5 minute read
Identified back in 80’s by Faith Popcorn, Cocooning is coming into reality. Is that a fight back against the globalisation or the another step of adaptation to new connected environment? Let’s try to understand the reasoning and future development as well as meaning for the business around the globe.
My house is
my temple
“Two trends will cycle high in our culture: cocooning, our desire to shelter yourselves from harsh realities of the world, and fantasy adventure, our hunger for new and unconventional.” predicts Faith Popcorn, a futurist and founder of BrainReserve.
“Cocooning” is the consumer trend we can witness today. People fancy spending time at home as well as shop straight from the house. “My house is my temple” describes it the best. As the result of in-home-staying lifestyle, we see growing demand for the online shopping, home grocery delivery, and popularity of streaming like Netflix and HBO. According to Netflix, since the beginning of 2012, the number of streaming subscribers almost tripled showing 70 million customers in 2015.
Why would people hide inside four walls? There are multiple reasons to answer this question. One of them is to hide from external negative information. The media phenomenon “Global Village” described by Marshall McLuhan, is the turning the globe into village via the technology. News spread around the world in a matter of seconds. Moreover, by one of the Galtung and Ruge journalist rules, bad news is more newsworthy than good news. Just recall the biggest stories of 2015 (according to Guardian and ABCNews): Charlie Hebdo Attack in Paris, ISIS, European refugee crisis, Mass shootings in the USA, Germanwings plane crash, etc. World starts to look dangerous and unpredictable, and the only safe spot is under the blanket.
Moreover, the technological possibilities and new ways of in-home entertainment develop the trend. Sony officials state: “Demand for PlayStation 4 remains incredibly strong in the U.S. as it was #1 in hardware and software sales in February according to the latest NPD report. PS4 remains the cumulative leader in hardware sales with more than 20.2 million units sold to consumers worldwide demonstrating the fastest growth in PlayStation hardware history.” Indeed, the gaming consoles, movie streaming, social media, the future of augmented reality and rise of freelance activities transform the house to the epicentre of life events.
Body[nbsp]cult
In France cocooning transformed into “routine cocooning”. There are plenty of tutorials showing the best way to spend the whole day at home. Teenagers share their ways of relaxation “routine cocooning”. Those videos present the best method to understand cocooners. At home person switches from the outside world to the internal self, pretending the world does not exist. The routine is all about concentrating on the personal emotions, understanding own body, making food, reading books, making facial and body treatments. French cosmetic companies do not stay aside and already offer on the market the “Cocooning kit” with the products to treat and indulge yourself.
Once found
never forgotten
The market is overwhelmed with a variety of products and services. Cocooners while being online creatures want to connect with the brand, build the long-term relationship, share the thoughts and reviews, and be loyal to the company. Consumers are looking for the reliable brand that they could fully trust. Their trust concerns everything: manufacturing, production, marketing, ethics, culture of the brand. Before placing the order, clients most likely to conduct own investigation having Google as the best detective. Cocooners are extremely loyal once they find the right product. Loyalty marketing will continue emerging as an integral part of the marketing strategies.
Cocooning
employee
When there is an opportunity to work from home, cocooners will always insist on it. Having fewer distractions, home-food, comfortable sportive wear and chance to work straight from the couch makes them happier. They appreciate the opportunity to multitask and get extra time to pursue with own interests and passions. The rise of freelancers and entrepreneurs[nbsp]has it part in the trend. On the other hand, offices will look more like a cocoon: comfortable, secure, connected and augmented. Even the working station will reinvent itself offering the relaxing position, multi-screening and own space.
Not everyone gets an opportunity to cocoon at home or at work. How can one hide from reality while being outside? Dreaming throughout the day and power-napping when possible. Regulating the stress from the work, education, constant commuting in the public transport or on the go might be challenging. With the expanding urbanisation, the issue will create the new innovations and possibly new business industry in order to satisfy the need of the mega dense population. The products and services for quick relaxation, stress releasing will have increased demand.
Fashion
and interior
Fashion has embraced cocooning culture as well. We can see trending oversized knitted sweaters with the wide long neck. Clothes create the protection from the external world. The feeling of being able to hide in the fabric and being in the safe place. The fashionable colour trends become natural, pastel, shades of grey. The Scandinavian minimalism of the lifestyle as well as fashion and interior spread worldwide. Here is the Fashion Spring/Summer 2017 Colour Forecast for Lenzing, conducted basing on the collaboration of designers, scientists and futurists.
The cocooning touches not only fashion but interior as well. People will put a lot of effort and budget decorating their homes.
