If 2020 was for taking on once-outsourced household jobs, 2021 was for selectively hiring service experts. New in-person obligations forced many to reevaluate their priorities and decide how much they were willing to pay to get back time they used to have in abundance.
You are reading part 5 of a 7-part Year in Search deep dive. Jump to section Sustainable Living; Redefining Normal; or Together Again.
Busy people outsourced tasks again.
Source: Google Data, Global English, all search phrases unless otherwise specified, Sept. 1, 2019–Aug. 1, 2021.
Every choice feels critically important to people remaking their lives for a changed world.
Affordable options were in high demand.
Source: Google Data, Global English, all search phrases unless otherwise specified, Sept. 1, 2019–Aug. 1, 2021.
What these insights mean for brands.
Every choice feels critically important to people remaking their lives for a changed world. The more information they have, the more confident their decisions can be. Brands whose marketing makes it a priority to empower people in their research will find it easier to win trust and loyalty.
1. Empower employees to manage their finances.
More employers are offering financial wellness programs such as financial coaching and student loan assistance than last year, according to Bank of America’s Workplace Benefits Report. The trend suggests an increased focus on supporting employees over the long term.
2. Make financial education more human.
In an effort to encourage young people to embrace new digital currencies and tools, Sweden’s buy now, pay later company Klarna launched its “Old Credit Is History” campaign, complete with a pop-up museum in London. The museum chronicles the evolution and history of money.1
3. Dissolve barriers to tools meant to simplify.
Voice assistants are meant to make life easier by quickly retrieving information and even completing tasks. But most can do better when it comes to recognizing impaired speech. Google’s Relate beta app aims to do just that.
