We use cookies to give you the best personal experience on our website. If you continue to use our site without changing your cookie settings, you agree we may place these cookies on your device. You can change your cookie settings at any time but if you do , you may lose some functionality on our website . More information can be found in our privacy policy.
Please provide more information.
Stylus no longer supports Internet Explorer 7, 8 or 9. Please upgrade to IE 11, Chrome, Safari, Firefox or Edge. This will ensure you have the best possible experience on the site.
stylus
trends		 consumer
lifestyle		 consumer
product		 consumer
engagement		 topics events
calendar		 blog
view all
reports
 		about
stylus		 login
stylus trends
Consumer Lifestyle
Food, Beverage & Hospitality
Fashion
Beauty
Product Design
Colour & Materials
Retail
Media & Marketing
topics
view all reports
events calendar
blog
about stylus
T&C
careers
contact us
login
Consumer Lifestyle

Positive Realists

The era of post-truth is giving rise to a tranche of consumers who are rejecting excessive optimism in favour of hyper-pragmatic realism. We explore the implications for brands.

Share:
Published:
21 Aug 2017
BY: Shabana Ebrahem
DOWNLOAD PDF
RELATED REPORTS
The Middle-Aged Gap: Top 6 Opportunities
The Middle-Aged Gap: Top 6 Opportunities The Middle-Aged Gap Bookended by boomers and millennials, Gen X (aged 38 to 53) is still often forgotten and feels largely ignored by the fashion industry. However, with a worldwide spending power of $2.33tn (IBM Watson, 2017) and with a higher online spend than their millennial counterparts (KPMG, 2017), they represent a huge untapped market. We highlight the key ways for brands and retailers to specifically target the cohort and capitalise on this missed commercial opportunity.
Fashion
Insight & Innovation
18 Jul 2018
Christmas 2019: Beauty Inspiration
Christmas 2019: Beauty Inspiration Christmas 2019: Beauty Inspiration Drawing inspiration from our Beauty Forecast Dark Nature, Christmas 2019 styling and gifting explores decadent Art Deco glamour and a science-tinged, surrealist view of the natural world. Mirrored, metallic-lacquered and sumptuous velvet finishes abound, while saturated colour comes courtesy of inky blacks and blues, glowing jewel tones and otherworldly acid-tinged phosphorescence.
Beauty
Beauty Forecast
25 May 2018
Fuelling Fast-Paced Lifestyles
Fuelling Fast-Paced Lifestyles Fuelling Fast-Paced Lifestyles We're witnessing a powerful shift in behaviour – away from softer wellbeing activities and towards more edgy, hardcore pastimes that test endurance limits, sharpen performance and bring digitally distracted consumers back to the physical. Brands must support this hunt for intensity to remain relevant, and we share the key strategies to achieve this.
Consumer Lifestyle
Insight & Innovation
01 May 2018
Interactive Artwork Aims to Boost Mental Wellbeing
Interactive Artwork Aims to Boost Mental Wellbeing Artwork Boosts Mental Wellbeing A vending machine in Sydney is selling customers small packets of advice based on their mood, in a bid to get more people talking about mental health.
Consumer Lifestyle
Health & Wellness
10 Apr 2018
Prism App Helps Young People Cope with Illness
Prism App Helps Young People Cope with Illness App Helps People Cope with Illness Medical experts at Seattle Children's Hospital and US design firm Artefact have created an app called Prism to help young people cope with chronic or terminal illness.
Consumer Lifestyle
Health & Wellness
27 Mar 2018
VIEW ALL Reports
Somnai: Immersive Lucid-Dreaming Experience
Somnai: Immersive Lucid-Dreaming Experience Somnai: Lucid-Dreaming Experience London-based production company Dotdotdot has launched an event called Somnai that lets participants dream lucidly and access their subconscious minds.
Consumer Lifestyle
Leisure
07 Mar 2018
Radicals: Outsiders Changing the World
Radicals: Outsiders Changing the World Outsiders Changing the World Political dissatisfaction, climate change, psychedelics and technological advancement will become the major drivers of future change, according to Jamie Bartlett – writer and director of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at British think tank Demos.
Consumer Lifestyle
Consumer Attitudes
15 Feb 2018
Dark Nature A/W 19/20
Dark Nature A/W 19/20 Dark Nature A/W 19/20 The beauty of nature is appreciated through a dark filter in this trend, which sees wonder even in the ageing and discarded. Lustrous overtones, again inspired by nature’s rich palette, make the look luxurious – but simultaneously sombre and contemplative – as we breathe new life into rot and decay.
Fashion
Fashion Forecast
17 Jan 2018
Shadow Selves: Tapping Consumers’ Dark Sides
Shadow Selves: Tapping Consumers’ Dark Sides Shadow Selves The trend towards playful escapism is reversing, as consumers embrace their 'shadow selves' – the unknown dark sides of their personalities. From uncensored rebel lectures and lucid dreaming tech, to shopping by unconscious emotion and Japanese bondage rituals, we show how brands can meet this desire for introspection.
