Back in May of 2022, AMP Agency put out a report that predicted what the top trends of Summer 2022 were going to be based on historical search query data. Now that summer is over, we are looking back at a few of those predictions and seeing what we got right.
If you missed it, the Summer Trends report explored 8 relevant categories to the summer season.
- Food & Drink
- Beauty
- Fashion
- Entertainment
- Activities
- Purchases
- Weddings
- Travel
In each category, we gathered data on 5 topics. With 40 topics total, we must have predicted a few correctly, right?
In this post, we are recapping the search query volume associated with some of the topics to see how we fared. For each topic, we are posting the search volume charts that we used to fuel our predictions. The original charts presented data from May 2018 through April 2022. We have updated those charts to show the search volume for the last 4 months (May - September 2022). Each chart is marked with an orange vertical line to delineate what data we used for our prediction and the actual data from the Summer of 2022.
Read on to see if our guesses for this summer panned out the way we thought they would.
Food & Beverage
Canned Cocktails
Pre-mixed cocktails including spirit-based Ready To Drink (RTDs) beverages is the fastest growing format in the category according to this report. Querying Google Trends on the phrase, “canned cocktails” in both the summer of 2020 and 2021, we found growth in search queries too. We felt we could boldly predict that the summer of 2022 would show higher demand for this beverage type. Pulling the search volume data from Google’s Keyword Planner, we don’t necessarily see a higher spike in queries but more of a prolonged interest.
For the months of May-August 2022, the search volume on the phrase “canned cocktails” matched the peak in the summer of 2021 (8,800 a month) based on Keyword Planner data. This four-month period shows that search interest for this type of drink extended longer than in other summers. We’ll see if the sales data matches the search data but it certainly seems that popularity for canned cocktails was high this past summer.
Burrata
If you thought a soft cheese of Italian origin with a rich flavor would become a popular post-pandemic food, well, you would be right. The interest in burrata has really multiplied over the past two years. Seeing the spike in query volume in July 2021 made us think we would see a bigger jump this year. This cheese was a hot trend in the summer of 2022.
Comparing the query volume reported by Keyword Planner for the months of July 2021 vs. July 2022, the interest for “burrata” increased by 26%. The AMP team hopes you enjoy it on salads, combined with some fresh tomatoes and olive oil, or mixed in with some pasta.
Beauty
Color Wow Dream Coat
With the endorsement of Kim Kardashian and her hair stylist, Chris Appleton, search volume skyrocketed for the Color Wow Dream Coat hair product. Seeing this spike in volume we thought this would only continue to increase due to the summer heat that brings a desire for a product that helps combat frizz due to summer humidity and saves your hairstyle.
In April, when we made our predictions, the search volume was 22,200. The search volume increased by 49% in comparison to May, however, it did not keep this upward trend throughout the summer, and search volume ended up decreasing by 45% instead after May. Perhaps everyone already stocked up on their Color Wow Dream Coat product before the summer began!
Elta MD Tinted Sunscreen
Considering the “clean girl” makeup look and skincare makeup products are currently trendy, search volume skyrocketed for the Elta MD Tinted Sunscreen, especially after Hailey Bieber revealed this was her favorite face product. With summer bringing higher UV rays, we figured this product would hit a new all-time high in search volume, especially with the need for products with sun-protecting qualities during the summer.
Unfortunately, we saw the opposite happen as search volume decreased by 45% in May compared to our predictions in April where the search volume was at its highest at 90,500. The Elta MD Tinted Sunscreen had its’ moment pre-summer 2022 but maybe next summer we will see it reach a new all-time high.
Fashion
Lululemon Crossbody
Everyone loves a way to keep their hands free but a convenient place to store their belongings, so in comes the crossbody. The Lululemon crossbody offers a sleek and stylish look with a variety of colors available. Lugging a purse around in the summer heat can be annoying, so we figured the Lululemon crossbody search interest would only increase as the summer went on.
And we were right! After our predictions were made in April, we saw a 123% increase in search volume, resulting in a new all-time high in search volume for the Lululemon crossbody. Did you snag one for yourself this summer?
Nike Air Monarch Men’s Shoes
The resurgence of 90s fashion has brought along the ultimate “dad shoe”, aka the Nike Air Monarch. With the summer bringing lots of outdoor activities, we figured this keyword would only increase in search volume as the need for a stylish but comfy shoe for the summer increased.
And we were semi-correct! Even though we did not end up seeing a decrease in search volume, we didn’t see an increase either. The search volume for Nike Air Monarchs flat-lined at 33,100 in search volume from April until August, it did not increase nor decrease once during this time period.
Entertainment
Thor: Love and Thunder
Thor: Love and Thunder released in May 2022 with high expectations to carry forward the future of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). We compared increases in search volume for each movie scheduled to be released in the summer and found that Thor had the highest percentage increase in searches in the month that the trailer was released, while also having the highest amount of views in the first 24 hours on YouTube. Based on this, we predicted that Thor: Love and Thunder would be the biggest box office hit of Summer 2022, beating Top Gun: Maverick for the top spot.
