Ben Shimshon, chief executive and founding partner, Thinks Insight & Strategy
Crafting as a wedge issue. Perhaps fuelled by the flight from X, there seems to be a small but mighty posse who are looking beyond apps and tech to occupy their time – seeking out pastimes, entertainment and communications that feel more tangible, ‘real’ and human to them.

Amy Cashman, executive managing director of the UK insights division, Kantar
I’m interested in how people are coming together around standout film, TV and music. Cultural moments, like Barbenheimer in 2023 and, more recently, Wicked really seem to be cutting through. Certain brands have been very clever at piggybacking on these phenomena – think Robinsons’ Wicked squash.

Clients are increasingly thinking about partnerships and we’ll likely see more of these brand tie ups in 2025 as marketers continue to recognise their power to connect with consumers in a meaningful way.

Crawford Hollingworth, global founder, The Behavioural Architects
Humans are finding footholds back into the digital world by reclaiming the value of face-to-face connection. As AI and technology dominate, a rebound toward in-person interaction is emerging. People offer trust, authenticity, and emotional depth that digital exchanges cannot replicate.

This shift will reshape how we navigate the digital landscape. In our world where interpreting data and uncovering insights demands nuanced understanding and context, the human angle becomes indispensable in shaping impactful, meaningful strategies. A 2024 McKinsey report highlights that while 70% of routine data analysis is now automated, 85% of executives emphasise the critical role of human interpretation to ensure insights are actionable, contextual and aligned with real-world complexities.

Christopher Barnes, president, Escalent
The consumer’s wariness about inflation. People are struggling, and they can’t afford to pay more for goods and services. If costs increase, it’ll be a breaking point for the consumer, and tax relief won’t come quickly enough to help.

Can the consumer hang on through the end of inflation in a way that keeps the job market robust? If yes, we avoid a recession. If no, it’s going to be a tough year for the market research industry. To that end, brands better have deep relationships with their customers and nurture that sense of community, so people feel the love and see the value.

Emily Dickinson, board director and equity partner, Opinium
It’s hard to underestimate the potential impact of Ozempic. Hailed as a game-changer for tackling obesity, the repercussions of the drug on the global economy are arguably much more significant. Goldman Sach’s predicts, for example, that GLP-1 drugs will directly boost the US output by a trillion dollars over the next four years as exclusion from the labour force due to sickness and disability, early deaths and informal caregiving falls.

Potential indirect consequences, however, are just as wide reaching, with the drugs’ potential to curb addictive behaviours challenging marketing models that rely on impulse purchases or the habitual use cases.

Neil Bellamy, consumer insights director, GfK
The top three consumer concerns in November 2024 according to the Consumer Confidence Barometer were the NHS and cost of healthcare, followed by inflation and high prices, and having enough money to live on. So, for the new government, getting to grips with the NHS and tackling waiting lists, poor service, staff shortages, strikes, crumbling hospitals, a failing dental service, etc, is mission critical.

Nick Baker, global chief research officer, Savanta
Immediacy. Whether purchases, delivery, accessibility of information, services or finance, TikTok Shop, Klarna and digital healthcare are all part of this ‘need it now’ norm. The interesting direct impact for many research programmes is that this also massively questions the relevance of consideration in classic brand funnels too – the impacts of this trend could be far reaching.

William Ullstein, UK chief executive, YouGov
I think we will see more conscious consumerism. By this I mean rising levels of “mindful” spending, with people thinking beyond just sustainability, while balancing this with the continuing economic pressures they are facing.

Consumers are expecting more information and transparency from brands around their environmental impact, ethical work practices and societal contribution. People want brands and regulatory bodies to play their part in facilitating conscious consumerism journey by democratising these choices in terms of affordability, availability, and variety.

Mark James, chief executive, Differentology
I’m fascinated by the heightened focus on human healthspan and longevity. People are no longer just looking to live longer, but to thrive in later years. Businesses are capitalising on this, with innovations like DNA-based health plans (offering personalised wellness strategies) and wearable devices like the Oura Ring (providing real-time health insights).

Functional foods, adaptogens and collagen supplements are becoming mainstream, supporting long-term physical health, while mental health tools focus on emotional wellbeing. Ironically, for some, constantly monitoring your health can be overwhelming. Whatever your view is on ageing, more options to add life to years are emerging.

Paul Hudson, founder and chief executive, FlexMR
Biggest consumer trend is tricky. My instinct is pointing to ‘loyalty fatigue’ for many reasons, ranging from a general feeling of ‘hard times’ to a tiredness with politics and low customer satisfaction rates – we’ll see a rapid decline in loyalty and much more brand switching.

Tatenda Musesengwa, vice-president of audiences, Savanta, and co-founder, Colour of Research (CORe)
It definitely feels like 2025 is the year that the creator economy is really going to go mainstream. Lots of people’s takeaway from the US election and Netflix’s Paul vs Tyson fight is that heritage brands need creators to survive. I think we will see many more partnerships in that vein as a consequence.

Research Live’s end-of-year series explores the key trends and themes defining the market research sector as we head into 2025.