Consumer Lifestyle
Consumer Attitudes
08 Jan 2018
Gen X: Unsettled Midlifers
Gen X: Unsettled Midlifers Gen X: Unsettled Midlifers As Gen Xers grow older, they're finding themselves on the fringe, once again ignored and let down by society. Nostalgia-seeking late bloomers are challenging the stigma around cohabiting with older family members and celibate living. We explore what brands can do to engage and empower these unsettled midlifers.
Consumer Lifestyle
Demographics
03 Jan 2018
Instagangs: Directional Brands
Instagangs: Directional Brands Instagangs: Directional Brands From ethnic representation and challenging gender norms, to size inclusivity and a focus on behaving more responsibly, we take a look at the top five emerging brands taking a stand – representing the future of diversity, philanthropy and sustainability in fashion.
Fashion
Fashion Lifestyle
13 Dec 2017
2018: Look Ahead – Consumer Lifestyle
2018: Look Ahead – Consumer Lifestyle 2018: Consumer Lifestyle 2018 is going to be a year of extreme consumer needs. The dawn of the extreme economy – where consumers prioritise high-risk activities – will open up radical, previously untapped behaviours for brands to engage with. We'll see people embrace the unknown dark sides of their personalities and form influential new tribes, including 'urban surfers'.
Consumer Lifestyle
Insight & Innovation
Updated 04 Dec 2017
Digital Soul Seekers: Spiritual & Moderate Youth
Digital Soul Seekers: Spiritual & Moderate Youth Digital Soul Seekers Digital soul seekers are a group within US pivotals (aged 13 to 34) who are pursuing deeper consciousness via cosmic connectedness, personal healing and radical self-care – according to November 2017 research from US online content company Beautycon Media.
Consumer Lifestyle
Demographics
14 Nov 2017
JWT’s The New Adulthood: Understanding Xennials
JWT’s The New Adulthood: Understanding Xennials New Adulthood: Understand Xennials An in-between generation of consumers called New Adults – or Xennials – are growing up, settling down, and subverting the status quo, according to an October 2017 report presented by global advertising agency JWT.
Consumer Lifestyle
Demographics
13 Nov 2017
Instagangs: Bewitched Beauty
Instagangs: Bewitched Beauty Instagangs: Bewitched Beauty From Wiccan symbols and talon-like nails, to clary-sage bundles and tarot card reading, Instagram’s witchcraft community is spreading like wildfire. With nearly 900,000 posts featuring the #witchesofinstagram tag, we explore this alluring social media coven and its most spellbinding new beauty influencers.
Beauty
Insight & Innovation
30 Oct 2017
Pop Culture Round-Up: September 2017
Pop Culture Round-Up: September 2017 Pop Culture Round-Up: Sep 2017 Our pop culture round-ups map where trends came from and where they might be headed, identifying where individual branches of media intersect in the cultural remix lab of social media platforms and fan communities.
Media & Marketing
Media & Entertainment
19 Oct 2017
How Americans Define Wealth
How Americans Define Wealth How Americans Define Wealth Americans are split on their definitions of wealth, according to the June 2017 Modern Wealth Index from US organisations Koski Research and the Schwab Center for Financial Research.
Consumer Lifestyle
Consumer Attitudes
10 Aug 2017
Resilient S/S 19
Resilient S/S 19 Resilient S/S 19 A resourceful and creative energy emerges out of hard times in a playful take on dystopia and the spirit of ‘make do and mend’.
Fashion
Fashion Forecast
26 Jul 2017
Surviving Marketing Fails
Surviving Marketing Fails Surviving Marketing Fails Social media has become a platform where companies face widespread criticism for controversial advertising, with pressure so intense that even big global brands such as Pepsi and McDonald’s have ended up apologising and withdrawing their campaigns. We look at what went wrong for them – and explore the best practices for avoiding a digital fallout which could hurt sales and damage a brand’s reputation.
Media & Marketing
Advertising & Branding
18 Jul 2017
Compassion Culture: Embracing Empathy
Compassion Culture: Embracing Empathy Compassion Culture A backlash against several trends – including hate speech and acts, as well as a digitally driven decline in the ability to relate face-to-face – is spurring a new drive to cultivate and inspire empathy and compassion.
Consumer Lifestyle
Consumer Attitudes
17 Jul 2017
Cyberdelics: VR Psychedelics for Empathy
Cyberdelics: VR Psychedelics for Empathy VR Psychedelics for Empathy Virtual reality (VR) installations allowed people to experience the empathetic effects of psychedelic drugs at this year's Breaking Convention – a conference on psychedelic consciousness held at London's University of Greenwich (June 30 to July 2).
Consumer Lifestyle
Science & Technology
05 Jul 2017
Empathetic Brand Engagement
Empathetic Brand Engagement Empathetic Brand Engagement Acutely aware of an increasing level of beyond-mainstream needs, smart brands are implementing empathetic engagement strategies – from senior-friendly store designs and initiatives aimed at easing the strains of modern family life, to services (including adjustable e-comm sites) sensitive to physical impairment or mental health issues.
