Consumer trends you need to know in 2022

We are seeing a wave of activism around the world as people become aware of the power they have to drive change. One of the ways to achieve this goal is through the products they choose and support – and brands are responding by creating customer feedback channels. Looking to the future, younger audiences – Gen Z in particular – are already started to shape the new digital paradigm, but what exactly can we expect?

The demand for authenticity should drive the adoption of unfiltered social media as direct-to-avatar commerce grows – as the metaverse is here to stay. Learn more about these two consumer trends at WGSN Insight, where we analyze them in a series of six reports covering our top trend forecasts for 2022 – and beyond.

Unfiltered social networks

In 2022, we will see a shift towards the 'unfiltered feed' as both regular users and influencers have come up with more truthful and transparent versions of themselves online.

With Gen Z valuing authenticity, brands will follow suit. In the summer of 2021, Norway introduced a law to oblige influencers to identify retouched photos on their social media, in order to combat unrealistic beauty standards – and other countries must follow suit. Filters have long been an intrinsic part of social media, but resistance to them is growing as rising awareness of the harm they can cause.

A study published in 2021 by the Center for Research on Gender and Sexualities at the University of London found that 90% of young women reported using filters or editing their photos to look different, while another study found that adding filters to Instagram selfies could result in less likes. This raises questions about why these filters are still available, why young people still use them, and what responsibility social platforms and brands have in the face of this dilemma.

Direct trade-2-avatar

We are in the age of avatars – and what our avatars wear is more important than ever. Enter commerce for avatars, or D2A, a burgeoning retail model that will open up new opportunities for brands to enter the metaverse, creating deeper connections in digital environments.

By designing and selling items that don't exist in the physical world (IRL) specifically for avatars, D2A commerce allows brands to bypass supply chains, paving the way for new sources of revenue. This evolving, and potentially more sustainable, format should drive new business: by 2022, the game skins market will reach $50 billion. Fueled by companies like Bitmoji and Genies, which allow users to create and customize their virtual identities, D2A commerce brings the possibility for brands to launch unique digital products through in-game items or collections on platforms like Roblox and Fortnite.