by Imy Brighty-Potts, Marketing and Content
Graduating uni. Getting married. Buying your first home. Having children. These milestones were once near-universal, making lifestage a reliable predictor of the type of audiences a brand could reach.
But clear paths are long gone. As traditional weddings are scaled back or delayed, people rent for longer, and family planning is put on the back burner. The way we track lives is changing. As major life milestones become unattainable, unpredictable or undesirable, more achievable wants carry greater significance.
As priorities evolve, spending habits shift too. For brands, this poses a challenge, but those who recognise these shifts stand to benefit from changing consumer needs.
The rise of dopamine-driven decision making: When the things that are traditionally viewed as fuelling happiness no longer feel achievable, many place greater emphasis on things that feel good in the moment. In prior crises, this manifested as ‘the lipstick effect’, which, while still relevant, is taking a different shape.
‘Little treat’ culture – quick decisions that leave the purchaser with something to look forward to, be that a parcel, tickets or an appointment – has gained prominence across social media. Here, users showcase everything from an inexpensive chocolate bar to a matcha as their own miniature daily dopamine hit.
Such content is typically flooded with comments from viewers saying things like, ‘you deserve it’; when big life goals feel unreachable, consumers feel they deserve a little boost. This takes on greater meaning as global conflict pushes prices up. While, traditionally, consumers would cut back, such small treats take on an outsize role while major financial outlays – saving for a home, a new car – are kicked down the road.
This shift is changing both how consumers rationalise their spending and why they seek social reinforcement. Purchase decisions once viewed as unnecessary are increasingly framed as affordable forms of self-care, particularly among younger audiences navigating economic instability. In this environment, small luxuries no longer feel frivolous; they feel earned. Peer recognition goes a long way towards validating those decisions, transforming everyday purchases into shared cultural moments.
Brands can tap into this mentality by highlighting their place in these small, dopamine-driving rituals. Bringing this to social platforms, particularly with user-generated content, will drive targeted cut-through among audiences.
It’s not just little treats that are providing relief. As the7stars QT data show, holidays and short breaks are consistently prioritised by Brits, even in times of economic uncertainty. Be it tickets to Coachella or a trip to Bali, the shorter lead time of travel makes it feel more attainable than larger life milestones.
How brands can adapt: While brands may have once looked at women, in Surrey, in their late 20s and once been targeting them with wedding venue, engagement ring, pregnancy test or new build estate advertising, now, changing consumer priorities renders such demographic-based targeting unreliable.
Adopting a more nuanced audience approach, one based on attitudes and behaviours over demographic attributes, will ensure brands are better placed to find their customers. Additionally, brands that want loyalty from their customers should expect to give some loyalty back. While consumers are being cautious with spending now – delaying major life events while chasing that more immediate dopamine kick – their dreams will not go away. Those brands which champion the little treats now will be rewarded later.
