Getting out the crystal ball – what does 2012 hold in store?

The outlook for 2012 is not exactly optimistic, so I’ve dusted off my crystal ball to try and see what the next twelve months holds for brands, marketers and consumers. Continued economic trouble will see consumers remain cautious in their spending. For people with little that will mean an everyday focus on best value, while for the better off it will be more thrift and localism.

Everyone will be looking for comfort or escape – as well as some sense of hope. I think people will become quite cynical and will wish for a greater sense of community and support but will look after number one – this will translate into even further decreasing brand loyalty and continued “forced experimentation” to get the most from your cash.

Supermarkets will maintain their push to appear on the side of the consumer, with the public either sticking with the store closest to them – because they can’t to afford to drive to a cheaper one – or favouring the more budget supermarkets if they are within close proximity. We anticipate a return to make it yourself food and there may be a push to support local shops in light of the Portas Report, provided the price differential isn’t too great.

As times get tougher, there may be a greater focus from brands on helping consumers improve their mental wellbeing as part of a healthy lifestyle. Culturally we will continue to be increasingly mobile, less patient and more stressed.

Brands will need to stay close to their customers to see where they are lapsing in their purchases. It may be a time for brands to revisit fundamental questions about their relationship with consumers in an effort to consolidate existing customers but more importantly build a new base as well.

Research into why buyers buy, why people stay loyal or move away from certain brands during periods of austerity, and why some people have never bought a particular brand will provide a level of consumer understanding that could inform post-recession planning now.

In the marketing and research sectors we anticipate pressure to drive more value from every project; engaging consumers to get better data and therefore understanding, which ultimately enables us to inspire marketing teams with the ‘voice of the consumer’ to make better, more successful products. In a recession, price becomes a dominating factor, leading to further heavy promotions. Brands, though, can be better served understanding the more subtle drivers of purchase to be more profitable, as well as the obvious BOGGING-OFF that we know and love.

Meanwhile, we will see an outpouring of ‘Britishness’ coinciding with the Olympics and I think brands will interpret this in lots of different ways; from the reactionary (Rule Britannia nostalgic values), through to the inclusive (modern multi-cultural Britain) and the purely aesthetic (the Union Jack everywhere). Link that with our floating off into the Atlantic away from the EU if you will, but the Brit’s love affair with exotic products, tastes and new brand experiences will continue.