Top Global Consumer Trends 2024

Ask AI

Generative AI has become a partner in thinking, creativity and socialisation — letting consumers create text, images and video with almost no technical skill. ChatGPT was the breakthrough of 2023, and a wave of LLM apps followed.

For brands, 2024 is the pivot from familiarity to deeper integration. The opportunity is to fold customers into the co-creation process: smarter search, curated virtual assistants and hyper-personalised experiences — while setting clear standards for responsible use.

Delightful distractions

With 39% of Gen Z and 36% of Millennials reporting daily stress, consumers crave micro-moments of joy that break the mundane. "Dopamine glam" — vibrant colour, playful messaging, viral stunts — became a brand language in itself.

Consumers immerse themselves in micro-moments of joy — and brands that deliver them forge real emotional connection.

Greenwashed out

Consumers have adapted their own behaviour but are pushing responsibility back onto business. Affordability and distrust are the barriers — and patience for empty pledges is gone.

The mandate for 2024: be forthright and factual, back claims with tangible proof, and make sustainable choices the affordable norm rather than a premium.

Progressively polarised

Political and social issues sit at the core of personal identity, amplified by social media. Some consumers reward brands that share their values; others — "value agnostics" — want a return to product, quality and price.

Taking a stance is increasingly risky. Brands must understand how influential social issues are for their audience, stay authentic to past actions, and be prepared to hold the line through backlash.

Value hackers

With 74% concerned about rising costs, budgeting has normalised — and consumers are getting creative. They hunt dupes, pay with rewards points, follow "deinfluencers" and join sharing communities to make money go further.

Businesses respond with bundles, loyalty perks, referral rewards and added-value services — and, crucially, by communicating that value clearly.

Wellness pragmatists

Consumers are taking a practical approach to health: away from time-consuming regimes, toward efficient, evidence-based solutions with visible results — from functional drinks and smart wearables to injectables and custom supplements.

Demonstrated effectiveness drives the purchase. The opening for brands is to educate on benefits and efficacy, and hone simple, functional solutions onto proven wellbeing needs.