This week, we explore the increasing complexity of moderation, in a world where the importance of every variable is heightened.

1. GET CONSUMER
SMART
The Moderation
Equation

2. G E T C O N S U M E R S M A R T
The Moderation Equation
Humans are complex beings; we experience a range of emotions and needs on a daily, if
not hourly basis, which can often pull us in two completely contrasting directions. Often
long-term goals conflict with what we want in the moment – we want the cookie, but
we’re trying to be healthier. We want the new jumper, but we’re saving for a house. We
want to sleep in, but we have commitments, we have to work and provide for our families.
But we can’t just live for the future. We don’t just make the right decisions long-term. Life
is for living, and sometimes that just means eating the cookie.
So, we moderate. And the consumption of the cookie is balanced out by a healthy dinner,
a juice cleanse or a morning boot camp.
These are inherently human behaviours. We all do them and have done so for decades,
but the need to moderate has arguably been enhanced by the external context.
THE EQUATIONS WE MAKE ARE MORE COMPLEX THAN EVER
The world has been in a state of uncertainty for almost decade now. This results in
contrasting needs; when uncertainty first became prominent it drove an overwhelming
need to find value and security. However, the longer uncertainty goes on, the stronger the
desire to rebel, to escape, grows.
On top of this, connectivity can drive desire for stories and experiences; we want photos
and memories to post on our social media, and we don’t want to miss out when we see
our friends having fun. But at the same time we are more aware than ever of the
importance of being healthy, with technology checking we get our 10,000 steps and
nutritional data at the click of a button.
The world is pulling us in opposing directions, meaning that at any one time, we must
juggle a complex set of variables in order to get to a decision.
SO WHAT IS IT WE REALLY WANT?
If you really drill down to it, there have to be certain parts of our life that we would
prioritise above all others. For most people, the thing they would most like to have more
of in their day-to-day life is money, 32% of global consumers selected it as the single thing
that they would like to have more of in their lives. Money was followed by time (14%),

3. G E T C O N S U M E R S M A R T
The Moderation Equation
energy (9%) and new experiences (9%)
1
. These are our overarching desires, the things we
say we want more of in our lives, but at any given time, other things can take priority.
For instance, 14% of consumers globally consciously limit their spend on groceries so they
can eat out in restaurants more
2
. While necessity, and the desire to save money, is driving
this particular behaviour, moderation allows us to fit in the things we want.
Consumers have to balance long-term goals with current
desires. They are constantly conducting equations as to
whether a particular behaviour is worth going off-plan for.
SCARCITY IS OFTEN A CRUCIAL MULTIPLIER
Particularly when it comes to socialising and leisure activities, many consumers chose to
justify their indulgences by saving them for special occasions, often living vicariously at
weekends, and saving things like money, alcohol consumption and calories during the
week. 39% of global consumers admit to trying to eat healthily in the week so they can
treat themselves to indulgent foods on the weekend and 11% don’t drink alcohol during
the week in order to drink more during the weekend
3
. The things that we can’t justify in
the week become OK at a weekend, as long as they are not an every day activity. This has
particularly impacted our social lives:
“Consumers may not be going out as often, but when they
do they make it worthwhile.”4
But it is not just the food and beverages industry that is impacted by this behaviour. We
see it in fashion, with designers creating exclusive collaborations and lines to create a ‘get
it before it’s gone’ mentality. In entertainment and retail, pop-up events are increasingly
common. These one-off opportunities factor highly into our moderation equations, as we
don’t want to miss out.
1
nVision Research | Base: 1000-5000 online respondents per country aged 16-64 (Indonesia & S. Africa 16-54), 2016
February
2
FF Online Research | Base: 1000-5000 online respondents per country aged 16-64 (Indonesia & S. Africa 16-54), 2016
February
3
FF Online Research | Base: 1000-5000 online respondents per country aged 16-64 (Indonesia & S. Africa 16-54), 2016
February
4
William Grant and Sons Market Report, 2016

4. G E T C O N S U M E R S M A R T
The Moderation Equation
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR BRANDS?
The fact that we are making increasingly complex equations has helped to spur a range of
products and services designed to help consumers stick to their long-term goals. For
instance, there has been a huge growth in health food brands, helping consumers to
justify a treat as something that will help them to stay within their health goals. However,
these products often come with a high price point, meaning consumers must still decide
whether their priority is their health or their wallet.
However, moderation also creates a very compelling opportunity for a brand to be the
reason that a consumer has chosen to make the exception, the reason that they are
moderating the rest of their behaviour. The increasing need for experience is one territory
that these brands may explore, and industries such as craft beer have arguably been built
out of this opportunity. For more on this topic, please see our previous article: GET
SPIRITS SMART – Lessons In Craft.
Brands have a huge opportunity to help consumers navigate the increasingly complex
decisions that they are making. Arguably, this context of constant moderation puts more
pressure on them to stand for something, one way or another.

5. G E T C O N S U M E R S M A R T
The Moderation Equation
If you are interested in learning more about the subject of this article, please contact
Sarah Emmerson, Insights Planner, emmerson@bbdoknows.com
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