Unleashing the Power of Sustainability, Influencers, and Creativity: 5 Mind-Blowing Stats that Will Rock Your Week

Almost all young consumers say cost crisis is restricting ability to be sustainable

The ability to make sustainable choices has been negatively impacted by the cost of living crisis, according to 96% of Gen Z and millennial consumers surveyed. The survey aimed to understand the viewpoints of 2,000 individuals belonging to these generations regarding their decisions to purchase sustainably.

Ninety-two percent of respondents expressed a strong interest and involvement in sustainability and climate change. However, a significant number of younger consumers feel uncertain about making sustainable purchasing decisions. Sixty-three percent find it challenging to determine which brands are genuinely environmentally friendly, while nearly half have doubts about the sincerity of sustainability claims made by brands.

Only 52% of respondents believe that brands are actively working towards sustainability. However, despite worries about expenses, a majority of younger consumers (56%) are convinced that adopting sustainable habits would lead to long-term financial savings.

Consumers more likely to be influenced by friends and family

A majority of consumers (61%) reveal that they have made purchases after receiving recommendations from friends or family, as opposed to a meager 19% who claim to have been influenced by celebrity endorsements.

29% of surveyed individuals state that they are primarily influenced by regular social media users. In fact, when asked about the ideal individuals for brands to collaborate with in order to advertise their products, the majority (62%) of consumers prefer ordinary social media users.

Approximately 30% of consumers claim to have developed trust in regular social media users in the past five years, while traditional social media influencers are experiencing a decline in consumer trust.

Starting in early 2023, a trend known as 'de-influencing' has taken over TikTok, where users are actively discouraged from purchasing certain products. Almost half of those who are aware of this trend have become more wary of celebrities and influencers endorsing products on social media as a consequence.

Bad weather dampens August footfall

Retail footfall in the UK fell by 1.6% in August versus the same period in 2022. It was also down from 1.8% in July.

In August 2022, the UK experienced a heatwave that led consumers to flock to stores for BBQs, summer attire, and outdoor necessities. However, this year's August was considerably more rainy.

During August, shopping centers observed the most significant drop in foot traffic, with a decline of 3.8% compared to the previous year. Likewise, high street footfall also decreased by 0.9% on a yearly basis. Footfall in retail parks, however, remained the same as it was in August of the previous year.

Tourism provided a modest boost to cities like London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Edinburgh. However, Helen Dickinson, CEO of BRC, acknowledges that the effect was minimal even though tourism has rebounded to pre-Covid levels. She suggests that the government should reinstate a tax-free shopping program to draw international shoppers who are presently opting for other destinations. Dickinson emphasizes that unless proactive measures are implemented, the UK will continue to be the sole European nation lacking a VAT-free shopping scheme.

Source: British Retail Consortium/Sensormatic IQ

Women’s World Cup viewership up 83% versus previous tournament

Views of the Lionesses' World Cup matches in 2023 increased by 83% compared to the previous tournament in 2019. Social media followers of England's World Cup players also showed a significant growth of 112%. Furthermore, the squad's account witnessed a 13% rise in its number of followers.

Keira Walsh, known as the most expensive female player in club football, holds the highest number of followers among the Lioness players. She overtook Lucy Bronze as the most-followed player from the team throughout the tournament.

Moreover, the top eight teams experienced a significant surge in their social media followers during the tournament, with a remarkable 59% increase following the quarter-finals.

Source: Forza Football

AI fuelling creativity for marketers

A significant majority (59%) of marketing managers acknowledge that artificial intelligence plays a pivotal role in stimulating their creative thinking. Conversely, a comparable proportion (50%) express apprehension regarding its potential to render certain aspects of their job obsolete.

In addition, marketers express apprehension about the possible complications that AI could pose in terms of data security and privacy concerns, with nearly three-fifths (56%) expressing worry about this issue.

Budgets are being squeezed in a challenging economic climate, as one-fourth (25%) of marketing managers reveal a decline in their budgets. To cope with these limitations, 80% of marketing managers are resorting to AI.

Although nearly 90% (88%) of marketing managers recognize the effectiveness of AI, 43% perceive a negative perception of AI from the leadership. Additionally, almost half (46%) of marketing managers observe a deficiency in technology skills within their teams.

Source: Hubspot