “things” Fortune reports that Travel, Recreation and Eating Out make up the highest percentage of household consumption. With many other categories like household goods declining. One of the growing recreational activities is going to National Parks. US National Parks have never been so popular. Backcountry camping is in and RV use is declining. Visitors to parks want to craft their own adventure. Off-track hiking is more popular than sticking to the path. People are seeking inexpensive, healthy and eventful ways to experience nature. Experiences make us happier than things. A recent article in Entrepreneur highlights a few reasons why. Happiness over material items quickly fades. Possessions don’t contribute to social relationships. Experiences introduce you to a whole new world and help you to define your passions and purpose.
Clubs and group belonging Likely due to the web based world we live in people hunger for a way to connect with others. Connecting with the community is important and valued. Surveys in an article recently posted 2016 showed 1 in 4 Americans volunteered at least once over the course of a year. Women tend to volunteer more than men (27.8% vs 21.8%). Caucasian individuals volunteer the most (26.4%) but all other ethnic groups are volunteering more each year. In 2016 volunteers who identify as black (19.3%), Asian (17.9%) and Hispanic (15.5%). Want to read more
Companies in the US are giving back. America’s Charities reported a staggering $5B per year are generated from workplace giving . Surveys show all things being equal consumers will purchase a product or service from a company that gives back vs once that doesn’t. Surveys also show all things being equal job seekers prefer to be part of a business culture that gives back. Doing good for others may help you to recruit/keep the candidate with the best cultural fit.
Every person is beautiful in their own way Big is beautiful. Racked reports that 68% of the women in the United States are size 14 or larger. The fastest growing segment in clothing sales are plus sizes. As a result every major designer and/or clothing retailers are now offering clothing designer for a curvier consumer. Women are not only owning their curves but celebrating them.
Ethnic lines are crossed and stereotypes are blurring. In the 2010 Census, the number of people claiming more than one ethnic group grew by 32% (vs. 2000). The overall population grew by 9.7% however, many multi-race groups increased by 50% or more. With the growing popularity of 23 & Me, Ancestry and others people are learning more about their heritage. The reality is most of us are mutts . After all, America is the melting pot or salad bowl so we shouldn’t be surprised.
It’s time to get real about how we look and how many unique faces of beauty there are. There has been recent fashion magazine photoshop backlash from stars like Priyanka Chopra, Rumor Wills and Zendaya. These stars took to instagram to complain about their over-photoshopped magazine covers. Many of them posted their “real” covers and preferred seeing their freckles, scars, fine lines and real hair. Creating a false image of beauty and expectations can be harmful to self esteem. To stop the idealistic expectations of female beauty; CVS has implemented a policy that all cosmetic signage can not be photoshopped.
Social media enables all voices to be heard. Teens to 90 year olds – all nationalities – all shapes and sizes are sharing their opinions and visions of beauty. It shouldn’t be a surprise that going barefaced (without makeup) and natural grey hair are two of the latest trends. Less and less is there one description of beauty. Beauty comes in many forms.
Celebrate your unique attributes, embrace your differences and put on a smile !
Tell us about your beauty.
