In our series Colour Me, Crowd DNA uses semiotics to decode colour trends and unpack cultural shifts in the process…

Colour of course carries plenty of meaning, but that changes (and often very fast) alongside lived experiences. In this series, Crowd DNA uses semiotics to decode colour trends and unpack cultural shifts in the process… 

At Crowd, we use semiotics as one of our tools, showing where signs and symbols – like words, visual icons, packaging, or logos – are a shortcut for brands to reveal their message or impact behaviour.  

Following on from Gen Z Yellow and Heritage Purple, our third edition charts how Cherry Red – the most symbolically-laden fruits in the cultural lexicon – has been used to capture the changing representations of girl, woman and other.  

As the full spectrum of femininity is playing out in culture, we see motifs of desire, power and hunger channelled through the prism of the delicate, fierce and luscious Cherry Red.  

In Colour Me: Cherry Red we explore:

Semiotic analysis can help brands understand culture and keep ahead of cultural change, and we hope our Colour Me series will help you in choosing more impactful colours.

If you’d like to learn more about how we use semiotics to reach real cultural insights, please get in touch: hello@crowdDNA.com

Crowd DNA and Snapchat show how to think differently about Gen Z, who are prioritising authentic connection above all else…

Gen Z is the most documented generation of all time – and yet, their moods, mindsets and motivations often remain mysterious to brands.

So, what is the ‘new news’ about Gen Z?

The mood is up

While last year’s report found that 8 in 10 Gen Z felt “negatively about the world today,” this year’s study shows Gen Z entering the conversation with positivity, passion, and purpose. ‘Grateful,’ ‘optimistic,’ and ‘motivated’ are the top three emotions they’re feeling in the wake of the COVID years – where everything finally feels like it’s returning to stability, and they’re able to look ahead with confidence.

Authentic connection is Gen Z’s biggest unmet need.

This means real people, real stories, real moments, real connection.

78% of Gen Z say: “So much in the world seems fake – I’m just looking for something real,” while 80% of Gen Z say: “When I am connected to my friends, I feel the most like myself”.

Authentic connection is not a fluffy marketing buzzword – it’s an incredible driver of purchase power, with friends being the most trusted influencers when it comes to personal decisions, shopping, and brands.

Charts from the Crowd DNA x Snapchat study

The best platform to cultivate authentic connection? Snapchat.

Of course, we partnered with Snapchat on this study, so take this with a pinch of salt. But the data was clear: where other social platforms are most closely associated with “killing time,” “sugary dopamine rushes,” or “perfect, polished content,” Snapchat stood out as the app Gen Z use on the go, the app that connects them authentically to their friends, and the app that helps them feel the most like themselves.

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A few other takeaways from the study:

●              They’re prioritising personal success over traditional ideals. Gen Z may have ‘old school’ goals like buying a house (it’s in their top three financial priorities for the next few years), but achieving personal goals – rather than hitting traditional milestones like securing a 9-5 job – is what brings them the greatest joy.

●              They’re scrutinising what they buy – and why. In the cost-of-living crisis, attributes like cool factor, quality, and cultural relevance all matter more than ever. An overwhelming number of Gen Z now say, “I don’t care what brand I’m wearing, as long as the aesthetic is on point.” Affordable luxury is also here to stay, with 55% of Gen Z actively seeking high-quality products at accessible price points, and 61% preferring “good dupes” over premium brands – signalling a pragmatic approach to spending without compromising on quality.

●              They’re sceptical of social media, but still crave connection. They’re chronically online, but chronically disconnected, with 65% saying, “my generation is lonelier than ever.” Algorithms are under fire, with 62% believing they are killing personal style, and the era of oversharing is over. Private one-to-one interactions are now the priority, with 69% saying, “I like expressing myself online but I don’t want to show the whole world – only my close friends.”

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Want more on Gen Z and how to connect with them through social media, retail, beauty, fashion, gaming, entertainment and beyond? Contact Head of Agency & Cultural Strategy (APAC) Stephanie Winkler, stephanie.winkler@crowddna.com

Hosted by our Global Managing Director, Elliot Pigram and Joey Zeelen, Managing Director EMEA, an opportunity to welcome in a new era of cultural research…

Didn’t get to join? Download the full presentation here.

Back in 2022, we released ‘How We Work With Culture’, our guide to exploring culture from the street up and how we use this perspective to amplify impact for our clients.

