New Prosumer Report Says Partying May be our Social Glue, but "Skipping the Party" is the Direction we are Headed in

Dec. 07, 2023

Havas BETC unveiled the latest edition of its Prosumer Report, "Is the Party Over?" discussing the shifts in culture regarding festivity around the world. In a time when people are conscious about their health, reputations, spending, and more, skipping the party could be the more attractive option. The report explores the new and different ways people are celebrating across cultures and redefining the meaning of celebration to fit the evolving needs of partygoers around the world. Havas BETC conducts its global proprietary Prosumer studies, several times a year, polling more than 13,000 people across 33 markets including Brazil, China, France, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States, comparing sentiments of ‘mainstream’ respondents with those identified as "prosumers" – a percentage of the population that influences the behavior of others and predicts emerging tendencies.  

As today’s leading consumers and market drivers, Prosumers influence brand choices and consumption behaviors of others. What Prosumers are doing today, mainstream consumers will likely be doing 6 to 18 months from now. 

Key findings from ‘Is the Party Over?’ highlight the changing landscape of celebrations across generations and in the years following the beginning of the coronavirus disease pandemic. 

• 84% of Prosumers agree that a party can happen whenever and wherever 
• 52% of Gen Z prefers staying home on a typical weekend night rather than going out 
• 49% of Prosumers prefer to party with people like them because they feel safer 
• 80% of Prosumers are willing to go to a party hosted by a brand, and 74% of Prosumers love when brands host parties because they have the means to make them unforgettable 

Authors of the study, BETC Global Chief Strategy Officers, Clement Boisseau and Sebastien Houdusse, explained the origins of the research conducted:

"At first sight, questioning the role of partying in our lives appears frivolous. But we believe it’s the other way around: partying is a fundamental subject that puts into perspective our relationship to time, space, and to others. The dilution of party we observe in the research is, for instance, the symptom of people afraid of the unknown and tired of living in a polarized society. People who withdraw in the safety of their homes and the comfort of relationships with their closest ones."

 

The world we live in has become so violent that parties can often feel like one of the best options to escape reality. However, in times of turmoil, one might feel guilty for celebrating. Partying has always been a way to gather and connect with loved ones, to meet new people, to find love, to have entertainment, to blow off steam… but now, there are other options to fulfill these needs; and they could be better.  

"Is the Party Over?" focuses on 6 main ideas throughout the report for brands to consider. 

• A world of hyperfestivity: Festivity is no longer a rare moment but has extended to many moments of the day and year. 
• Homo comfortus: If the party is everywhere, and especially at the touch of a finger, Gen Z, the indoor generation, now often chooses to stay home. 
• Control freak society: Our society has grown obsessed with control and is having difficulties letting go when partying; meaning fewer encounters, less flirting, fewer surprises, and less alcohol. 
• The safe place, a new sanctuary: The “control freak society” has led to a need to retreat at home, and only celebrate with people who are like us. 
• New models of celebration: While they occur less frequently, celebrations are still reinventing themselves, making preparation a new highlight of the festivities. 
• Brands and parties, a virtuous synergy: Brands can enable people to be the best version of themselves at parties and are sought after for organizing memorable celebrations. 

Boisseau and Houdusse added:

"It doesn’t help to lament about the loss of the traditional party spirit. Rather, we want our research to explain how people are looking to new forms of celebration to reignite excitement and enchantment in their lives. And guess what? Brands have a strong role to play in the imagination."