Tag Archives: consumer behavior

by | Monday, February 23, 2026 · 4:56 pm

Nostalgia Economy

Have you’ve ever found yourself scrolling through “2016 vibes” edits on TikTok or feeling strangely emotional when you walk past a Build-A-Bear store? If so, congratulations! You’ve already participated in the nostalgia economy, one of the most powerful trends shaping marketing today. Marketers have long used nostalgia as a storytelling tool, but three recent trends show it’s becoming a full-blown strategy driven by data, culture, and economics.

First, brands like Build-A-Bear are rewriting the playbook. Nearly 30 years old, the company is now at record profitability, not by chasing kids, but by embracing you. Adults and teens are now a major part of their customer base, drawn in by sentimental memories and an experience that feels “safe” and hands-on compared to online shopping. This is nostalgia powered by experiential marketing, and it’s working.

But nostalgia isn’t just about reliving childhood fun. Gen Z’s obsession with “2016 vibes” is, at its core, a response to economic pressure and a more commercialized internet. When young adults say they miss 2016, they’re really missing a world that felt cheaper, freer, and less optimized for profit. In other words, nostalgia becomes a protest, and marketers who understand that emotional context can better interpret consumer behavior.

Finally, nostalgia is becoming intergenerational – driven by Millennial parents and Gen Alpha kids consuming media together. Brands are tapping into family nostalgia pipelines through school partnerships, retro product releases, and purpose-driven campaigns to cultivate loyalty that spans decades. In a world overloaded with data, nostalgia offers marketers something rare: a deeply emotional insight into why people buy, not just what they buy.

Discussion Questions and Activities

  1. Watch and discuss the Wall Street Journal’s video, How Build-A-Bear Found Success in the Nostalgia Economy. Why do you think nostalgia is especially powerful for Gen Z compared to other generations? In what ways can nostalgia be misused or lead to inaccurate conclusions in marketing research? Should brands actively encourage “kidulting,” or does it risk alienating younger consumers?
  2. How does the “2016 vibes” trend reveal insights that traditional surveys or focus groups might miss?
  3. How could data analytics help marketers predict future nostalgia trends?
  4. Trend Data Dive (Online Activity). Students analyze real-time nostalgia trends using TikTok Creative Center’s keyword analytics. Students search terms like “2016,” “aesthetic,” “throwback,” or a brand of their choice, then present what the data might indicate for marketers.
  5. Nostalgia Audit (Individual or Group). Students choose a brand and identify at least three ways it uses nostalgia. They must determine whether each tactic appeals to Gen Z, Millennials, or Gen Alpha, and discuss why.
  6. Build-A-Bear Strategy Redesign (Group Project). Students design a new nostalgia-driven experience or product offering for Build-A-Bear targeting college-aged consumers.

Sources:

Kranse, Jordan (28 January 2026), How Build-A-Bear Found Success in the Nostalgia Economy, Wall Street Journal Video Series; Lichtenberg, Nick and Roytburg, Eva (20 January 2026) Gen Z’s Nostalgia for ‘2016 vibes’ Reveals Something Deeper: a Protest Against the World and Economy They Inherited, Fortune; Mawhinney, Karl (19 December 2025), Why Nostalgia And Purpose Are The Next Frontier For Brand Loyalty, Forbes.

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by | Monday, February 2, 2026 · 7:00 am

Super Bowl Teasers: How Brands Tap into Your Mind Before the Big Game

Do you remember when Super Bowl ads were broadcast during the Super Bowl? Gone are the weeks of anticipation for brands leading up to the game. Now ads warm up the crowd well in advance of the big game. This year’s teasers from Salesforce and Duolingo show how brands cleverly shape consumer perception, motivation, and even cultural identity long before kickoff.

Take Salesforce teaming up with MrBeast. This collaboration is more than a celebrity endorsement; it’s a strategic play in consumer behavior. MrBeast’s vertical, phone-shot teaser feels informal and spontaneous, matching the media habits of millions of young viewers. It leans into lifestyle marketing by letting a creator who “gets” the audience shape the message. And the tiny hint of “you might become a millionaire” taps directly into consumer motivation. Sweepstakes equal instant dopamine hit.