Now we’re back to dig a little deeper. On Thursday 20 March, we hosted a client webinar to look at what exactly we mean by “cultural strategy” today – and why (we think) it matters more than ever before. We talked about establishing our toolkits, future-focused principles and how we train our cultural strategists to solve the messiness of culture.

Didn’t get to join? Download the full presentation here.

Thursday March 20 at 9.30AM EST/ 1.30PM GMT. RSVP by clicking here.

The Future Of Cultural Strategy – a webinar on how to help brands make real opportunities out of our messy experiences…

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To celebrate the launch of our second book, How We Work As Cultural Strategists, join us for a webinar on the best way to get cultural insights today.

What we do at Crowd is guided by the single, simple belief that all brands and people live – and are influenced by – culture. Culture is everywhere around us – it’s the unwritten rules and rituals that make our world(s) tick. It’s the starting point for how people behave and trickles all the way down to how people see, feel, engage with and advocate for brands.    

But culture is getting messier.  

Society is getting messier by the day. People are getting messier by the minute. And the consumer experience is messier by the second.  

At Crowd DNA we have adapted our tools to unpick these messy experiences. 

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Join our Global Managing Director, El Pigram and Joey Zeelen, Managing Director EMEA to find out how to act on cultural change. 

RSVP by clicking by clicking here 

Welcome to the second drop of our Trends Report 2025. This time our global team of futurists and strategists share five shifts shaping culture this year (and beyond)…

Last month we looked at five trends developed and refined by a global team of futurists and strategists across our five offices. As with all our client projects, nothing at Crowd is off the shelf – we believe the future is best co-created. These are starting blocks to inspire you and get you thinking. 

Now here’s the next five, to leave you – like us – with even more enthusiasm for 2025 (and beyond), to act on culture and help shape the future you want to see.

Download our second trend report here.

Come to Crowd in 2025 for strategy rooted in cultural foresight, contact us at hello@crowdDNA.com 

Download our 27-page trend report here.

In our latest issue of City Limits, we looked at why making cities easier places to live is a blueprint for all our futures…

City Limits Volume 11 – download it here.  

The 11th issue of City Limits – our regular exploration of what’s happening in cities around the world – we wanted to celebrate the spaces where people feel welcome. Where marginalised groups don’t feel fear, the places to escape noise and clutter (to avoid sensory overload), and where barriers to participation are fewer.

We describe it as Enabling Spaces – the search for ways to make cities more pleasurable, for more people.

One of our articles was a roadmap for why inclusive urban planning should enable more of us to live with ease tomorrow: to bring more support in old age, healing spaces and play into our childhoods…

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Physical Access: The Aging Population
Almost all of us at one time or another will need to have specific needs met as we age, whether that’s due to deteriorating eyesight, hearing or memory, or from experiencing intellectual, sensory or physical challenges. We will need homes that cater for these life events, and the housing industry is starting to plan — and build — for enabling a better future for seniors.

By 2050, the global population of people in
their 80s will be three times what it is today

(World Health Organization, 2022)

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Sustainability: Our Need For Nature
Building with nature — a green infrastructure — is one route to mitigate for cities surviving in hotter, wet, less predictable climate. But it is also being incorporated to help inhabitants feel connected to the outside world. In our built-up cities, biophilic design can feel healing; our cities as a place where the human and the natural can coil together.

Living near green spaces could add 2.5 years
to your life

(Science Advances, US, 2023)

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Everyday Freedoms: Play & Curiosity
Children have lost door-step play, especially in our cities. But levelling up access to urban play space is gaining momentum. And it’s not just children who benefit — cities that integrate elements of play and curiosity will foster conversation and community for all ages.

Play should be prescribed for parents
and their children

(American Academy of Paediatricians and the UK Children’s
Commissioner, 2018)

City Limits Volume 11 – download it here.  

Our global team of futurists and strategists know what trends to pay attention to. Here they look at what trends will take their place in 2025 and beyond… 

The future can feel conceptual and abstract, but we’re experts in delivering tangible strategy and helping clients feel confident in using it for decision making.  

Download our new trend report here.  

Pause, Fast Forward, Rebound? has been developed and refined by a global team of futurists and strategists across our five offices. Our smart and adaptive cultural strategists are dedicated to future forecasting, and to providing solid strategic recommendation based on that forecasting.  

