144. The Fear Factor: Understanding Today’s Consumer Psyche

Create Tomorrow host Cassandra Napoli hears from Gob founder Lauryn Menard.about how her company is disrupting the earplug industry with mycelium-based products, emphasising the importance of accounting for an item’s end of life in design. Learn about the challenges of green marketing, avoiding greenwashing and the role of educational, visually enticing marketing in capturing consumer interest. Listen for insights into the future of personal care products.

Join WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi and Cultural Strategist and Foresight Lead at WGSN, Martina Rocca, as they discuss the emerging mindset of heightened fear affecting consumers today. From eco-anxiety to the fear of AI and changing relationship dynamics, discover how these fears are shaping consumer behaviour, and how businesses can adapt by fostering emotional intelligence and authentic connections with their audiences. Listen to explore the complexities of our evolving world and the role of brands in navigating these challenges.

In this Create Tomorrow episode, host Cassandra Napoli speaks to Rurban founder Rebecca Hui about bridging global communities with corporations and spotlighting traditional crafts while integrating AI. Explore the innovative Rurban Library curation and discover how it represents and integrates Indigenous art into the retail industry. Rebecca highlights the importance of cultural preservation, reciprocal partnership and the antidote to cultural appropriation. Listen for insights on how to answer consumers’ demand for ethical and purposeful crafts steeped in Indigenous identities that thrive in a modern, AI-driven world.

Create Tomorrow podcast host Cassandra Napoli invites co-founders of motherhood platform Spread the Jelly, Amrit Tietz and Lauren Levinger, to discuss the complexities of modern motherhood. From maternal ambivalence and tradwife to navigating identity, they expose the stickiness of how societal expectations have shifted from the 1950s to today. Amrit and Lauren discuss social media’s unrealistic standards, the impact of technology on parenting and the importance of community and solidarity among women across generations. Listen in on the challenges and joys of being a woman and a mother in the digital age, uncovering the nuanced realities behind the curated images of perfection.

Create Tomorrow podcast host Cassandra Napoli discusses the intriguing Vegan Reversal trend with insights from Senior Beauty Strategist Pia Fisher and Food and Drink Strategist Katharine Schub at WGSN. As consumers increasingly crave protein and animal-derived ingredients, this shift is reshaping the food, drink and beauty industries. Discover how traditional diets are being redefined with primal diet trends, the resurgence of animal-based beauty products and the cultural factors fueling this change. Take a bite out of this thought-provoking discussion on consumers’ changing preferences in balancing plant-based and animal-based lifestyles.

Create Tomorrow host Cassandra Napoli welcomes Lauren Scott-Harris to discuss how EARNT connects brands with social causes through volunteerism. Lauren emphasises how to leverage social consciousness in marketing to create meaningful connections between consumers and brands. As consumer interest in social good and the role of influencers evolve, Lauren shares how the innovative ETY (Earned Thank You) currency rewards volunteer efforts. Gain insights on brand partnerships, the vetting process for causes and EARNT’s future aspirations to expand its impact globally while maintaining a local focus.

Create Tomorrow host Cassandra Napoli invites founder of SkinSeries Rosie Broadhead and WGSN foresight lead Martina Rocca to discuss the intersection of wellness and textiles. As consumer priorities are shifting towards health and wellbeing in their clothing choices, find out how biomaterials in fashion impact sustainability and skin health. Rosie and Martina emphasise the importance of integrating biological intelligence into textile design, including probiotics in clothing and their impact on skin health. Learn about the way forward for biomaterials in the fashion industry and the necessity for brands to communicate authentically about their sustainability efforts while educating the next generation of designers.

In this episode, WGSN’s Create Tomorrow host, Cassandra Napoli is joined by Content Director of Insight Joe McDonnell and Senior Strategist of Events, Liz Tan, to discuss the launch WGSN’s new platform to help brands navigate key events impacting consumer behaviour. Revealing the criteria for featuring significant events, evolving traditions, and celebrations, our guests offer insights into collective effervescence and the cost-of-living impact on consumer sentiment, driving future consumer trends. Tune in to find out how to effectively capture cultural moments and harness engagement opportunities within sports and music events.