Media moves at the speed of culture, and culture seems to be changing faster than ever before. To usher in 2024, Carat and Vox Media embarked on a mission to define the new cultural framework through a joint research study. We wanted to understand the role that media and culture play in consumers’ lives, the forces that shape how culture is consumed and spread, and how brands can harness culture to create deeper consumer connections.
Through this research we discovered a dichotomy working to shape consumer behavior:
The need for niche and mass connection
We uncovered a dueling need for culture to satisfy both niche and mass connections. Advancements in media and tech over recent years have enabled consumers to explore and indulge their individual identities and passions. But an overreliance on algorithms has left them feeling isolated and disconnected. Ready to regain control of their lives, consumers are seeking a greater balance between niche passions and mass cultural moments that make them feel part of the collective.
This desire for balance is reshaping media and culture in fundamental ways. Key findings from our study include:
- Consumers are out of balance
- Today’s consumers are looking for a greater balance between their individual identities (what makes them unique) and shared identity (a sense of belonging to a collective). The expression of both work in harmony to create culture.
- Our research uncovered that only half of consumers currently feel close to other people, while the other half are feeling distant. What’s more, the majority don’t feel connected, unified, or part of larger society. Media is well positioned to help consumers strengthen their bonds with others and to broader society.
- Media must satisfy both individual and collective needs
- Media engagement presents an opportunity to develop both our individual and shared identities. We find our uniqueness through niche media and our shared identity through mass media. This desire to strike a better balance has consumers re-evaluating their relationship with media channels and platforms.
- An overreliance on algorithms has left consumers feeling isolated and disconnected. One in three believe that the feed is starting to become too specific, and, as a result, half are sharing less on social media platforms than they once were. When asked how they describe their relationship with media, consumers responded that they feel the greatest connection with passion-based channels like music, gaming, and streaming, while they feel less of a connection with algorithm-driven channels like social and OLV. This suggests that media we choose to engage with is considered a deeper part/core to who we are.
- The rebalancing and growth toward mass culture
- Amplifying niche culture on a mass scale helps individuals feel seen and lets consumers connect around shared interests. The “No More (Financial) Secrets” content program, a joint endeavor between Carat, P&G and Vox Media is a great example of this. Together, we took the taboo subject of money (typically reserved for individual consumption) and built strong community engagement behind it. By tapping into trusted voices like @caitlinkumi, @financiallybrave and @moneywithsaprina, we created a financial community that let women hit their individual goals. This propelled women’s financial literacy into the cultural conversation and made women feel part of the collective.
As we navigate this duality of media and consumer needs, it becomes increasingly clear that emotional intelligence is paramount. At Carat, our commitment to emotional intelligence drives our media design process. This is what we call designing for people.
Designing for people
- In the end, to develop deeper connections with consumers, marketers must satisfy dueling desires - reaching them where they are expressing individuality within niche passions and integrating into mass culture moments that bring people together. With 39% of consumers saying that “cultural events are even more important to me than before,” it’s clear that media plays a critical role in fostering a feeling of connectedness and unity. By putting consumers at the heart of how we go to market through our Designing for People process, we design more rewarding media experiences.
