Insights From Our Latest Digital Expression, Fashion & Beauty Trends Report

Self-expression is a crucial a part of many individuals’s experiences in immersive 3D areas—particularly Gen Z, who’re rising up constructing connections in digital worlds. That’s why we’ve put collectively the 2023 Digital Expression, Fashion & Beauty Trends Report, which explores the total spectrum of self-expression by way of avatars, together with model concerns, the psychology behind creating an avatar look and the affect of genuine self-expression on folks’s bodily model, buying choices, and even psychological well-being.

This work builds on the analysis we did final 12 months that supplied beneficial early insights on how folks categorical themselves in immersive areas. Our 2023 report gives new insights that may assist creators, manufacturers and business specialists higher anticipate and reply to shortly evolving client wants.

Here are the highest 5 takeaways from the 2023 report*:

1. The significance of digital self-expression continues to develop

In this 12 months’s survey* of over 1,500 members of Gen Z within the U.S. and UK who’re lively on platforms like Roblox, 56% say styling their avatar is extra necessary to them than styling themselves within the bodily world. And for older Gen Z aged 22-26, 64% say that, given a alternative, dressing up their avatar can be extra necessary than dressing up within the bodily world.

Additionally, 84% of Gen Z respondents say digital trend is not less than considerably necessary for them, and 85% suppose the significance of digital trend has grown not less than some over the previous 12 months. More than half (53%) suppose it’s grown quite a bit.

These findings echo what we see on our platform: self-expression by way of digital id and trend is an important a part of folks’s expertise. For instance, in the course of the first three quarters of 2023 on Roblox, there have been a complete of 165 billion avatar updates, up 38% 12 months over 12 months, and other people purchased practically 1.6 billion digital trend objects and equipment, up 15% 12 months over 12 months. Plus, tens of millions of Roblox customers proceed to replace their avatars each day.

But the affect of digital model and trend doesn’t keep within the digital world. In the survey, 84% report that their bodily model is not less than considerably impressed by their avatar’s model, together with 54% who say they’re very or extraordinarily impressed by what their avatar and different avatars put on.

2. Brand recognition issues for Gen Z within the metaverse

When it involves metaverse trend, survey respondents stress that they care about distinct kinds and model recognition: 52% say “stylish digital clothes” is the attribute they pay most consideration to when deciding if an avatar is “cool-looking.” And three in 4 say sporting digital fashions from a acknowledged model is not less than considerably necessary, together with 47% of survey respondents who say it’s very or extraordinarily necessary.

This dynamic can drive buying conduct: 84% say that after sporting or making an attempt on a model’s merchandise in digital areas, they’d be not less than considerably seemingly to contemplate this model within the bodily world. In reality, 50% say they’d be very or extraordinarily seemingly to take action.

3. Consumers are open to spending on digital trend—the extra unique the higher

Meanwhile, designers and types might be glad to study that almost all Gen Z customers are additionally prepared to spend on digital trend: in our survey, 52% say they’re comfy budgeting as much as $10 every month, whereas one other 19% are prepared to spend as much as $20 month-to-month and a further 18% are open to purchasing $50-$100 of things each month.

The launch of Limiteds this 12 months highlighted Roblox customers’ demand for unique and uncommon objects, as evidenced by most Limiteds reselling for greater than their authentic price.

For instance, group members lined as much as earn Limiteds through challenges within the Gucci Ancora expertise and to purchase up objects from Roblox-native manufacturers like CHRUSH.

Similarly, a number one digital music model, Monstercat, not too long ago teamed up with group creator @WhoseTrade on six single-edition necklaces. Each offered inside minutes, together with the Ruby Pendant, acquired for 1,000,001 Robux (roughly $10,000), the best preliminary Limited sale so far.

4. From head to toe, avatars allow experimentation with expression

While digital trend is necessary to Gen Z customers, persons are additionally experimenting with different revolutionary methods of expression by way of their avatars.

