Prosumer Reports
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The Luxury Issue
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The Beauty Issue
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Alpha Rise
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Travel
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Prosumer Reports ✳︎ The Luxury Issue ✳︎ The Beauty Issue ✳︎ Alpha Rise ✳︎ Travel ✳︎
For those of at least moderate financial means, international travel has become so commonplace that it’s regarded as a standard part of life. Can this trend continue even as the world faces an escalating climate emergency—or will leisure travel become socially and politically unacceptable, an indulgence we can no longer afford?
To find out, Havas Group surveyed more than 14,000 women and men in 32 markets across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Their responses revealed that it will take more than dire forecasts of planetary overheating to pry people—Prosumers especially—out of airplanes and tourist hotspots.
The luxury market has long enjoyed a reputation as being “recession-proof.” That perception has been faltering, however, as emerging economic factors—from inflationary pressures to China’s economic downturn—take a toll. In 2023, headlines warned of tougher times ahead.
To be best positioned to advise our client companies, Havas Global commissioned a survey in nine priority markets in fall 2023: China, France, Germany, Japan, Saudia Arabia, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In all, we surveyed nearly 1,650 consumers, each of whom had spent a minimum of $2,000 on luxury goods in each of the prior two years. These aspirational luxury consumers may not have the spending power of their high-net-worth counterparts, but they collectively account for some 60% of global luxury sales, according to Boston Consulting Group.
Beauty routines are marketed as acts of self-love—a way to pamper oneself, express one’s individuality, and feel confident. Precious, pleasurable moments for the self and the senses. And yet, they also carry the weight of adherence to societal norms and the expectations of those around us. The way we express ourselves through our physical appearance conveys a multitude of messages and may hint at everything from our political identity to our socioeconomic class, cultural interests, and career aspirations.
To find out, Havas Group surveyed 14,500 adults aged 18 and older in 30 countries. We wanted to explore how people are feeling about the pressures to meet societal beauty standards and how these standards may be shifting. What we uncovered is that beauty is more than skin deep; it’s less about vanity and conformity today and more about empowerment, tapping into societal benefits, and meeting one’s own expectations.