Trend forecasting platform WGSN has released its forecast, Future Consumer 2027: Emotions, which identifies six key emotions that will shape consumer behaviour in 2027.

Three of those emotions include:

• Strategic Joy: to combat negativity and reimagine the world as a more inspiring, inclusive and affirming place, joy will be essential
• Witherwill: defined as “the longing to be free from responsibility,” it will shape 2027 as people continue to be overwhelmed amid a polycrisis
• Suspicious Optimism: as people grow apprehensive about the role of technology and AI, they will be tempering optimism with suspicion

Strategic Joy

• Expect to see a bigger focus on collective effervescence (the shared positive feeling felt at crowd events) and healthier or more mindful habits and experiences, such as train travel, which has been linked to greater happiness.
• Play will also help consumers move from a mindset of ‘what is’ to ‘what if?’ and experiment with new boundaries, reimagining the world not only through AI but also KI (kid intelligence, which cherishes the virtues of childlike wonder).
• Consumers will also embrace pleasure activism, and they will turn inward to prioritise their wellbeing and serenity.
• Brands have a golden opportunity to support consumers in these quests.
• Three key consumer emotions will shape the state of Strategic Joy: feeling dysregulated, stressed and bored.
• As global challenges mount, these feelings will demand evolved mindsets and imaginative solutions, moving consumers toward three aspirational emotions: feeling included in a broader cultural narrative, feeling serene amid chaos, and becoming deeply inspired by the world.

Witherwill

• People will push back to explore a slower existence with lower stakes, fewer to-do lists, more meaningful connections and less loneliness.
• Witherwill is also playing out in the digital arena, with more people opting out of tech and embracing ‘ping minimalism’ - the act of removing unnecessary notifications from devices.
• This quest for less noise and more digital disconnection is still seen by some as a radical act of defiance, but it will become increasingly normalised by 2027, emerging as a demonstration of self-care that will lead consumers to be more curious and loving.
• In 2027, the pursuit of Witherwill will align with a focus on dishabituation (breaking away from unhelpful habits) to help people achieve a return on their energy.
• Three core emotional drivers will shape the state of Witherwill: a sense of being overwhelmed with responsibility; of feeling lonely; and a growing empathy for others.
• In 2027, people will find themselves caught in a delicate balance between personal needs and collective obligations, and this tension will give rise to two primary responses: a retreat into isolation and a desire for connection. 

Suspicious Optimism

• In 2027 many people will be tempering their optimism for the future with scepticism and suspicion, particularly regarding the role of technology.
• In an age of information and disinformation, consumers are armed with an arsenal of inputs that can inspire awe, fear or disillusionment, and this can be exacerbated in a world where people consume media that aligns with their class, age, location or ideological preferences, resulting in a world of myriad self-reinforced realities.
• Content creators will assume a new importance and power in shaping these realities, whether it be to curb or fuel suspicions about the future.
• For brands, it will be essential to help consumers make sense of a world in flux so they can find their way to wisdom, balance and trust.
• The state of Suspicious Optimism will be driven by three key emotions: awe at the potential of new innovations; fear of unintended consequences; and disillusionment from past disappointments and expectations.
• As 2027 approaches, consumers will navigate complex relationships with technology, oscillating between fascination and apprehension. These drivers will propel us toward aspirational states of wisdom, balance and trust in our technological interactions

For the full report, visit wgsn.com.