If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that life can be unpredictable. Just when you have your marketing plan all mapped out, suddenly you’re faced with a strange, new landscape.  

Many routes to market are less profitable, shopping behaviours have changed drastically, and even consumer attitudes have shifted dramatically from where they were only months earlier. 

So what do you do? You can’t rely on your old knowledge to navigate your way through it – the goalposts have moved and the same roads no longer lead where they used to. You need to make fresh plans, but before you can do that, you have to get to know your new surroundings.

We’re here to help. In this report, you’ll find the latest consumer trends 2021 UK. These cover Brits’ current attitudes to brands and marketing, trends in consumer behaviour and media consumption, and the issues that are close to their hearts. It also explores entirely new pockets of opportunity that are ripe for exploration.

Contents

1. Sentiment trends
2. Marketing trends
3. Media consumption trends 
4. Shopping trends
5. Lifestyle trends

Sentiment trends

The way we feel influences the things we do, how we shop and what we spend, so how are people feeling right now and can brands help? In this section was ask:

Can you name one brand whose marketing you appreciate at the moment?
Complete the sentence: “I want brands I love to make me feel ________  right now.”
Are you feeling more or less positive than you were a couple of months ago?

Marketing trends

Coronavirus has dominated the headlines for months now, so we wanted to explore how fatigued UK consumers are by COVID-19 related messaging. This is what we asked to find out:

What type of coronavirus messaging are you happy to hear from brands?
Thinking about marketing images, which would you prefer to see depicted right now?
How often are you happy to receive email marketing from brands you’re interested in?

Media consumption trends

With people spending more time at home, are Brits’ social media habits are changing? And if they’re spending more time scrolling, are they interacting with brands or are they becoming blind to the brand content in their feed? We asked:

On which of the following social media platforms do you interact with brands you’re interested in?
Are you using any of the following social media platforms more now than you did a few months ago?

Shopping trends

The opportunity for e-commerce has never been bigger, with more Brits online shopping than ever before. But where does that leave the high street and what can retailers do to win back consumers? We asked:  

Thinking about your shopping habits now compared with before the pandemic, where are you more or less likely to shop?
Do you have a preference for where you shop online?
How has your spending changed since the start of the pandemic?
What should retailers be doing right now to support shoppers? (rank in order of importance)
Can you name one retailer who is doing a great job supporting customers right now?

Lifestyle trends

Coronavirus turned our routines on their head and, in many cases, forced us to try new things. But how many of us will stick with the lifestyle changes as life returns to normal post-pandemic? And what do consumers care about most right now? This is what we asked to find out:

Have you tried anything new since the start of the pandemic?
How interested are you in these social issues and causes right now?
Are you more likely to holiday in your own country now?
Are you more likely to exercise at home or outside now?
Are you more likely to spend time cooking now?
Are you more likely to spend money on items for your home/home improvements now?
Are you more likely to drink alcohol at home now?

Ready to read more?

Before embarking on any new marketing campaign in 2021, it’s crucial that you check-in with your target market – things have shifted dramatically, and you don’t want to be on the wrong side of the changes. The consumer trends 2021 UK detailed in our report show there are tons of interesting opportunities to capitalise on, even though they’re a bit different than they might have been at the start of 2020. Get the report and discover what the opportunities are for your brand.

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