We blend methods (such as semiotics and working with social/unstructured data), to identify, articulate and draw meaning from trends, working with the world’s biggest brands to unpack the potential impact of emergent culture on products, comms, services, consumers and much, much more… 

Come to Crowd in 2025 for strategy rooted in cultural foresight, contact us at hello@crowdDNA.com 

 

We’re looking for an enthusiastic Senior Cultural Strategist to join our team in London…

We’re looking for an individual who will have a real passion for quantitative research, as well as someone who is open to blending their skills across other methodologies – so any experience outside of quant is very much valued.

Proficient at conducting all elements of the research process, the Senior Cultural Strategist will support the wider team by running projects, begin feeding into new business proposals as and when needed, guiding junior members of the team, developing client relationships and producing deliverables to a high quality.

The details

Role and responsibilities:

• Highly knowledgeable about the core processes of quant research – from designing bespoke questionnaires, managing the day to day process, all the way through to writing reports that bring data to life.
• Have been supporting projects or interested in getting involved on the core processes of qualitative research
• Own and nurture client relationships by delivering great work, anticipating client needs, gaining a thorough knowledge of their business
• Familiarity with supplier offerings and able to manage suppliers during fieldwork including sourcing and negotiating costs
• Excellent understanding of multiple and diverse client’s business and research objectives to inform overall research approach and analysis
• Able to execute multi-market research projects from kick off to completion raising any issues as and when necessary
• Ability to analyse data, identify interesting and relevant cross breaks, identify significance and work with statistics.
• Producing visually engaging reports that draw out the key insights from data, report succinct key findings and make strategic recommendations to meet project objectives Debriefing reports confidently and with enthusiasm to clients
• Contributing to new business and writing proposals as and when required
• Responsible for line managing more junior staff within the day-to-day running of projects, helping them to meet their objectives, learn, grow and develop
• Developing and sustaining good relationships and working practice with STRAT7 Crowd DNA’s internal teams; creative delivery, operations
• Working alongside the Project Producer to anticipate any needs and challenges, ensure smooth running, recruitment and financial management of the project
• Responsible for line management of Interns and/or Executives which includes conducting regular reviews, helping them to meet their objectives, learn, grow and develop

Key skills and attributes:

• Excellent attention to detail (numerical, written and visual)
• The confidence to suggest new approaches and introduce creativity to the research process
• Resolving problems when confident and offering solutions when raising problems
• Inspiring others around you by sharing knowledge, providing feedback and sharing your expertise
• Desire to keep learning and developing quant skills and new methodologies, while supporting other team members development
• An openness to learn and develop qualitative skills, trends and innovation skills and new methodologies
• Apply crowd context frameworks to research approaches and analysis
• Managing your own time and prioritising workloads, taking responsibility to raise resource issues and help identify solutions
• Highly organised and able to meet deadlines across multiple projects at once
• Able to work under pressure without compromising quality
• Supporting the wider team during workload peaks and being able to take initiative/work autonomously when needed
• Understanding clients working practices and meeting their specific needs

Working at Crowd DNA

STRAT7 Crowd DNA is an entrepreneurial and energised environment, fast paced and collaborative. If you fancy working in a place where setting the agenda for the future of cultural insights and strategy is coded into the way of working, please get in touch.

The role comes with a competitive salary of up to £51,000 and clear paths to promotion and to new opportunities. Benefits include:

• 25 days holiday plus UK bank holidays (our office also shuts between Christmas and New Year)
• 2 volunteering paid days per year (under a formal program for a registered charity)
• Flexible, hybrid working options
• Paid sabbatical after four years
• A contributory group personal pension scheme, to which we contribute 4% of Qualified Banded earnings to each team member’s gross salary
• Salary sacrifice and season ticket loans
• A Westfield Health cash plan
• Life assurance scheme at 4 x salary
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• Generous staff ents programme
• Cycle to work scheme

Recruitment Process

The cycle comprehends two or 3 interviews, depending on everyone’s agendas at this time of the year. It could be all done virtually or we may ask you to come and meet us at the office for stage two:

1st Stage – Around 45 minutes

2nd Stage – Around 1.5 hour – case study

Starting date – when possible

For information on applying for this position, please contact apply@strat7.com

Disclosure

STRAT7 is an Equal Opportunity Employer and our employees are people with different strengths, experiences and backgrounds, who share a passion for research. Our commitment to inclusivity is not just about race and gender identity, but also age, disability status, sexual orientation, religion and many other parts of one’s identity. All of our employee’s points of view are key to our success, and inclusion is everyone’s responsibility.