A new whitepaper from WARC Advisory and MSQ uncovers the untapped magic of rituals in people’s lives: Ritualized: where marketing meets meaning. Of 4,000 consumers surveyed (🇩🇪🇬🇧🇫🇷🇺🇸), 72% weave brands into their rituals, 70% are open to adopting new rituals, and 39% feel more positively about brands that become part of their rituals.
Rituals aren’t just (sometimes pseudo-religious) routines — they’re emotionally charged behaviors with transformative potential. By syncing with these moments, brands can spark lasting loyalty and boost emotional value. The paper defines four principles to guide brands as they explore the role of rituals in the lives of their customers:
1️⃣ Rituals are deeply personal: 1-in-4 consumers say rituals give life purpose, with strong ties to mindfulness and self-care.
2️⃣ Rituals support the individual: In today’s atomized world, rituals nurture the self and relationships – 56% focus on personal care or connecting with others.
3️⃣ Rituals provide structure in chaos: They stabilize, offering structure (33%), control (31%) and escape (32%).
4️⃣ Rituals balance meaning and efficiency: As hyper-efficiency reigns, rituals bring emotional depth, adding soul to their schedules.
In 2025, could your brand engage with rituals that help people find purpose or pause? As MSQ and WARC repeatedly point out: ”Consumers create their own rituals and decide whether and how to incorporate brands — not the other way around. A truly customer-centric approach is necessary to make the most out of this opportunity. The advice? Observe, facilitate, participate.”