Trends

The road to returning to out-of-home leisure activity will vary by country as different regions consider easing or lifting restrictions. A GlobalWebIndex (GWI) study finds that although 90 percent of people agree that reopening businesses is important, only half of respondents say they are likely to return “very quickly.” New Zealand (60 percent), Australia (66 percent) and China (55 percent) are more likely to say they will return to stores quickly. France, Canada and U.S. respondents are split, and countries like Italy and Brazil say they are more likely to delay returning to in-store activities as their regions recover.

With public restrictions likely for the foreseeable future, people face a critical question: “How do I spend my free time?”  This pursuit has led to a period of exploration – with many turning to digital channels like social media and YouTube to learn about new things, try new activities and remain connected. These newfound interests offer opportunities for companies to build relationships with people who may not have interacted with their brand before and become a part of the digital conversation in a way that’s relevant, authentic and valuable.

According to our research, 81 percent of global respondents say they tried a new hobby over the last three months. These hobbies strike a balance between online and offline activity, with do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvement, cooking, and trying new restaurants topping the list.

People are generally social creatures, and with in-person activity limited, online tools become a powerful way to maintain social connection. When approaching new hobbies, people seek to recreate physical experiences digitally, establishing new habits powered by technology.

Activities like cooking, gardening, fitness, DIY home improvement and mindfulness/meditation skew towards video learning – mirroring experiences one would typically find in an in-person environment. In-app interactions are also more prominent among fitness and mindfulness-based activities -- things that people may want to continuously track progress on or follow a routine with.

Branded content also plays a rising role. Aside from cooking, people cite branded content as one of their top three resources for learning across categories. Our research finds that people are 31 percent more likely to make a purchase from brands that provide education via product videos or how-to content. In this way, people are turning to brands not just for purchasing but as a trusted resource for personal growth.

However, over the last few months, our research finds people are more likely to use voice assistants as a guide. For example, Allrecipes Alexa says there has been a 67 percent uptick in traffic and an  45 percent increase in new users during the pandemic – signaling that people looking to try new recipes are turning to voice to help teach them along the way.