Social media plays a decisive role in the popularization of nostalgic products, according to research conducted by theMission Brazil, largest rewards services platform in the country.The study reveals that 92,3% of respondents perceive the direct influence of digital content on the consumption of vintage products. Of these, 38,7% consider the impact of social media significant, 34,6% feel some influence and 19% say they are little impacted. Just 7,62% claim they are not influenced.
The study, that heard more than 400 people, it also points out that 62% believe that technology is a decisive factor for the consumption of nostalgic products, while 38% disagree with this statement. According to Julio Bastos, CCO of Mission Brazil, platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are powerful engines in the dissemination of these consumption trends, even more so when it comes to nostalgic articles. These networks are designed to highlight viral content, logo, how nostalgia and past trends are on the rise, the algorithm of these social networks ends up 'recommending' such content, creating a spiral where what was once popular in the past is revived in an amplified way, details.
Millennials and Gen Z drive the vintage phenomenon
The research highlights that the majority of consumers of nostalgic items belong to Generation Y (millennials, born between 1981 and 1996) and Z (born between 1997 and 2012), representing 50% and 43% of the audience, respectively. For Bastos, digitization has made these references more accessible. "Today anyone can revisit or even reimagine a style", a song or an aesthetic from the 90s and 2000s, for example. This makes brands especially attentive to these consumption patterns and how to bring trends to the forefront, and even products from such periods, that can awaken the consumer's interest.
Nostalgia and consumption: video games and fashion lead preferences
The research data still reveals that the influence of social media on the consumption of nostalgic items directly reflects on consumers' choices. Video games top the list of most purchased vintage products, with 25% of the answers, followed by clothing (22%), food and beverages (17%), sweets and chocolates (10%) and board games and toys (8,5%). Footwear and cell phones appear with 4% of the recommendations each, já revistas/livros e maquiagens vêm logo após com cerca de 3% e 2,5% respectively. Finally, cameras (2%), bags (1%) and glasses (1%) complete the list.
Besides the most consumed categories, the survey indicates that product design is the most attractive factor for those seeking nostalgic items, cited by more than 35% of respondents. The brand's history also weighs in the purchasing decision, with 24% of the mentions, while functionality and exclusivity appear as relevant factors for 23% and 15% of consumers, respectively. Other unspecified reasons are mentioned by almost 2% of people.
Emotional connection strengthens retro trend
The study reveals that the main motivation for consuming vintage products is linked to emotional memory The connection to a happy memory tops the ranking of motivations, cited by 42% of respondents. Next, the emotional connection with the brand, with 22,9%, and the feeling of comfort and closeness, mentioned by 20% of the participants. Already 7,62% reported that they seek to stay updated on a trend, while 6,9% said that the main factor is the feeling of belonging to a group or period.
For Bastos, the rescue of references from the past goes far beyond just a passing trend, the nostalgia marketing, as much as it is fueled by digitalization, is driven especially by the desire for emotional connection with experiences that marked generations, clarifies the CCO.. He concludes by saying that "brands that understand this movement and incorporate nostalgic elements authentically can create highly engaged products and campaigns today"
