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FuturistU > Consumers > Consumer Behavior > Module 5 / 5

Consumers and Personal Brand

Instructor: Shelby Walsh
Social Media
Download the Social Media Trend Report
This final module in the consumer behavior course will explore how personal brand has become a 24/7 affair, how brands are successfully co-creating with their customers and how micro-influencers are driving authenticity. One of the key trends unpacked during this module is "Influencer Ubiquity" which details how consumers are curating their personal brands. It also explores thought-provoking examples from brands like Adidas who have increased awareness of new products and launches through the use of influencers.

It's not just micro-influencers or user-generated content that is making a splash when it comes to how people are behaving and their purchasing patterns, however. Celebrities are still playing an important role when it comes to shaping the preferences of consumers today; they're just using different platforms to connect, allowing them to strip down the layers between them and their fans. We'll look into how big names like Dwayne Johnson, Will Smith, and Selena Gomez have used visual platforms like IGTV and YouTube to reinvigorate their brand and provide inspiration on how your brand can provide a more effective platform for self-expression.
Related Trend Report: Social Media
Workshop Questions:
1. How can you provide a more effective platform for self-expression?
2. How can your brand become more authentic on social media?
Get Better and Faster

Featured Insights

Influencer Ubiquity
The influencer industry is no longer limited to marketing and artistic spaces
Implications - From micro to pet influencers, the influencer industry is expanding to accommodate and transform a variety of spaces. With social media giving every individual the opportunity to make themselves "brandable," this shift directly correlates with the individualistic preferences that can be seen in any given group – reflecting both niche and broad consumer interests in a way that is inherently authentic.
Workshop Question - How could your brand leverage influencer popularity?
5.2
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends

Insights by Trend Hunter AI

Kids Cosmetic
Makeup marketed toward Gen Alpha consumers is adapted as this demographic ages
Trend - To cater to the emerging Gen Alpha consumer, cosmetics companies are designing more sophisticated cosmetic lines. These products strike a balance between age-appropriate formulations and the high-end appearance favored by this demographic, influenced by trends on social media platforms.
Workshop Question - How can your brand cater to the evolving preferences of Gen Alpha as they become mature consumers?
8.5
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Sustainable De-Influencing
Brands launch campaigns that highlight the danger of overconsumption
Trend - On social media, especially platforms like TikTok, the "de-influencing" trend is gaining traction. This movement flips the script on traditional influencer marketing by encouraging users to critically analyze trending products and resist impulsive purchases. De-influencers often expose potential drawbacks of popular items, prompting a shift in consumer behavior. As this movement gains traction, brands are strategically engaging in de-influencing campaigns to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable practices.
Workshop Question - In an era marked by growing skepticism towards influencer-led consumerism, how can your brand authentically contribute to sustainable practices and engage customers in meaningful ways?
8.8
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
AI Novice
Artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent alongside services teaching the basics
Trend - As AI becomes more prevalent due to well-known apps such as ChatGPT, consumers feel a growing push to both understand and utilize the technology more confidently. New technologies can be intimidating, especially when the technology is one with such magnitude as artificial intelligence. These services aim to lower the barrier to entry.
Workshop Question - How can your brand develop services that demystify artificial intelligence and help consumers feel more confident in utilizing the technology?
5.9
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Decentralized Social
Developers are launching decentralized content platforms
Trend - Independent developers are using shared protocols to create decentralized content aggregator platforms. Companies do not own or moderate these platforms, which offers better privacy than large alternatives. Many of these platforms communicate with one another to form the 'Fediverse.'
Workshop Question - How could your brand adapt to, decentralized social media platforms to better reach modern consumers?
5.4
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
AI Advertisement
Startups are launching platforms that generate custom advertisements with AI
Trend - Startups are combining multiple artificial intelligence (AI)-based services into comprehensive platforms that generate custom advertisements. These use image, video, and text-generation to create entire marketing campaigns, streamlining the process for clients, and saving on time and budget.
Workshop Question - How could your brand leverage AI platforms to reduce annual costs while maintaining quality?
8
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Shoppable Short
Shoppable short-form video content enhances digital shopping experiences
Trend - Shoppable short-form video content and ads are becoming increasingly prominent digital strategies among brands across industries. This content merges traditional ads with modern tech habits--offering customers more engaging and convenient forms of online shopping.
Workshop Question - How could your brand more effectively engage customers with its online experiences?
7.7
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Latinx Platform
Content-based platforms are creating Latinx-specific offerings and benefits
Trend - Content platforms are catering to Latinx consumers with additional features and products, or reduced costs, in order to elevate these demographics on their platforms. This shift coincides with the cultural push towards inclusion and more accurate representations of different demographics.
Workshop Question - How could your brand better cater to demographics it currently overlooks?
4.6
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Mindful Entrepreneurship
Brands release programs that help users learn about and build businesses
Trend - Between competitive markets and economic instability, entrepreneurship has become more challenging for the average consumer to take on. Programs that help users learn about and navigate the process of building a business (or aspects of it) are becoming popular among aspiring entrepreneurs.
Workshop Question - How could your brand better support employees or customers in their personal pursuits?
3.5
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Ethical Search
Ethical search engines help consumers streamline conscientious purchases
Trend - As consumers become more conscious of the impact of their purchases, search engines that search for products that are made sustainably, or from brands that align with their personal values, are becoming more popular.
Workshop Question - How could your brand make conscientious shopping easier for its customers?
5.4
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
Private Socials
Emerging social media platforms are focusing on privacy
Trend - With criticisms around excessive social media use and the data-selling that goes along with it, some brands are releasing social media platforms with limited functions and privacy features that help protect users' data, while still enabling sharing between family and friends.
Workshop Question - How is your brand prioritizing the overall wellness of its customers?
2.5
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends