Winter Olympics, Gen Z Consumer Insights and More | Bolt Trend Report

January 31, 2022

Athletes are preparing to hit the slopes as viewers gear up to hit their couches for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Along with the nail-biting sports competitions like the Winter Games and Super Bowl LVI, we’re reviewing other trending topics to keep you informed as we slide out of January and into February. Warm your fingers up now, and start scrolling below.

Upcoming Holidays & Observances

  • National Hot Chocolate Day - Jan. 31
  • National Mentoring Month - January
  • Black History Month - February 
  • Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony - Feb. 4

Must-Know Trends:

Winter Olympics

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics opening ceremony kicks off this Friday, February 4th. With the 2021 Summer Olympics not too far in the rearview mirror, it’s hard to believe we’re already blocking off the weekend to cheer on the Winter Games. The anticipated Winter Olympics runs through February 20th and will be held across Beijing, Yanqing, and Zhangjiakou. Along with the traditional 15 contested sports like bobsledding and figure skating, seven new events will be featured: Women’s Monobob, Mixed Team Ski Jumping, Mixed Team Short Track Relay, Mixed Team Aerials, Mixed Team Snowboard Cross, and Men’s and Women’s Big Air. The talented athletes and new events aren’t the only thing people are talking about. Due to the pandemic, the crowd will be limited to only “selected” spectators. Fans are encouraged to catch the games by streaming live on Peacock or tuning into NBC, CNBC or USA. Will you be cheering on team USA with us?

Watch the Super Bowl in an NFL Pro’s Home

Do you want to watch the Super Bowl in NFL style? Groupon’s ‘Party Like a Player’ is the latest in their experiential marketing campaigns. The contest offers a grand prize for the winner and 15 friends to stay at Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski’s Massachusetts mansion during the Super Bowl. Don’t worry, if you don’t win the grand prize, Groupon is offering a chance to enter to win other experiences like a trip to Las Vegas, a trip to Cancun, a VIP New Kids on the Block concert experience and more.

Connecting with Gen Z Consumers

The Gen Z consumer is being discussed at length with new studies reporting findings that help shape the trajectory of social media, workplaces and ecommerce as a whole. Recent data from Qualtrics shows that consumer expectations are on the rise with this socially-conscious, trend-setting generation. Customer experience, brand values and health and safety protocols rank high on Gen Z’s list when deciding to purchase from a specific company. As for social media, this group places great importance on social channels when it comes to a brand’s relevance. In fact, 51% of Gen Z ranked ‘social media presence’ as a top way for brands to maintain relevance. Overall, these consumers want to feel connected to the businesses they’re supporting through purchases, and social media is one bridge to make that connection.

Falling Iguanas 

Here’s a trend we never saw coming (or falling). Snow storms have swept across the Northeast, and places in the south are feeling the chill as well. The sunshine state of Florida has been hit with abnormally low temperatures which sparked this unique problem of frozen iguanas falling from trees. This is more than just a couple of incidents. The National Weather Service issued a warning about falling iguanas due to the weekend lows plunging into the 30s and 40s. Essentially, the cold weather stuns the reptiles into a coma-like situation, causing them to lose grip and fall out of trees. In case you were wondering, the chill usually doesn't hurt iguanas, and when the weather snaps back to normal, they’re typically just fine. With a big month in sports and the release of buzzworthy Gen Z trends and reports of falling iguanas that make you say, “huh?”, we’re excited to keep you in-the-know on our weekly blog and 24/7 social pages. We’ll see you here again later this week for a special monthly observance report.

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