Energy drinks return.

From a branding perspective, energy drinks fell out of favor with stigmas surrounding harmful ingredients and hyper-masculinity. Kim Kardashian snapped up the opportunity for newness with Kimade, bringing a healthy, youthful, and feminine energy to the category in collaboration with wellness brand Alani Nutrition. This comes on the heels of similar marketing strategies from Celsius, a modern energy drink whose Instagram page could be mistaken for Revolve's. Maybe it’s the Adderall shortage, or maybe people are ready to get up and work again, but hustle culture has officially returned with a wellness conscience.

Check our track record. The Co. called out hustle culture in our 2022 report: Consumer Dynamics: Vibes Shift

Consumers get kinky, boosting frisky business.

Isamaya Ffrench launched a beauty line in a BDSM-inspired campaign featuring Julia Fox, while SKIMS’ summer swim shoot staring Carmen Electra and Jenny McCarthy calls to vintage playboy days. This spring, Contact Sports opened a sexual wellness shop shrouded as a chic streetwear boutique. Thinking back to Valentine’s day, brands like Parade and The Attico opted for hardcore and kinky messaging over sentimental and sweet. And, apparently, guys wearing keys on their beltloops has become a sign of confidence and kink. In a more sexually liberated world, being risqué as a brand is less risky. Don't be afraid to get your freak on.

Consumers take the road less traveled to niche leisure.

Price increases, overcrowding, and evolving interests have consumers turning away from traditional trips. Facing thinning theme park crowds this summer, Independence Day weekend marked one of the slowest days at Disney in nearly a decade. Meanwhile, a Mattel Adventure Park is set to open in Arizona in 2024, including a Barbie Beach House and Hot Wheels racetrack, proving all types of fandoms are primed for experiential opportunities. Popstroke, a mini golf concept by Tiger Woods, taps into the democratization of the sport with a course designed by the golf legend, a full-service restaurant, and on-course drink service. Within festivals, Coachella has lost its cool factor, as smaller concepts catering to niche music interests gain traction. Think: Railbird Festival offering country music, bourbon tasting, and horse races.

Browse our Complete Guide to Travel and Leisure

A luxury watch craze gives stock bro culture a run for its money.

Now in its peak, watch knowledge, collecting, and trading brings a new community and cool-kid currency to the forefront of consumer culture. A sign of the times, Christiano Ronaldo just invested in the online luxury watch marketplace, Chrono24, currently valuated at over $1 billion USD. Purchasing not a prerequisite, spectating Wimbledon and the infamous celebrity filled Fourth of July white party has become sport for watch enthusiasts everywhere. Earn the respect of this growing group and lend your brand’s voice to the timepiece talk through product, positioning, or promotion. Look to Rowing Blazer’s Dominos Rolex for inspiration. The clock is ticking.

The auto-body shop as muse.

From Formula 1's new fangirls to an uptick in garage-core fashion, car culture is cruising, commercially. Recent collaborations indicate we’re hitting full throttle. Paint company Backdrop’s Porsche collection promotes the notion of color as status symbol, with a range of pigments including “speed yellow” and “riviera blue.” The Co. just stopped by the Flamingo Estate x Mytheresa pop-up in East Hampton, where fashion, wellness, and food products are displayed like art in a tricked-out auto-body shop—Loewe bags perched on spare tires, fashion hanging with painted tools, a dressing room of rear-view mirrors. Both well-executed initiatives show just how many roads a brand can take in tapping this movement.