At its peak, searches for Thor: Love and Thunder had over 2 times the amount of searches that Top Gun: Maverick had. This led to Thor Love and Thunder having a bigger opening weekend domestically than Top Gun Maverick. However, the continued success of Top Gun: Maverick was likely due to word of mouth. Thor came out to mixed reviews, while Top Gun: Maverick surprised critics and led to universally positive reviews. This goes to show that word of mouth doesn’t necessarily translate to Google search volume. If nothing else, Top Gun: Maverick set the bar pretty high for the next classic film from the 80s that inevitably gets a sequel.
Justin Bieber Concert
Justin Bieber announced in early 2022 that he would be back to touring after his tour was originally canceled due to the pandemic. Fans were naturally excited as it had been over 2 years since Justin had performed live. The query “justin bieber concert” saw search volume increase 6x from January 2022 to March 2022.
Unfortunately in June 2022, Justin Bieber announced he had been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, which left him temporarily unable to perform. Search volume for “justin bieber concert” instantly decreased, as fans were more concerned for Justin’s health and well-being. The query “ramsay hunt syndrome” saw an increase in searches from 22,000 in May 2022 to over 5,000,000 in June 2022.
Activities
Pickleball
We originally predicted that pickleball would be one of the top backyard games that would remain popular in the post-covid world. This turned out to be correct, as search interest for pickleball skyrocketed in the summer of 2021. According to a report, pickleball was the fastest growing sport in the US in 2020 and 2021. Because of this and the growing search volume, we predicted this trend would continue in the summer of 2022.
Once again we predicted the trend, as searches for “pickleball” more than doubled from February 2022 to July 2022, and hit the 1,000,000 searches per month mark in May 2022. Pickleball is easy to learn and fun for all ages, so it’s no wonder why the sport is becoming so popular. The next step in pickleball’s evolution would be to gain popularity internationally. If that happens, maybe we’ll see pickleball in the 2032 Olympics.
Glamping
Glamping was another outdoor activity that saw an increase in search interest during the Pandemic, and kept that level of interest into 2021 and beyond. Glamping, or glamorous camping, is a way to enjoy the outdoors without roughing it in the wilderness. We predicted that this trend would continue into 2022, as more music festivals and general interest in outdoor activities continued to rise.
We correctly predicted the trend as search volume for the query “glamping” saw an all time high in June 2022 at over 200,000 searches. There is even a website called glamping.com that you can search for any glamping destination around the world based on glamping type. Will you be glamping next summer?
Travel
Family Travel
As a lingering effect of all the travel restrictions slowly being lifted after the pandemic, we expected that people all over the US would be traveling a lot more this summer and with more people. People began searching for terms related to family travel early in the year, indicating a popular summer to travel with company.
This summer, as predicted, was extremely popular for family travel. There was a significant increase in search queries for phrases related to family vacations, which lasted until August. This summer, there were more than 100% more searches for this term than in June and July of last year.
Pet Friendly
We predicted an increase in dog-friendly hotels this summer, more than ever before, as people sought alternatives to leaving their furry friends at home. With an increase in overall travel predicted this summer, it only indicated an increase in traveling with pets and finding the best dog-friendly hotel to stay in.
As the summer came to an end, our predictions proved to be accurate. From May to August, search queries for pet-friendly boarding, how to travel with a pet, and which airlines are easiest to fly with your dog or cat were nearly 70% higher than during the same period last year. This summer saw the highest number of searches in history!
Weddings
Reception Dress
As expected, Summer 2022 was undoubtedly the Summer of the Wedding. We predicted a high volume of wedding-related searches as a result of the backlog of couples who wanted to be wed during the pandemic. Early in the summer, we could already see a dramatic spike in searches for reception dresses as people began getting ready for their weddings, leading us to predict a peak this summer. As the season came to an end, the search for reception dresses only kept rising.
During the summer months, our predictions were proved to be correct. Search queries reached almost 30,000 towards the end of the summer, over 3,000 queries more than this time last summer, confirming our expected results!
Green Wedding Dress
This summer wedding season, we expected a lot of color to fill venues. This includes the bride herself as search queries for non-traditional wedding dresses increased steadily. In particular, green dress-related searches saw an uprise in popularity in the previous months, leading us to expect a summer filled with colorful wedding dresses.
And we were right! Green Wedding Dresses were confirmed to be the craze this past summer wedding season. There was a rise in search for a variation of different tonalities of green wedding dresses. As predicted, Dresses that are not white did in fact see a peak and reached the same search volume as last year as they are rapidly becoming more accepted and encouraged than ever before.
Purchases
Shibumi Shade
This beach season, we predicted a rise in popularity of one outdoor product in particular: the Shibumi Shade. This “wind-powered” beach canopy was gaining interest in 2020 and 2021 and went viral on TikTok last summer as videos of North Carolina beaches showed dozens of the canopies dotting (or crowding!) the beach. With the ease of pandemic restrictions, we predicted Americans would be more interested than ever in hitting the beach - locally or on vacation.
As predicted the Shibumi Shade took off in popularity in 2022, hitting a peak in June with 165,000 searches - a whopping 811% increase over June 2021. Comparing the peak month of each summer (July 2021 vs June 2022), Shibumi Shade still had a 172% increase in searches. If you didn’t get yours don’t worry, we won’t be surprised to see them again next year!
In conclusion, we feel like our batting average is pretty high on our predictions. Of course, we’re still using search volume as a proxy to interest and/or sales, but the connection of what people search and what they buy is strong. We look forward to checking on our predictions for the Fall.