TRADING UP TO LUXURY 2021 REPORT - communicatorlondon.com - Communicator London
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TRADING
UP TO
LUXURY
2021 REPORT
communicatorlondon.com
BATHING
IN BUBBLES
How consumers have found comfort
in everyday luxuries and how brands
can embrace the future.
‘Champagne Comfort’ has been the unexpected and
unpredicted trend of the past 12 months.
We all now have the taste for a little luxury in our lives.
Our Instagram feeds, TikTok streams and Pinterest boards
have been inundated with the feel good products that have
provided us with the all-important oxytocin boosts we’ve
all very much thrived on.
Spending on aspirational luxuries and upgrading the
everyday has become habitual during the pandemic - from
the indulgent at-home grazing platters to the Friday night
cocktail kits and extravagant face creams that cost more
than your weekly shop - buying less but buying better has
replaced a swathe of consumables.
At Communicator, we’ve taken a deep dive into the
‘person behind the platform’ - we research today’s
consumers, their character, their brand consumption, their
shifting perception of value and the content that inspires
them. We’ve identified the key Champagne Comfort
behaviours & trends that will outlive the pandemic and
what brands need to do in social to ensure they don’t lose
momentum as life shifts post-lockdown.
Buying less but
2 Image: Pexels - Taryn Elliot
buying better. 3
LIPSTICKS Barclaycard have reported that Britons have
AND HANDBAGS
spent £40.6bn online on non-essential items
during lockdown, £770 a person
Whilst there have been truly devastating economic hardships
for some during Covid, it has not been akin to the experience This is counter intuitive to the ‘lipstick effect’ seen during previous
of previous financial crises and recessions. People have been major recessions - the theory that when faced with an economic
restricted in movement, rather than financially (assuming crisis, people will buy a designer lipstick rather than a designer
they have retained their jobs or have been afforded support), handbag. In fact over the past 12 months, people have bought
which has meant entirely new spending patterns have been both handbags and lipsticks, searching for escapism and ways to
adopted and some of these new behaviours are here to stay. spend the leftover cash they would have usually ploughed into
commutes or weekends away.
At the outset of the pandemic, economists predicted
consumers would stock up on basics and increase spend
on value items. But, aside from the great loo roll dash of
April 2020 (which we’re sure is destined for its own Netflix
documentary) consumers have, on the whole, chosen to
upgrade their everyday.
Louis Vuitton
have seen bag sales
increase 123% over
recent months. Image: uk.louisvuitton.com/gb/
5
4 Image: Unsplash - Laura Chouette
ADDING A LITTLE
FIZZ TO FRIDAYS We’ve broken down the lockdown audience and blended our own cocktail of social intelligence,
which has uncovered three distinct ways in which the consumer has sought Champagne Comforts,
upgraded their consumption and shifted their behaviour in order to enhance their lives.
People have been extravagantly popping corks
and drinking premium premixed cocktails at home
Drinks marketing runs in our veins and across our clients we’ve to celebrate lockdown birthdays and would-
seen a huge shift in how consumers have been purchasing and have-been-weddings, as well as upgrading their
consuming drinks. Direct to consumer (D2C) channels have become collection of spirits to liven up their evening Zoom
the norm, with brands circumnavigating the old distribution models quizzes. Twitch gaming has become an occasion to
(broken by Covid). drink beer. Sales of sherry and premium tequila are
on the rise.
Unpredictably yet notably Champagne sales, which usually slide
during times of hardship, have rocketed despite restaurants and bars Gifting has also been a big driver of premium
being closed. This hasn’t been achieved by discounting; the price, spirits, our social-first Father’s Day campaign for
volume and value have gone up. Gentleman Jack (from the Jack Daniel’s stable)
positioned it as an everyday luxury for fathers
everywhere and saw the product sell out across
online retailers.
Upgrades in drinks haven’t been isolated to
alcohol. At home coffee machines, sparkling water
and blenders have seen increases as people try to
Brits drank add a little luxury shot into their groundhog days of
13%
homeschooling and remote working.
People are no longer saving the ‘good bottle’ for
guests and we envisage this trend continuing.
more champagne Brands that have been enjoyed at home, made
people feel special and provided refreshment
during the festive during moments of celebration have earned brand
love and will continue to be part of the everyday.
period of 2020
6 Image: Unsplash -Louise - Lyshoj 7
SWEATY
SWITCHUPS
Fitness has undergone a revolution during the pandemic. Whilst the
gyms have been shut, our living rooms have become our workout
studios, hosting live fitness classes across all social mediums. Apps,
smart devices and the availability of inspiring content, from Joe Wicks
to the Royal Ballet, has made PT style exercise accessible for those
who wanted it. This has provided plenty of content for us to share,
making sure our friends know just how fit we’ve been keeping - Health
Signalling is the new humble brag.
