The Relevancy Read

Hot takes, early calls and astute observations, carefully curated.

A Sampling

Personal growth parties & Mr. Taylor Swift

November 21, 2023

Are marathon parties the new baby shower?

As consumers delay or forgo having kids, they have more time and money to pursue or celebrate personal growth milestones. Recently The Co. spotted someone having a party for a one-year Duolingo streak with a cake in the shape of the platform’s famed green owl logo. We’ve also noticed an uptick in marathon parties and runners making vacations around international races. As marathon participation grows and paces diversify, they’ve become a “bucket list item” for those in their late 20s/early 30s who are slowing down but not yet having kids. Slow Girl Run Club was founded to welcome those 15–20-minute mile runners who might take all day to finish. Brands and businesses selling around such activities need to expand the archetype of their typical target audience and amp up the celebration angle.

Love is in the air!

Dating apps may be down, but love is up with pop-culture’s favorite couple, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. While Swifties were critical of him being beneath her, the flourishing relationship is quietly making a case for taking the basic, obvious choice and diving in. Swift’s cultural impact immeasurable, we expect this story to fan the flames of cheesy love, which dating-app fatigued consumers are already craving. For an older crowd, The Golden Bachelor’s smash success speaks to an aging population finding more opportunity to have new, meaningful relationships with longer lifespans. This is a call for brands and businesses to infuse good-old-fashioned romance into offerings and initiatives.

The milk-man model is back.

As the circular economy takes center stage in business strategies, certain companies are reimagining a classic delivery, pickup, and replenishment system reminiscent of the milkman era. Cabinet takes on single-use prescription bottles with reusable glass jars and medication refills in compostable pouches that are shipped directly to doorsteps. For groceries and other essentials, The Rounds created a system of refillable containers that come in a reusable tote bag. Once the products are used up, they will pick up the empties and clean the containers. This will become standard practice as consumers expect brands to take responsibility for packaging waste.

What we’re watching: The Buccaneers

The Apple TV adaptation of the popular Edith Wharton novel tells the story of five American girls sent to 1870s London to secure husbands and status. Considered the “anti-Bridgeton,” the series takes a modern approach to The Gilded Age as the free-spirited friends arrive on the scene with a healthy dose of humor, corsets, and Taylor Swift songs. As consumers seek solace in history during these uncertain times, expect to hear more about this period piece made relevant. Culturally, we’re calling a shift to “Ultra Femme,” as aesthetics embrace all things traditionally female. Girlies rejoice! Get ready for sugar and spice, lace, bows, silks, and embellishments.

TikTok’s latest it-ingredient: Colostrum.

Also known as “liquid gold,” colostrum has become a wellness obsession with nutrient-dense, highly bio-available properties. The catch? It’s the first milk produced by mammals immediately after giving birth, meant to help newborn babies build immunity during their first few days of life. More adults are taking the superfood, with some harvesting their own colostrum during pregnancy and sharing their results on TikTok. Ads for Armra are everywhere, a supplement brand focussing their entire model around this one ingredient. Like most new wellness trends, there’s no real substantial research to support colostrum actually helps adults, but that won’t stop consumers from hopping on the bandwagon. The Co. is udderly fascinated….