On Our Radar: Trending Terms
Trending terms change as fast as you can hit the hashtag these days, and it can be tough to keep up, even if you’re a rizzler.
In their quarterly trend report on all things consumer-related, Ginger Consulting partners Beth Perro-Jarvis and Mary Van Note have started including “Vocabulary in Vogue.”
Here are some of the latest terms and catchphrases deciphered by the Minneapolis-based brand strategists.
Enshittification: The gradual degradation of an online platform or service’s functionality, as management first offers benefits to attract users, then degrades benefits to increase profits.
Green hushing: Companies quietly reducing their sustainability investments to increase their bottom line.
Kenergy: Barbie-mania has dissipated, but the state of mind persists, defined by actor Ryan Gosling as “giving more than is necessary so that others might shine.”
Permaleisure: Wearing athleisure for all activities, from Barre class to boardroom.
Premiocre: Premium mediocrity; nice-enough choices, without any meaningful distinction, what The Atlantic calls “a fundamental dysphoria of modern consumerism.”
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Pricing hell: The rise of dynamic pricing or add-on fees for everything, beyond airlines and hotels.
Range anxiety: The fear that your car’s electric battery will run out before you reach a charging station.
