LOOKING BACK TO SPRING AHEAD SERIES - 5. BELONGING

In our Looking Back to Spring Ahead series, our last post explored consumers’ evolving relationship with sustainability.

This week, as we wrap the series, we’re connecting the dots across the previous four themes to explore a unifying undercurrent: the rising importance of belonging.

From Fitting In

Globalization has created unprecedented levels of connectivity. Social media platforms now resemble modern day town squares, spaces that can feel overwhelming and at times even hostile. Belonging in this context has often been shaped by algorithms, trends, and the need to fit into broad, impersonal networks.

To Building Your Own Corner

In response, belonging is evolving into something more intentional and self-directed. Amid political and cultural shifts, many are retreating from mainstream spaces and curating their own micro-communities where they feel safe, seen, and aligned. As connection shifts from reach and quantity to depth and quality, belonging is taking on new forms across both digital and physical spaces.

Online platforms like Substack community chats, Geneva, and Discord (among others) are emerging as purpose-built alternatives to traditional social media, offering more meaningful spaces for connection. At the same time, activities like Mahjong are bringing people together in ways that facilitate socialization whilst offering a side of mental stimulation. 

In this new landscape, brands need to think more like hosts and create environments where people do not just show up, they stay.

Does your brand create spaces where people truly feel they belong or does it add to the noise?