Successful brands have been focusing their messaging on the
psychological benefits rather than the physical, and the premium end
of the health and fitness sector amplifies this. Lululemon (hosting
live Instagram classes), Sweaty Betty (focusing on body & mind) and
Gymshark (with their sharp optimism) have all shifted their focus
from gym class wear to at home workouts (and working from home
comfort).
In terms of big ticket fitness equipment, Peloton has been a clear
lockdown winner and is celebrating a 172% year-on-year hike in
sales, connected fitness subscriptions grew by 113% and paid digital
subscriptions grew by 210%.
Health & wellness is now clearly beyond a trend, the pandemic has
heightened the importance of personal fitness, from both a physical
and mental health viewpoint. Gyms as they prepare for reopening are
expanding their offers to include body & mind as well as encouraging
‘fresh air’ workouts. Adventurous sports and wilderness training will
provide the antidote to the indoor treadmill. Digital fitness communities
that have supported people & matured over the past 12 months will
13% of UK consumers spent
grow in importance and size, outliving the zoom classes and the significantly on sports and
makeshift home gyms. There is an opportunity for brands to imbed outdoor gear up to July 2020,
themselves into these communities and provide the platform for
holistic fitness - inside and outside - ensuring relevance and longevity.
with men spending triple the
amount than women.
8 Image: Unsplash - Tyler Nix 9
Image: instagram.com/tikatheiggy
THE LUXURY
OF SEX
Luxury came in all forms this year - including intimate
products and sex toys. Whilst physical dating has
been put in hiatus and the opportunity to be close
and intimate with others has been scarce, people
have still found ways to satisfy their sexual desires by
seeking out premium brands for those experiences.
In the ultimate ‘treat yourself’ behaviour, sales of
high-end sex toys, erotic fiction and underwear have
soared. Anne Summers report that premium sex toys
BEST IN SHOW
(over £100) were up 160% over the winter months
With little else to do than go for a walk, pets have become a huge focus
and sales tripled yoy in the first lockdown. Lelo, the
during Covid with new puppies and kittens appearing in social feeds with
Swedish luxury sex toy brand, saw sales going up by
increasing frequency. Whilst providing criticalcompanionship and comfort
148% at the peak of lockdown.
to many, they also have become a creative outlet both on the catwalk in the
park and in our social feeds.
Pet influencers, including the likes of Tika the Iggy (who was recently
interviewed by Vogue)have reached new heights on Instagram & TikTok and
Sex-positive brands have already
have provided a welcome antidote to the plight of humans.
ignited conversations on mainstream
social media and consumers are
Whilst we haven’t had the chance to dress up ourselves, sales of pet
unashamidly upgrading the contents
accessories arethrough the roof. John Lewis reports dog coat sales are up
of their bedside cabinet drawer.
420% year on year, with dog jumper sales up 2,200%. New D2C dog brands
As we emerge from isolation and the
are plentiful and established fashion brands are diversifying into pet wear.
dating scene reignites, the challenge
Zara launched a dog homeware range, Ugg collaborated on boots for dogs
faced by the brands that have given
and luxury outerwear brand Moncler recently launched a collaboration with
us individual pleasure, is the need to
Poldo Dog Couture including a silver cloak and tiny versions of Moncler’s
evolve conversation and relevance
signature quilted nylon vests.
from ‘me’ to ‘we’.
With a generation of fur-babies weaned on luxury brands, we can’t see this
trend abating for a long while.
10 11
Image:
Image:
instagram.com/lelo_official/
instagram.Com/lelo_official
Our innate desire to show off, share experiences and be a little
smug hasn’t abated during the pandemic. In fact it’s been quite the
opposite as ALL our socialising has been redirected online. The fun
and social aspects of social media have (thankfully) been reignited and
personal social feeds in lockdown have been a welcome antidote to
doomscrolling. People have sought pleasure in micro-moments - their
home baking successes (or not), disco dancing in the kitchen with
Sophie Ellis-Bextor, the new puppy, the new pizza oven, the fancy
restaurant box and now their vaccine selfie.
Many brands have been smart - because they’ve had to be - with
tempting invitations across social media to ‘treat yourself’, tapping into
micro-moments, harnessing new social commerce features offering
easy ways to buy and using livestream shopping to provide urgency.