One instance of that is avatar make-up, which is already obtainable in some community-created experiences. In addition, quite a few manufacturers—like Fenty Beauty, Maybelline, NARS, Givenchy Beauty, NYX, and L’Oreal—at the moment are investing in assembly prospects’ curiosity in it.

And there’s actual alternative for them. According to our survey, greater than a 3rd of all respondents (35%) say it’s necessary to customise their avatar’s make-up day by day or weekly, and the quantity rises to 51% for self-identifying feminine respondents.

People are additionally more and more customizing their avatar hair on Roblox. This 12 months alone, customers bought greater than 139 million hairstyles, up 20% over the 12 months earlier than, together with greater than 7.3 million individuals who purchased 5 or extra hairstyles on Roblox.

But self-expression doesn’t finish there: Roblox customers have more and more been adopting emotes, and to date this 12 months, 9.8 million Roblox customers purchased them, up 64% 12 months over 12 months. That’s one thing that Tommy Hilfiger took be aware of in introducing emotes into its Roblox digital trend assortment.

Users are additionally selecting fantastical auras that match their vibe, like a colourful selection obtainable inside Paris Hilton’s Slivingland.

And quickly, Roblox customers will be capable of have expressive avatars that includes real looking feelings. That’s prone to be well-received by Gen Z customers since 86% of survey respondents say it’s not less than considerably necessary that their avatar is ready to categorical feelings to be able to really feel totally represented within the metaverse.

5. Authenticity drives self-expression in immersive areas and positively impacts well-being

One hanging discovering from the survey is that almost all members of Gen Z try to look good within the metaverse for themselves somewhat than for others. When selecting their avatar look, 62% say they care quite a bit that their avatar appears good to them as in comparison with 37% who say they care quite a bit that it appears good to others.

And 40% of Gen Z really feel it’s simpler to current their genuine selves within the metaverse than within the bodily world. Among the explanations cited: extra “freedom of expression” and “creative options.” Further, folks really feel they “can be whoever we want” and that it’s “less judgemental” once they work together with others as avatars in immersive areas.

In reality, our analysis confirmed:

Twice as many respondents imagine they’re judged much less on their appears within the metaverse than within the bodily world, and;
Respondents had been 2.2 instances extra seemingly to say that expressing themselves in immersive areas through their avatar feels higher (“more me”) than posting 2D pictures from the bodily world on social media.

Finally, respondents cited a constructive affect on their psychological well-being: 88% say expressing themselves in immersive areas has seemingly helped them comfortably categorical themselves within the bodily world. They be aware it helps construct connections with others (29%), boosts confidence (24%), permits for true self-expression (21%), and helps enhance psychological well being in different methods (25%).

A Universal Connector

Authentic self-expression is commonly described as a common connector for folks: by sharing who we really are, we are able to make real connections. As Roblox continues constructing its platform and merchandise for immersive communication and connection, we’re guaranteeing that individuals have the broadest set of alternatives to authentically categorical themselves. We’re excited to proceed finding out this house as a result of as our analysis demonstrated, we all know that when folks have extra management over the various parts they’ll select to symbolize themselves in immersive 3D digital areas, it may result in constructive impacts on their physical-world connections and well-being.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT HERE

* Methodology: The ‘2023 Digital Expression, Fashion & Beauty Trends’ report consists of two complementary units of knowledge:

Behavioral information collected from the Roblox platform from January by way of September 2023.

Self-reported survey information collected from 1,545 Gen Z customers between the ages of 14 and 26, dwelling within the United States (1027 respondents) and the United Kingdom (518). To acquire these responses, Roblox commissioned a nationally consultant survey from Qualtrics fielded September 27-29, 2023. Included stats symbolize the total respondent pattern given sentiment between the 2 markets (U.S. and UK) was largely comparable. The pattern has been balanced for gender in each markets utilizing the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey for the U.S. and Office for National Statistics within the UK to replicate the demographic composition of those markets’ inhabitants in that age vary. In the total report information is referenced as ‘2023 Roblox Self-Expression Survey.’