In the era of slow growth, how can brands achieve sustainable development?

The calmness of macro - data and the complexity and variability of micro - experiences have formed the commercial backdrop at the beginning of 2026. When the era of catch - up, characterized by scale, speed, and dividends, officially comes to an end, the inertial narrative of corporate growth is broken, and a deeper question emerges: In a period of slow growth, how can brands build a sustainable and high - quality development path?

"What exactly has business experienced in a decade - long cycle?" At the recently held Wizmind 2026 Consumer Trends Conference, Xiao Mingchao, a well - known trend marketing expert and the founder and CEO of Wizmind Consulting Agency, pointed out when releasing the "2026 China Consumer Trends Report" that China's economy has shifted from high - speed growth to high - quality growth, the demographic dividend has faded, the right to speak in consumption has completed a generational shift, technology has advanced from the mobile Internet era to the AI era, and cultural confidence has fully emerged. These five major changes jointly reveal that a "value era" that requires in - depth cultivation, pursuit of precision, and research on people's hearts has arrived.

Against this background, consumers' behavioral logic has undergone a fundamental shift. Xiao Mingchao emphasized that today's consumers constantly question the meaning and value: "Why should I buy it? Is what I buy really worth the money?" This marks the complete failure of the old paradigm that simply relies on traffic explosion and functional narrative. Brands must use a brand - new logic to answer the core question of "how to achieve sustainable development in the era of slow growth."

I. Trend Setting: From "Scale Growth" to "Meaning Growth"

Based on the review of a decade of consumption changes and in - depth annual research, Xiao Mingchao released the top ten consumer trends for 2026: Symbiosis of Rationality and Emotion, Quality Calculation, Spiritual Nomadism, Everyday Highlights, Empathetic Experience, Local Trend Uprising, Expertism, Health Upgrade, Brand Consensus, and AI Scenario Power.

These ten trends do not exist in isolation but jointly outline a clear path for the consumer market to shift towards "meaning growth" in a slow - growth environment.

"Symbiosis of Rationality and Emotion" and "Quality Calculation": Defining the Sustainable Value Equation

Xiao Mingchao observed that today's consumers are becoming "rational sentimentalists," and their consumption structure shows the distinct characteristics of "being rational in saving and emotional in spending." They are willing to wait for an hour for a takeaway red envelope but will pay for the front - row tickets to a concert without hesitation. They are thrifty in daily clothing consumption but must have top - of - the - line professional skiing equipment. Behind this is the precise division of consumers' mental accounts, and their core demand is "every penny should have a lasting return."

Therefore, "Quality Calculation" has become a key trend. Consumers are not only pursuing value for money but also the sense of "value - for - price" that exceeds expectations. The connotation of quality has evolved from basic functional satisfaction to comfortable experiences and emotional added - value, ultimately leading to "loving to use." Xiao Mingchao pointed out that in future market competition, "there is no vague cost - performance, only clear quality - to - price ratio." Brands need to be "double champions," providing both a sense of certainty and security and perceptible details and emotional connections to survive the cycle.

"Spiritual Nomadism" and "Everyday Highlights": Building Sustainable Emotional Connections

When material abundance becomes the foundation, the meaning of consumption shifts to the spiritual world. The trend of "Spiritual Nomadism" shows that consumers seek emotional healing and spiritual resonance through geographical exile (travel), group empathy (concerts, sports events), and self - reward (collectible toys, collections). The core motivation for cultural and tourism consumption is no longer the destination but the process value of relaxing and detaching from oneself.

Complementary to this is "Everyday Highlights." Consumers reject a mundane daily life and long for small joys to brighten up their lives, whether it's a glass of wine on Thursday, a delicate breakfast, or a special cup of milk tea in autumn. Xiao Mingchao believes that in the future, brands should be "the catalysts for the highlights of consumers' daily small scenarios and moments and their intimate companions." Sustainable brand relationships are being built on the basis of providing small but certain joys and co - creating emotional memories.

"Expertism" and "Brand Consensus": Consolidating Sustainable Trust Assets

In the era of information overload, the symbolic halo of brands is giving way to professional recognition within circles. The trend of "Expertism" shows that in various fields such as digital products, outdoor activities, and beauty, the authority of circle consensus far exceeds that of mass advertising. Consumers no longer blindly trust big brands but instead rely on those that have been verified in extreme scenarios and are highly regarded in professional circles. This requires brands to shift from meeting the needs of the general public to "creating products that exceed the expectations of a niche group."

To build broad - based trust beyond circles, "Brand Consensus" is needed. Xiao Mingchao pointed out that traffic can create short - term excitement, but only consensus can bring long - term trust. Today, with more than 230 million product barcodes and extremely fragmented information, building consensus is the only way to resist the dilution of brand value.

Building consensus is a systematic project, which needs to progress from cognitive consensus (making people remember), to value consensus (making people agree), then to emotional consensus (making people love), and finally to experience consensus (making people spread). Centralized narrative and fragmented reach need to work together; otherwise, brands will fall into the dilemma of "no novelty, no memory, and no value."

II. Seeking Certainty through In - depth Cultivation

Based on the ten major trends, the path for brands to achieve sustainable development in the era of slow growth is clear: It no longer depends on catching fleeting trends but on in - depth cultivation around the value of "people."

First, shift from operating "traffic" to operating "flow." The trends of "Empathetic Experience" and "Local Trend Uprising" in offline scenarios show that future retail spaces must be "emotional arenas" and "content arenas." Whether it's the integration of an art museum and a luxury store by Deji Plaza or Prada opening a brand - owned restaurant, the essence is to create a "flow experience" that can trigger emotional resonance and spiritual immersion. A sustainable brand is one that can operate users' shared memories.

Second, shift from providing "products" to defining "lifestyles." The "Health Upgrade" trend shows that health has become a prominent concept permeating daily life and a social currency. The task of brands is no longer to sell single products but to provide a "finely - tunable, stress - free" healthy lifestyle solution. Similarly, "Local Trend Uprising" means that local specialties must be upgraded to a "purchasable lifestyle," and brands need to master the ability to transform regional culture into scarce value and experience codes.

Finally, shift from chasing "blockbusters" to precipitating "consensus." Data shows that a vast number of new products are added to the market every year, but 78% of consumers don't care if a brand disappears. The ultimate moat for a brand is to become a clear, stable, and emotional "consensus" in consumers' minds. This requires enterprises to place building brand consensus at the core of their strategies and use continuous communication of core values to counter the noise and volatility of the environment.

The era of slow growth is precisely the era of value return.

When the mad rush slows down, brands can more calmly examine their relationships with people and connections with society. The answer to sustainable development lies in the continuous questioning and solid construction of "meaning and value." This is not an easier path, but it is a more solid one that can lead to the future.