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Consumer trends 2025: Insights on the biggest changes in customer behaviors

January 13, 2025
Kelvin Claveria

Kelvin Claveria

Marketing, Reach3 Insights

As 2025 unfolds, understanding and addressing top consumer trends will be critical for brands looking to thrive.

What top consumer trends will have an impact on your brand in 2025? While it’s impossible to predict what’s coming, one thing we know for sure: consumer behaviors will, once again, be evolving. 

To help Reach3 clients and partners understand top consumer trends, we regularly conduct research on topics that will help brands keep up, stay relevant and form a deeper understanding of consumers. Using our AI-powered conversational research platform, developed by our sister company at Rival Technologies, we get at the heart of trends that are driving consumers and help brands develop actionable strategies. 

Top 5 Consumer Behavior Trends for 2025:


AI anxiety: A growing concern for consumers

Artificial intelligence is now part of our everyday lives, from chatbots to product recommendations. In fact, our research in mid-2024 showed that over three-quarters (78%) of Americans were familiar with AI—a 65% rise from 2023.

However, consumer apprehension is rising in lockstep. We also found that the number of Americans worried about AI quadrupled in just one year. Key concerns include a Steven-King-esque “Christine” future (AI with a mind of its own), plus worries about data privacy, job displacement, negative impacts on creativity and human ability to think independently. 

2025 consumer trend - ai

Brands can succeed in this AI-driven world by building trust through transparency, and deeply understanding how audiences feel about the use of AI. Using frameworks like “Jobs to Be Done” and leveraging insight communities for continuous feedback can help brands create AI solutions that address consumer concerns and deliver meaningful value.


GLP-1 medications: Reshaping industries

As the new year brings a renewed focus on health, GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are rapidly gaining traction as a consumer behavior trend, with 35% of Americans expressing interest. While weight loss is the leading motivation, these medications are driving changes far beyond healthcare, influencing industries such as fitness, wellness, food, and apparel. Their growing popularity signals a shift in consumer habits that businesses across sectors cannot afford to ignore.

2025 consumer trend - GLP-1

But there are some subtleties here that are worth exploring. Our findings from our annual Digital Health Trends report highlight the disparity between the expectations of potential users and the experiences of current users. While 78% of potential users hope to lose weight, only 62% of current users report this outcome. Interested parties (34%) hope the drug will encourage them to exercise more, while only 13% of actual users are doing so. Gaps like these underscore challenges in managing consumer expectations and meeting changing behaviors.

The bottom line: the GLP-1 consumer trend will affect industries from quick-service restaurants and CPG manufacturers, all the way to retail, apparel, fitness and wellness. Understanding how GLP-1s are reshaping habits offers businesses a crucial opportunity to adapt and thrive in this evolving landscape. Early movers will gain a competitive edge as these medications continue to reshape consumer priorities.

Big Tech’s trust deficit in digital health

Digital health tools are becoming ubiquitous, with our research finding that 66% of people have adopted health-related devices and 72% are using health-related apps (with a whopping 88% using these apps daily). These numbers are up significantly from just a couple of years ago. 

2025 consumer trend - big tech

But there’s a catch to this 2025 consumer trend: trust in Big Tech to manage personal health data is declining. Over half of Americans (53%) report hesitance to trust tech giants with sensitive health information.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Many consumers are fearful overall of digital health technology (49%), and have reservations about trusting Big Tech with health information (44%) or want no involvement by these companies at all (11%). This window into consumer sentiment should cause companies in this sector to take pause and focus on trust-building.

So, what's the solution? In a recent article, Dara St. Louis, EVP and Founding Partner at Reach3 Insights, offers this sage advice: "If Big Tech wants to close the trust gap in its health sector, companies may wish to place greater focus on embodying the security practices and general principles that traditional healthcare providers offer."

Gen Z and millennials embrace booze-free lifestyles

We dug into alcohol consumption trends, exploring exactly which beverages Gen Z and Millennials prefer- from Guinness to classic cocktails and from seltzers to CBD drinks. A key finding? The sober-curious trend is gaining momentum, with younger generations drinking less and seeking alternatives. 

2025 consumer trend - sober-curious

Here's how one Gen Z participant put it: “I definitely like the idea of reducing alcohol intake. I feel too many of our traditions and social activities revolve around alcohol. I wish we had a society where we encouraged health and wellness. Celebrating should give more life, not harm the body.”

Other studies have found similar trends, showing that Gen Z (71%) and Millennials (73%) are following or interested in a sober curious lifestyle. This consumer trend has potential downstream consequences: it extends beyond drinking habits to reflect broader priorities like wellness and intentional living. Beverage brands—and those in adjacent categories—should consider these values to remain relevant and resonate with this audience. 

The power of experiential marketing: driving emotional connections

In case you haven’t heard, experiential marketing is back in a big way, with 2024 investments exceeding pre-pandemic levels

CMOs and marketing leaders are recognizing that brand activations have the potential to create deep emotional connections in a way that traditional advertising can't. From live events to virtual activations, experiential campaigns lead to stronger brand loyalty and increased intent to engage our research found.

consumer trend- experiential marketing

However, while experiential marketing will remain a huge 2025 consumer trend, measuring ROI remains a challenge. Tools like Reach3’s Brand Experience Predictor (BXP) provide an innovative solution, allowing brands to pre-test concepts, capture in-the-moment feedback via mobile, and assess long-term impacts through recontact. Leading brands are already leveraging these insights to optimize their strategies, ensuring better outcomes and stronger ROI.

For example, Coca-Cola’s approach to experiential marketing offers a standout example of how brands can elevate their efforts. Using BXP, Coca-Cola has transformed some of their initiatives by incorporating pre-event testing, real-time feedback, and post-activation analysis. For instance, the company’s Holiday Caravan year-over-year measurements have refined its emotional impact, while Food Fest Colombia demonstrated the cultural power of gastronomy and music to engage consumers. These insights enable Coca-Cola to reduce risks, optimize campaigns, and achieve measurable ROE, setting a gold standard for experiential marketing.

2025 consumer trends: Staying ahead

Consumer behaviors are evolving rapidly, and staying ahead requires more than traditional research. Reach3’s conversational approach delivers real-time, authentic insights that empower brands to act confidently in an unpredictable marketplace.

As 2025 unfolds, understanding and addressing these consumer trends will be critical for brands looking to thrive. Whether it’s tackling AI concerns, adapting to new health trends, or engaging with younger, sober-curious audiences, now is the time to act.

Want to learn more about how our insights can help your brand get ahead of 2025 consumer trends? Contact us today or follow our blog for the latest updates.

Kelvin Claveria
Kelvin Claveria

Marketing, Reach3 Insights

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