Opinion
The ‘new year, new me’ consumer mindset is a brand’s opportunity
Every January, a widespread phenomenon takes hold of consumers: the ‘New Year, New Me’ mindset.
This promise of self-improvement is more than a personal commitment. As Gareth Finch, founder and managing director of PR and marketing firm Bumpp explains, it also represents a lucrative opportunity for brands to create new customer relationships or strengthen existing ones.
Not just for the new year period, but for the medium and long term too.
The Psychology Behind the Purchases
At the core of the New Year, New Me attitude is the fresh start effect. Studies from the Wharton School reveal that milestones, like a new year, fuel aspirational behaviour. This psychological motivation lets people differentiate between their past selves and their new, goal-driven identities. For marketers, this mindset translates to consumers being more receptive to products that are aligned with their self-improvement goals.
In addition, the social proof principle boosts this phenomenon because consumer actions often mirror what others are doing. This shared momentum creates a potent herd mentality, further influencing purchasing decisions.
Consumer Motivation Insights
Data shows that certain industries have greater surges than others in January, such as health, finance and travel. While most consumers’ new year goals will fit into one of these categories, personal motivations will vary from person to person. So, understanding the nuances around consumer motivation at this time of year is pivotal for effective marketing. To tap into these motivations, consider the following:
Engage their emotions: The journey towards a ‘New Me’ is rooted in hope, which is a powerful emotional catalyst. Brands that align their messages emotionally, addressing past challenges and empathetically providing solutions, can genuinely resonate with consumers.
Make it tangible: Tangible outcomes or methods appeal to consumers. They prefer services or products that let them envision their success journey. Therefore, brands should present real-world success stories, involve relatable influencers, and organise street-level activations and sampling opportunities.
Marketing and PR Tactics
Maximising this once-a-year moment requires timely actions, consumer understanding and adept communication. Consider the following as part of a marketing and PR campaign:
Modern Purchasing Behaviour: The traditional shopping journey is evolving. Consumers now use social media for research and purchasing, all through their mobile phones. Therefore, a robust marketing strategy should incorporate coordinated content across relevant sites and apps, influencer partnerships, and streamlined e-commerce all created for a small screen in the consumer’s hand rather than in-store.
Story Crafting & Timing: PR initiatives should weave a product narrative around self-betterment and new beginnings. Engage consumers early, ideally in December, and maintain this connection into the new year. Where you can, then nurture and extend this relationship over the long term.
Value-Added Content: Offer valuable content that helps consumers in their new year pursuits, like programs, info and tips. Then encourage them to share their stories and join communities for mutual support, thus amplifying the collective goal-chasing environment and extending the reach and impact of your content, ambassadors and brand value.
The New Year, Nw Me attitude embodies a distinct consumer mindset that is influenced by aspiration, social interplay and the allure of fresh starts.
If brands strategically position themselves to capitalise on these motivations, they can genuinely resonate with consumers. The key is to not see the New Year, New Me moment as a transient impulse, but instead as an opportunity to tap into and support the age-old human trait of self-betterment and change for the future.
Not only does this open-up immediate sales avenues, but it can create and foster enduring customer bonds.
Gareth Finch is the Founder and Managing Director of Bumpp, a PR and marketing agency whose purpose is to Make People Better. Bumpp does this by working with local and international brands, products and services that bring happiness and wellbeing to customers and employees.