Meanwhile, Duolingo is using Bad Bunny’s historic Spanish-language halftime show to generate buzz with five and fifteen second micro-ads. These short bursts act like subliminal nudges. Duolingo has also created two 5-second reminder ads to air prior to the Super Bowl and will also have a presence on the New York subway system, wrapping the train with Duolingo visuals and translating short Spanish phrases. By translating playful lyrics and dressing Duo the owl in full Bad Bunny mode, the brand ties language learning to identity, culture, and fandom – not homework.

Both campaigns understand something fundamental. Students, young professionals, creators, and fans build meaning from the media moments they care about. These teasers aren’t just promoting products, they’re inserting brands into the cultural anticipation of the Super Bowl, where lifestyle, motivation, and perception collide.

Discussion Questions and Activities

  1. How might using creators like MrBeast change the perception of Salesforce?
  2. What consumer motivations are Duolingo and Salesforce tapping into?
  3. How do micro-ads (5–15 seconds) influence attention and recall compared to full-length ads?
  4. In what ways do these teasers reflect the lifestyle and identity of Gen Z consumers?
  5. Where do you see potential subliminal messaging in these campaigns? Discuss the ethics of this practice.
  6. Ad Teaser Review. In small groups, watch selected teasers from the Brand Innovators Super Bowl Ad Tracker 2026. Identify strategies tied to consumer behavior or perception.
  7. Cultural Cue Hunt. Analyze Duolingo’s Bad Bunny-inspired ads and list the cultural cues that might motivate fans to learn Spanish.
  8. Creator Strategy Sprint. Design a 20-second teaser for a brand of your choice using a creator or influencer, explaining how it shapes lifestyle appeal and perception.

Sources:

Follet, Gillian (16-Jan 2026), MrBeast Teams up with Salesforce on Super Bowl Ad, Ad Age; Baar, Aaron (23-Jan 2026) Duolingo offers to help with Bad Bunny Translation, Brand Innovators.

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by | Monday, December 8, 2025 · 7:05 am

Scent Shifting: Brands Redefine How to Market to Men

Walk down any store aisle today and you may notice something surprising: men’s products aren’t hiding on a dusty bottom shelf anymore. They’re bold, sleek, and sometimes funny. And they’re booming. The global male grooming market is racing toward an estimated $115 billion by 2028, and brands are fighting hard for a piece of it.

This shift reflects marketers’ understanding of consumer behavior, identity, and cultural change. Companies from Harry’s to Balenciaga are recognizing that men, especially Gen Z, aren’t just buying products, they’re buying self-expression. Younger consumers mix and match scents the way they curate playlists, choosing fragrances to communicate mood, identity, and even aspiration.

Some brands lean into experience marketing, selling scent as a form of introspection. Balenciaga and John Varvatos craft campaigns around ingredients and atmosphere, not shirtless models on cliffs. Others take a more traditional route bottling up ambition and charisma by calling in celebrities like Vinicius Junior or Nicholas Galitzine to do the talking.

Yet the biggest marketing shift may be psychological. Men want authenticity and direct, simple communication. They enjoy humor like that found in Old Spice’s “Holidudes” line, value large-size products, and respond strongly to personal connection. Jake Paul even DMs customers for feedback.

For marketers, the message is clear. Masculinity isn’t one-size-fits-all, and neither is the marketing that reaches it. The recipe for winning in today’s competitive market requires brands to embrace segmentation, storytelling, and cultural nuance topped off with a good-smelling product that works.

Discussion Questions and Activities:

  1. How is Gen Z redefining masculinity as a marketing concept?
  1. Why are ingredient-focused fragrance campaigns becoming more popular?
  2. How does celebrity endorsement affect male consumer behavior today?
  3. What role does humor play in marketing to men?
  4. How does the rise of “affordable luxury” influence consumer buying decisions?
  5. Scent Persona Lab. Students design a fragrance concept for a specific male segment (e.g., gamers, athletes, creators).
  6. Ad Makeover. Find a traditional “power masculinity” ad and redesign it for a Gen Z audience.
  7. Brand Audit. Compare two competing men’s brands—one ingredient-led, one celebrity-led—and present how each targets different motivations and identities.

Sources: Khan, Natasha (27 Nov 2025), Wall Street Journal; Suresh, Sanjeeva (18 Nov 2025) Luxuo. Suresh; Statista Research Department (25 Nov 2025) Statista.

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