We’re back with another edition of GOOD SIGNS—a monthly round-up of 4 letters, looking at what’s bubbling up. Again, we’re not calling these trends. That’s way too heavy for a month’s worth of content. These are signals, patterns, counter-trends. Stuff that’s emerging, continuing, sticking out, or simply, what we’re finding interesting in the last month.

Enjoy! And let us know what you think.

1.

02:19 — POTENT NEEDS // Hard to say if mainstream isn’t cutting it right now, or if it’s too much. But regardless, consumers are chasing intensity as a salve—sauna raves, nicotine tonics, and supersonic jet setting and ice-breaker breaking cruises. We’re upping the risk, rupturing from reality in any way possible. Potency is a dial to turn up.

Places it’s showing up:

* Ayahuasca retreats, Hyrox comps, and sauna raves surge in popularity.

* Nicotina Energy launches to “clean up” nicotine as a performance aid.

* Supersonic jet projects promise speed and spectacle as the next travel flex.

* We’re now cruising with ice-breakers over 12 days to get to the North Pole.

* THC bevs outnumber wine bottles at Foxtrot.

Pendulum swing → Parents, and adults generally, are also begging for a brake pedal. Calling for the return of classic iPods, landline phones, and education that, sure, uses tech, but only for 2 hours, the rest—hands-on learning.

2.

10:54 — JACKS OF ALL TRADES // For a hot minute, in a deeply performance-marketing-driven world, brands got tunnel vision. Product was king. Times are a’changing. Brands and business are rapidly expanding their wings, becoming entertainment studios, job centers, art dealers, and vintage resellers.

Places it’s showing up:

* Brown Harris Stevens runs 16 podcasts under Studio 1873.

* Ralph Lauren buys back vintage to own the market and the stories.

* Bilt and InStyle launch serial social shows with their own ‘cult’ followings.

* Newsletters sprout job boards, event calendars, Fashion Week summits, and survey businesses..

* Maison Margiela is expanding into the art market.

Pendulum swing → Less is more. Brands are coming offline entirely. Restaurants are only serving one thing a night. Friction, tight curation, and experience are all the rage..

3.

18:04 — SILVER LUXURY // Forget aged, boring, and uninfluential, Silvers are shaping entire categories. Senior housing, cruise lines, and pickles all carry their imprint, redefining cool through spending power and longevity.

Places it’s showing up:

* 4MM Americans turning 80 in five years. Senior living occupancy is soaring. (And underserved.)

* Ritz, Four Seasons, Guntû buck cruise stereotypes to capture “never cruisers.”

* Pamela Anderson & Flamingo Estate deliver lux pickles with a side of sexy Silver.

* Menopause brands (Midi Health, etc.) are no longer considered niche (the need never was.)

* Oura puts Silvers and longevity at the center of high-end wearables.

Pendulum swing → Younger cohorts, meanwhile, are DIYing and hacking aging altogether. Hoping to completely avoid it. Think GLP-1 micro-dosing, blood-cleaning, AI-driven health care, and more.

4.

23:46 — CO-SIGN HOUSEHOLDS // The Alpha-parent dynamic isn’t top-down anymore. It’s side-by-side. Alphas bring the interests, parents bring the spend, and, interestingly, together they’re aligning on some very mainstream moments. Back-to-school hauls, K-Pop sing-alongs, and more.

Places it’s showing up:

* Alphas control ~$3,484 a year and are driving “nice-to-have” BTS buys like locker decor.Parents join the fun: #BackToSchool hauls and K-Pop Demon Hunters sing-alongs are becoming family affairs.

* Little Spoon × Siete meals mirror adult plates with 11–14g protein, teaching palates and portioning early.

* Solid song strategies are hooking parents. Fall Out Boy and Blink-182 are writing tracks for Marvel preschool shows. K-pop shows and Super Kitties are all delivering songs you can’t unstick.

Pendulum swing → While Alphas and their elder Z/Millenial parents are loudly co-signing mainstream moments, Zs are pulling in the opposite direction. Their decisions have moved to group chats, where context and approval come only from peers. They’re not interested in the comment section or the masses' opinions.

5.

23:46 — CO-SIGN HOUSEHOLDS // Health used to be whispered, but now we’re in megaphone-mode. From herpes pride campaigns to men’s clinics disguised as members’ clubs, medical and health brands aren’t settling for technical and bland because consumers aren’t interested in that either.

Places it’s showing up:

* New Zealand runs a national herpes campaign with an unforgettable URL and great energy.

* Cutler Center for Men makes preventative care feel like a sports lounge, complete with concierge “Joes.”

* Midi Health positions menopause as mainstream, not niche.

* The rise of full-body care centers like Healf and Fountain Life make standard healthcare look antiquated.

* Gym brands like Dogpound and The Ness are amping up workouts with true community.

Pendulum swing → Cosmetic acupuncture (aka Notox), undetectable face lifts (and hand lifts?!), and micro-dosing ‘maintenance’ GLP-1 programs prove that we don’t want to be loud and proud about everything.

The four letters referenced in this episode:

* J.Crew are "dumb dumbs"

* Depop, Lucky, and Gap are feeling sexy

* Marketing is no longer a dirty word

* New Zealand wants national herpes pride

ABOUT

Chris and Kirsten are the founders of IN GOOD CO, a consultancy that ignites challenger brands with fearless and proactive positioning.

Chris writes a weekly newsletter for +15K subscribers that shares the best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What she's dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands | Follow her on Substack

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