This document discusses consumer trends and pressures that people face in today's world. It notes that people feel pressure from a lack of time, too much information to process, pressure to have new experiences, and losing real human connections. This leads people to seek simplicity, focus on self-development and responsibility for their own well-being. The document outlines 14 consumer trends in Romania related to self-betterment, learning across generations, finding simple pleasures, taking time, gender partnership, vulnerability, beauty, national identity, youthfulness, authenticity, limiting excess, environmentalism, empathy, common purpose, and disconnecting from technology. It analyzes these trends and their growth potential, noting some are already widespread while others have more room to

1. Take a deeper look at
the future consumer
May 2018

2. we are living times of
sudden changes, some
for good and some … just
intriguing

3. People often feel exhausted and under a lot of
pressure coming from multiple sources;
becoming harder to find the right BALANCE in
their life and SELECT what BEST suits them.
The time pressure
Fast rhythm of today life and
overall feeling of "time
compression”; hard to find time
to do whatever one wishes,
often feeling like having to
make compromises, no clear
purpose
Information pressure
High amount of information
to which people are
constantly exposed to.
Becoming harder to evaluate
what is true & what is not,
what is valuable or not in
order to be used
Experiences pressure
The race of doing more
and more. There is a
compulsion of consuming
experiences & being
tuned to novelties, so as
not to be left aside / not
to lose opportunities that
enrich our lives
Connection pressure
Losing real connection
between people and with
yourself. Being guided by
technology, being drawn into
others peoples’ lives instead
of focusing on self & inner
human nature
A time of intense stimulations that puts a lot of pressure on people in making
the right choice for them

4. People feel a lot of tension in actually managing
to SELECT WHAT is GOOD FOR THEMSELVES
… so they start to ease their choice by
RETURNING TO SIMPLICITY AND ESSENCE OF
THINGS FROM THE PAST
Becoming the only one responsible over their
own life, lets people in a state of permanent
uncertainty and doubt
Times of uncertainty of the future & safety of the past

5. Nurturing
individuality, self
development,
ACTING
Open to learn, evolve,
dare for more
Responsibility of their
personal wellbeing
People are visibly changing as we no longer wait for help from outside;
individual takes responsibility over own life

6. ▷ Rising individualism – focus on self development (personal & professional);
looking to pay more attention to them
• Brands = supporters of people in this personal endeavor
▷ Detach from non-essential:
• Is that really bringing me value? what is the role of that brand in my life?
▷ Fear of losing the ability to connect with people in real life; need for love &
friendship or any form of human connection in its organic, natural form
▷ Search for the true meaning of things in life; do not waste your time on
meaningless aspects of life, do not waste time & effort on just having but
living
Towards a kit to connect with people today
This leads to
significant change
in how people
view life

8. 60%65%
45%59%
* quantitative survey, 1000 respondents, nov.-dec. 2017,
16-55 y.o., urban representative, Unlock Hunters
Four meta-territories of trends that manifest across people*

9. Always training to become better versions of
ourselves without a reason than the pleasure we
feel while doing it.
Overcoming differences in age and experience in
order to learn from each other and achieve greater
things through solidarity.
Training yourself to find deeper satisfaction in your
everyday life, in things that are available anywhere
anytime.
Realize that running through experiences means
avoiding them and finding peace and meaning in
slowing down and making time for what’s
important.
Men and women learning to listen and understand
each other as partners with similar needs, wants and
goals and make them happen together.
Understanding that true and powerful emotions
come from taking the risk to open up and do scary
things.
Expressing yourself through beauty and beautiful
things and spreading positive vibes by sharing
different cultural views of beauty.
Finding the courage and perspective to look at
ourselves as a nation with more depth and
compassion, and not with fear or shame.
Daring to express yourself as you feel on the
inside, stay healthy and positive, always try new
things regardless of your age.
Looking past superficial details to find and
connect with true meaning and quality in people,
jobs, hobbies, in our whole lives.
Stop accumulating and consuming and start
enjoying what you have, while taking care of you,
others, and the environment that’s supporting
our lives.
Being aware of our own existence and what we
leave behind and feeling responsible, taking
action along with others to preserve what we
have and offer more to the future generations.
Reaching out to people to connect and cooperate,
to feel part of a community based on
understanding and mutual help.
Surpassing individualism and adhering to high
ideals that can only be achieved together with
others to give our lives meaning.
Having the courage to stop or disconnect from
electronic devices to experience life more fully
and in a stronger connection with yourself.
2018 Trends in Romania

10. 42%
32%
29%
28%
28%
27%
25%
23%
22%
19%
17%
15%
13%
11%
8%
35%
Self betterment
Cross-generational learning
Simple pleasures
Take your time
Gender partnership
Dare vulnerability
Beautification
Ro on the world map
Live young
Authenticity
Comfort limit
Clean environment
Empathy
Common purpose
Switch Off
Non-trender
Sample: 1000 respondents,
16-55 y.o., all urban;
percentage = actives per trend
2018 Trends in Romania

11. Self betterment
Cross-generational
learning
Simple pleasures
Take your time
Gender partnership
Dare vulnerability
Beautification
Ro on the world map
Live young
Authenticity
Comfort limit
Clean environment
Empathy
Common purpose
Switch Off
Presence Index (Actives)
ConfirmationIndex
MAINSTREAMHOT -
ASPIRATIONAL
EMERGENT
HOT –
NOT YET AWARE
Trends current snapshot

12. Actives Followers
Further Growth
Potential
Switch Off 8% 34% 81%
A lot of
space to
grow
Empathy 13% 52% 80%
Clean environment 15% 45% 76%
Common purpose 11% 33% 75%
Comfort limit 17% 49% 74%
Authenticity 19% 53% 74%
Beautification 25% 58% 70%
Already in
growth
process
Live young 22% 49% 69%
Ro on the world map 23% 50% 69%
Simple pleasures 29% 59% 67%
Take your time 28% 55% 67%
Dare vulnerability 27% 51% 65%
Gender partnership 28% 51% 65%
Cross-generational learning 32% 52% 62% Not as much
room to growSelf betterment 42% 47% 53%
Further growth potential = maximum conversion rate from followers to actives
(followers/ total actives + followers)
Trends current snapshot

13. -10%
-8%
-6%
-4%
-2%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
Takeyourtime
Empathy
Darevulnerability
Authenticity
Simplepleasures
SwitchOff
Comfortlimit
Genderpartnership
Liveyoung
Cross-generationallearning
Cleanenvironment
Selfbetterment
Roontheworldmap
Commonpurpose
Beautification
16-24 y.o. 25-34 y.o. 35-44 y.o. 45-55 y.o.
Trends across age groups*
*In the chart: differences of each group versus total sample

14. Impact of consumer trends in future marketing
Brands should
embrace
People
need
Avoid
 Superficial advertising, made in the absence of a true brand purpose
 Aggressive campaigns that make people feel brands are too intrusive
 Superiority feeling – brands should be close to people, not imposing on
them; inspire them not dictating them
Authentic
connections
with others
Supporting
social
causes
Positive
emotions
Not being
fooled by
empty
marketing
Self-orienting
and discovery –
they
continuously
look to become
better persons
Living life at its fullest
– having things is not
that important
anymore. People focus
on doing things and
sharing moments and
memories with others
Rational and
responsible
consumption
Social
campaigns
PositivityMeaningful
messages
Authentic
emotions
Responsible /
sustainable actions
Gender
partnership
Tolerance
Self-betterment

15. Available on request
Flavia Bobei
Alt. Research Solutions Manager
flavia.bobei@unlock-research.com
2018 trend report

16. Now you know!