Looking ahead to Christmas 2022, tensions exacerbated by the pandemic has shaped what the festive season will look like.
Australians are now torn between two major tensions shaping our expectations of the festive season. Firstly; the balance of:
Retreat vs Reimagine
The tension between seeking comfort and safety in routine and relationships vs. the desire to break the mould, rethink and reimagine traditions for the new world.
Me vs We.
The tension between wanting to protect my oasis and look after myself and my health; while also wanting to reconnect and engage with out community after a long period of absence.
Recap on Unboxing Christmas full session.
Research conducted by Powered and Crowd DNA as part of Powered’s Cultural Conversation series presented at The Big Ideas Store in 2022.
What you need to know
When we plotted these two tensions, it became that there were 4 defining spaces or territories that will influence how Australians are looking to engage in the season.
THEME ONE
A balance of Me & Reimagine...
Where we see Australians change their own consumer behaviours in order to better suit their own needs rather than others.
Australians are torn between the new and the old when it comes to Christmas.
79%
Of Australians would like to still follow the traditions they grew up with during Christmas.
47%
Would like to explore new ways of celebrating.
This shifting behaviour comes hand in hand with a shift in spend.
80%
Of Australians are concerned about the amount of waste involved in Christmas gifting.
Source: Unboxing Christmas 2022
58%
Of Australians bought during Black Friday sales vs 56% on Boxing day sales (P18-24 representing 25%).
2 in 5
Will be travelling over the Christmas period with 22% looking at spending more on travel than previous years.
The Opportunity for brands at Christmas is evolving for the better.
THEME TWO
an interplay of we & re-imagine...
Where Australians are now rethinking the traditional ways Christmas is represented to better recognise the needs of the community.
“We need to show Australians that, whatever their set up is, it's not strange, it's not 'other.”
Katrina Strickland - Editor Good Weekend
71%
Of Australians would like to still follow the traditions they grew up with during Christmas.
Despite its religious ties, Christmas is now becoming more inclusive across all facets…
Australians desire for gender, culture, marital status, life stage and background to be included in Christmas messaging, and the Christmas experience…
With 2 In 3 Australians believing Christmas is beyond just religion and it is something that should be celebrated by all.
Calls towards inclusivity of gender, sexual orientation and race in advertising has improved over the past few years.
Source: Consumer Pulse, 4-7 March 2022 (n=2,089)
Improvement doesn't mean perfection.
Australians don’t need diversity shouted from the rooftops; they simply want to see people like themselves reflected through marketing and messaging; ‘normalising’ diversity and prioritising overlooked Aussies across the Christmas season.
Christmas is a time of togetherness, a time that no one should feel excluded, but it does need to be authentic.
THEME THREE
A combination of Me & Retreat
Has helped us realise that we need to take time out for ourselves at Christmas to look after our health for our own safety and stability.
As the start of the 2020s has been linked to burnout for many Australians, Christmas is increasingly being considered a time to relax and recharge…
63%
Find Christmas to be a time to relax and unwind
51%
Of Australians are prioritising their own health as we emerge from the pandemic
2 in 5
Will be travelling over the Christmas period with 22% looking at spending more on travel than previous years.
Australians reported high levels of emotional distress in 2021…
“I don’t know anyone who was not affected negatively by COVID this last Christmas. You’d have to be living in a bubble.”
Vanessa Lawrence
Publisher, Pedestrian TV
Regardless of the year that was, the stressors we experience at christmas are different for everyone.
Source: Unboxing Christmas 2022
This shift toward wellbeing at Christmas has seen an increased desire for content that talks to making Christmas a little healthier…
THEME FOUR
The merging of We & Retreat...
Have helped us realise the comfort and stability we get by spending time with our closer knit community of friends at Christmas
Different emotions are elicited when we celebrate with our biological family vs friends.
51%
Australians lost connection with some of their friends during the pandemic.
We are now putting more effort and time into the relationships that give back.
Only 3%
Feel a sense of obligation to celebrate with friends vs 21% with family.
3%
Feel a sense of anxiety celebrating with friends vs 14% with family.
“Families come with a preconceived idea of what Christmas should be, whereas friends are a lot more relaxed… People opt for the friends thing because there's so much less pressure”
- Jane De Graaff, Food & Lifestyle Writer - 9Honey & TODAY
Our focus on ‘Framily’ is changing the way we engage with the season.
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Source: Nine’s Proprietary Research | Unboxing Christmas 2022