We’ve succumbed to Champagne Comfort. Consumer behaviour hasn’t
always been predictable throughout the past year - but the brands
who have been successful (and will continue to be) are the ones who
have harnessed social media’s ability to adapt and innovate at speed to
quickly lead the way in shifting habitual shopping purchases and earn
themselves some serious brand love.
CHAMPAGNE COMFORTS
We’ve broken down the lockdown audience and blended our own cocktail
of social intelligence, which has uncovered three distinct ways in which the
consumer has sought Champagne Comforts, upgraded their consumption
and shifted their behaviour in order to enhance their lives.
LIVING
UPGRADING
1
surrounding myself with less but better
quality to make myself feel good.
THE EVERYDAY-
OUR BEST
MAKING
2
diverting the holiday spend into being a little extravagant
ASPIRATIONAL for aspirational luxuries and occasions at home.
A REALITY-
LOCKDOWN 3
GENEROUS
GIFTING-
appreciating the people in my life and spending
on better brands to treat them.
LIVES We have identified significant and interesting shifts in spending patterns
and behaviours, giving us clear signals to formulating future strategies for
our clients.
12 Image: Unsplash - Tyler Nix 13
EMBRACING
THE FUTURE We believe that ‘treat yourself’will give way to ‘treat
others’’.Living our best lockdown lives’ will give way
to ‘unashamedly showing off in person’. *Watch out
We’ll soon be showing off our spruced up homes in person to real live
for the endless group pictures, the gym selfies and
guests, we’ll be firing up the new hot tubs and portable BBQs for our
families, having Sunday lunch at the pub with our friends, going to the the ‘I’ll never take this for granted again memes.’*
cinema, working out at the gym and there’ll be new usage occasions for And social media - as a community connector - will
the premium brands that played a huge part in our every day. be harnessed to deepen engagement with brands in
these contexts.
A pinch of the fancy frivolity of the roaring 20s will likely be reflected
over the coming months and years - #FormalFridays are already trending.
People have changed during the pandemic and it is certain that life won’t We’ll still be bathing in bubbles seeking a little
be going back to how it was. Brands now need to look forward rather than Champagne Comfort but maybe not just on our own.
attempt to go back to ‘business as usual’.
Let’s fire up the hot tub and jump in.
At Communicator we’ve been working with our clients’ brands to
understand how they can embrace the future, ensuring they’re relevant Communicator is a social first creative agency that
and are prepared to tap into the post-lockdown psyche. Some behaviours focuses on the person behind the platform.
will certainly be with us for good - online shopping, direct to consumer
sales, and social commerce are all now part of the fabric of the retail mix.
We pride ourselves on social thinking with a twist,
As social restrictions ease throughout the year and the spaces we have with a client portfolio spanning the likes of Jack
lost reappear, we have identified the big questions brands should be Daniel’s, BrewDog, PepsiCo and Lavazza. Working
addressing.
with clients we provide strategy, creative, content
production, influencer marketing, paid social media
management and more.
How will the consumer behaviours that have become ingrained
in our everyday manifest themselves?
How will the social media trends & habits we have seen in lockdown
translate into the post-pandemic world?
How can your brand have real world relevance as we all re-emerge?
Will the upgrade brands that played an important role in lockdown
become part of our new social occasions?
How can premium brands shake off the language of lockdown and
look forwards with optimism?
14 15
BATHING
IN BUBBLES
How consumers have found comfort
in everyday luxuries and how brands
WANT TO can embrace the future.
KNOW MORE? ‘Champagne Comfort’ has been the unexpected and
unpredicted trend of the past 12 months.
We all now have the taste for a little luxury in our lives.
Interested in hearing more? If you would like a Our Instagram feeds, TikTok streams and Pinterest boards
have been inundated with the feel good products that have
complimentary social audit to see how your brand can
provided us with the all-important oxytocin boosts we’ve
benefit from our social thinking with a twist, or even all very much thrived on.
just a virtual chat please contact:
Spending on aspirational luxuries and upgrading the
everyday has become habitual during the pandemic - from
india.lawrence@communicatorlondon.com the indulgent at-home grazing platters to the Friday night
cocktail kits and extravagant face creams that cost more
than your weekly shop - buying less but buying better has
replaced a swathe of consumables.
At Communicator, we’ve taken a deep dive into the ‘person
behind the platform’ - researched today’s consumers,
their character, their brand consumption, their shifting
perception of value and the content that inspires them.
We’ve identified the key ‘champagne comfort’ behaviours
& trends that will outlive the pandemic and what brands
need to do in social to ensure they don’t lose momentum
as life shifts post-lockdown.
Communicatorlondon.com
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