Chris Booker, New Business and Marketing Director, TRO, explains how a rebalancing in people’s priorities will mark a shift towards in-person participation in 2025, as consumers seek out IRL experiences that deliver more trustworthy connection and sensorial stimulation.
Let’s face it, we’re all chronically online. Check your phone and see how much time you spent on your favourite app recently – you’ll probably get a shock. We’re becoming ever-more wired towards seeking out the next dopamine hit, with popular opinion increasingly shaped by opaque algorithms. People aren’t quite sure who or what to trust. And the reality is, that cultural context isn’t going to change anytime soon (unless the world starts to follow Australia’s lead).
But in the relentless quest to make seemingly everything digital and content-worthy, perhaps the value of the tangible is quietly increasing? Whisper it, but perhaps a rebalancing is underway?
Disposable camera sales are through the roof, having been on the rise since 2019. The vinyl revival has shown people still value physical items, but equally – and importantly – the rituals and communities formed around collecting them. We saw Heineken promote ‘The Boring Phone’ earlier this year, to encourage people to enjoy better real-life connections and enhance nights out.
For those of us who believe in the power of experience, this presents cause for optimism. In their recent Life Trends Survey for 2025, Accenture delve into the concept of ‘Social Rewilding’, a growing movement amongst younger people who are “rethinking how they spend their free time, finding joy and balance in real-world activities and genuine human connections – changing the opportunity for businesses”. The seeds are certainly being sown.
We should see more businesses connecting with their communities through in-person meet-ups, particularly in sectors where there’s a need to establish and build trust – think finance or digitally native brands, for example. When you look at the resurgence of tangible hobbies and passions, there’s certainly an opportunity for brands to help fans explore these interests, leaning into niches and online conversation to create unique opportunities to get off their sofas and get hands-on. The richness of experiences should also be front and centre of planning – tapping into senses, partners, theatre and unique locations will all help shape the perceived value, maximising the impact of the moment.
On that note, with clients under pressure and delivering value higher on the agenda than ever, there’s no hiding the fact that experiences will need to work hard and be integrated across other channels for maximum impact – in particular social and digital. But having something with a real sense of, well, realness, at the heart of a wider campaign can address some of those aforementioned challenges and help brands stand out.
Ultimately, in a world of chatbots, let’s not forget the value of a chat. In a social media dominated world, let’s make social get-togethers more prominent, and shift the balance back a bit. Foster more of those meaningful connections and let them fuel the flywheel. After all, the best things happen in real life, don’t they?
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