Retail
Store Concepts
29 Jun 2017
Essentialist Communities
Essentialist Communities Essentialist Communities Consumers are banding together according to a mutual desire for a more intentional, essentialist lifestyle. We explore what brands can do to align with this shift.
Consumer Lifestyle
Consumer Attitudes
19 Jun 2017
Instagangs: Design for Purpose
Instagangs: Design for Purpose Instagangs: Design for Purpose From philanthropic endeavours and sports-recovery aids, to therapeutic apparel and repurposing waste, these top five brands and designers are anticipating a universal future by bringing responsible design to the fore, and finding real solutions to real problems.
Fashion
Fashion Lifestyle
14 Jun 2017
Raw Truth: Plastic Exhibition
Raw Truth: Plastic Exhibition Raw Truth: Plastic Exhibition The global impact of plastic pollution is being exposed in a new exhibition at London's Royal Geographical Society, named Raw Truth: Plastic, A Journey from Source to Solution.
Colour & Materials
Materials
01 Jun 2017
Pop Culture Round-Up: April 2017
Pop Culture Round-Up: April 2017 Pop Culture Round-Up: April 2017 Our Pop Culture Round-Ups map where trends came from and where they might be headed, identifying where individual branches of media intersect in the cultural remix lab of social media platforms and fan communities.
Media & Marketing
Arts & Pop Culture
23 May 2017
The Pivotal Generation: Getting to Know Gen Z
The Pivotal Generation: Getting to Know Gen Z The Pivotals: Getting to Know Gen Z Gen Z (aged 15 to 19), or the 'Pivotal Generation', want to work for success, believe that equality is non-negotiable and respect brands that portray reality honestly – according to a report from US marketing consultancy FutureCast and American ad agency Barkley.
Consumer Lifestyle
Demographics
13 Mar 2017
The Purpose Collective
The Purpose Collective The Purpose Collective Driven by a desire for simplicity, focus and heightened self-awareness, a cross-generational tribe of purpose hunters are demanding a more mission-minded approach to life. We explore who they are and why they matter.
Consumer Lifestyle
Consumer Attitudes
27 Feb 2017
Edelman Trust Barometer 2017: The Era of Distrust
Edelman Trust Barometer 2017: The Era of Distrust The Era of Distrust Global PR firm Edelman Communications has released its 2017 Trust Barometer survey, revealing that among 33,000 individuals across 28 nations, trust in government, media, business and NGOs is at a universal all-time low.
Media & Marketing
Consumer Attitudes
20 Jan 2017
Creativity for Crisis: Humanitarian Innovation
Creativity for Crisis: Humanitarian Innovation Creativity for Crisis With the global number of refugees only expected to rise, solutions are needed to provide long-term essentials for building new lives. We look at the role the creative industry can play in alleviating the international refugee crisis, with progressive engineering, programming and innovative design offering sustainable concepts for cross-industry challenges.
Product Design
Art & Design
20 Jan 2017
Instagangs: Sustainable Brands
Instagangs: Sustainable Brands Instagangs: Sustainable Brands As the environmental impact of fast fashion becomes ever more critical, conscientious consumers are actively seeking out the best new sustainable brands. Here are the top five you should be taking note of right now.
Fashion
Fashion Lifestyle
09 Dec 2016
Consumers in Chaos
Consumers in Chaos Consumers in Chaos The status quo is in a spin. Audiences are not just fragmenting: they're flip-flopping between identities, multiplying their selves and revolving through changing core beliefs. Here we explore how and why consumers are becoming more erratic, and what brands should do about it.
Consumer Lifestyle
Insight & Innovation
14 Oct 2016
Gen X: Midults Move Up
Gen X: Midults Move Up Gen X: Midults Move Up Savvy, sceptical and self-reliant, Gen X are reinventing their identity. We single out key attitudes and behaviour shifts, and show brands how to tap into the influence and spending power of this group.
Consumer Lifestyle
Demographics
19 Sep 2016
Gen Z: Smart Kids Take Control
Gen Z: Smart Kids Take Control Gen Z: Smart Kids Take Control Empowered, entrepreneurial and ethical, the youngest generation are revealing themselves to be tough customers. True tech natives, Gen Z balance a pragmatic nature with a need for instant gratification, while their desire to change the world is already shaping the future.
Consumer Lifestyle
Demographics
22 Aug 2016
Unadvertising: Honest Marketing
Unadvertising: Honest Marketing Unadvertising: Honest Marketing Consumer scepticism and a desire for raw realism are fuelling the unadvertising movement. We look at this next level of authenticity as a communications option and ask whether meta-marketing and risky brand behaviour can win consumer loyalty.
Media & Marketing
Advertising & Branding
18 Aug 2016
Nimb: Sophisticated Safety Wearable
Nimb: Sophisticated Safety Wearable Nimb: Sophisticated Safety Wearable Nimb is a smart ring with the sole function of ensuring personal safety.
Product Design
Product Innovation
04 Aug 2016
About Stylus Terms & Conditions Careers Contact Us
Updated
Related
 ©  PANTONE®TPX
 COATED
 RAL
 RGB
 HEX
 NCS