Futures Feed

How can brands leverage intimacy?

INTIMACY

Intimacy and engagement shape our daily lives in almost every way – even on subconscious levels. But, living through a year that has both separated us, whilst also bringing us together, has forced us to reappraise not just what our human intimacy means to us, but the different role it will play in our futures. We are now looking to brands to help us leverage intimacy as a way to make the moment of connection more meaningful, engaging and emotional.

In this latest Futures Feed – An Intimacy Dilemma – we explore four emerging areas of change, which are brought to life with new insights, up to the minute innovative examples and opportunity areas for brands. We present the ways in which they can embrace these changes to design, innovate and express a new idea of intimacy in a changing culture and new world order of togetherness.

Four key themes of Change

1. Borderless Bonds

Searching for new ways to share intimacy and experience, without physical proximity.

2. Intimacy for all

Creating pleasure for differently-abled bodies and desires through more inclusive narratives enabled by better design.

3. Sensual healing

Looking for an intimacy that is both pleasurable and healing, to meet new needs arising from a heightened awareness of our own company and our own health.

4. Autonomous Intimacy

Finding ways to celebrate autonomy, self-love and feeling secure in solitude, whether in or out, of a relationship.

Introduction
Themes
What is the opportunity in this space?

– Going beyond traditional product formats to design for multi-sensory, evocative and reactive innovations, in the context of our new phygital world.

– Developing more human-centred and empathetic experiences, product and packaging designs, that help people foster a more personal and accepting relationship with themselves.

– Designing for our new desire for sensual healing, a sense of closeness and inherent wellbeing, not bound by previous ideas, forms or categories.

– Finding original and positive ways to incorporate human presence and connection across the digital landscape and physical platforms to promote and support the power of one.

This is just a taste of what the full Futures feed – INTIMACY – has to offer. If you would like to access the full report or find out more, please get in touch below:

Opportunity

Image credits from top to bottom of the page: Scents of Normality by Earl of East, sexual wellness brand, Maude and the book "Happy Singlehood".

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