Here’s this week’s list of Latest Trending Topics – April 2023, insights and analysis.
Tongkat Ali
Tongkat Ali is a herbal medicine derived from Southeast Asia.
This remedy has been traditionally used to treat bacterial infections.
However, interest in this herb is growing today mainly because recent studies have suggested that Tongkat Ali may boost testosterone levels.
Which is why more and more companies are starting to launch Tongkat Ali supplements.
Solaray is an example of a trending supplement brand that sells Tongkat Ali (searches for “Solaray Tongkat Ali” have increased by 366% over the last 24 months.)
One Tongkat Ali supplement generates approximately $72K/month on Amazon.
What’s Next
Tongkat Ali is part of the Libido Boosters meta trend.
We’re seeing skyrocketing interest in natural libido-boosting supplements.
Examples of trending libido boosters include fenugreek supplements, maca root supplements and ginseng supplements.
Whereas libido gummies, capsules and powders are popular forms of libido boosters.
Programmatic SEO
Programmatic SEO is the practice of using automation to publish SEO-optimized landing pages at scale.
A programmatic SEO program uses data sets to generate similar but unique landing pages, each targeting a specific keyword. Some even incorporate LLMs like GPT-3 to help write unique content for each page.
For instance, thanks to programmatic SEO, TripAdvisor is often one of the top results when searching for “best things to do in X city”.
All their landing pages have a similar layout and structure (the only difference is each page’s content).
What’s Next
Programmatic SEO is part of the AI SEO meta trend.
Searches for “AI SEO” have increased by 819% over the last two years.
Demand for AI-powered SEO tools is growing mainly because they can increase SEO speed and efficiency.
Alli AI, BrightEdge and MarketMuse are examples of trending AI SEO software.
Protein Gummies
Protein gummies, as the name suggests, are protein-infused gummy chewables.
The product has gone viral on social media, with videos mentioning protein gummies generating 8.5 billion views on TikTok.
Interest in this product category is growing because people are developing recipes to make protein gummies at home.
This also explains the growing demand for “protein premix” (which is used to make protein gummies).
Searches for “protein premix” have increased by 100% in the last 24 months.
What’s Next
Protein gummies are part of the Fitness Gummies meta trend.
Search volume for “fitness gummies” has increased by 600% over the last five years.
Gummies are portable and convenient, enabling people to consume them before, during and after workouts.
Studies also show that chewable supplements are better absorbed by the body.
Creatine gummies, pre-workout gummies and amino gummies are examples of trending workout gummy supplements.
Under Eye Patches
Under-eye patches are small masks that make eyes look well-rested by reducing dark circles.
These patches often contain high concentrations of ingredients (like hyaluronic acid, retinol, collagen, caffeine and niacinamide) that are designed to improve skin health and appearance.
One highly-popular pack of collagen-based under-eye patches brings in around $6K/day on Amazon.
What’s Next
Under-eye patches are part of the Eye Therapeutics meta trend.
Dry eye syndrome is on the rise. Approximately 15% of the US population now suffers from this problem.
The reasons? An older population (approximately 18% of adults over the age of 75 suffer from chronic dry eyes). Also, people are spending more time in front of screens, which is quickly becoming a leading cause of dry eyes across age groups.
Which is why we’re seeing increased demand for eye therapeutics.
Examples of in-demand eye therapeutics include heated eye masks and eye massagers.
Early bird companies: Userbrain (user-testing tool), Interior AI (AI-powered interior design), Othership (“wellness entertainment” studio), CopyMonkey (generative AI for Ecommerce).
Tomorrow’s products today: AI content detector, reusable paper towels, rosemary shampoo, Networking-as-a-Service.
Do you have any feedback? We’d love to hear what you think. Just respond to let us know.
Early Bird Companies
Userbrain
Userbrain is a user-testing tool.
Customers can create a test task and receive a video recording of a user interacting with their website or app, along with written feedback and ratings.
One of Userbrain’s differentiators is its flexible payment model, which includes pay-as-you-go and monthly subscriptions
As a result, Userbrain has gained popularity among smaller companies that prefer to avoid the commitment of an annual contract.
The platform has a network of over 100,000 testers.
Userbrain serves over 50 organizations, including major companies like Porsche, Virgin and Spotify.
What’s next:
Userbrain is part of the User Testing-As-A-Service (UTaaS) meta trend.
88% of users are less likely to return to a website after having a poor experience.
Which is why a growing number of companies are investing in user testing before shipping out a new product.
And UTaaS is emerging as a cheaper and faster alternative to doing user testing in-house.
Demand for UTaaS providers will likely increase considering that the software testing market is forecasted to grow 3x in the next five years.
UserZoom, Userlytics and UserTesting are examples of trending UTaaS platforms.
Interior AI
Interior AI is an AI-powered interior design platform.
Users can upload pictures of their rooms or offices.
Then, based on the presets the user selects, the platform automatically generates design concepts for that space.
Interior AI has generated over 1 million design concepts to date.
What’s next:
Interior AI is part of the AI Interior Design meta trend.
Searches for “AI interior design” have increased by 2850% over the past five years.
A growing number of people are using AI tools to get interior design concepts for their spaces.
Here are a few trending AI interior design tools:
Interior Computer is an AI image generator that can generate interior design ideas based on user prompts.
Collov is a virtual reality interior design platform that recently launched an AI-powered interior design tool.
RoomGPT, similar to Interior AI, can generate design ideas based on the input image. The platform has over 92,000 users.
Othership
Othership is a “wellness entertainment” studio that provides hot and cold group sessions.
The studio is designed to serve as a place where non-alcohol drinkers can socialize and participate in various wellness-focused activities.
Othership is set to open a New York studio in the coming months.
The company has also developed a guided breathwork app.
Their app has over 10,000 downloads on the Google Play store.
The startup has raised $8M in funding.
What’s next:
Othership is part of the Sober-Curious Lifestyle meta trend.
Sober-curious is a lifestyle choice that doesn’t impose an alcohol-free life. Instead, it encourages people to gradually limit their drinking.
Americans are trying to cut down on alcohol (34% of Americans say they want to drink less in 2023).
And this has led to an increasing awareness in the sober-curious lifestyle.
(Search volume for “sober curious” has grown by 185% over the past 12 months.)
Around 25% of Americans are aware of this movement.
The movement is even leading to increased participation in alcohol-free activities like meditation classes, yoga retreats, book clubs, and sober dinner parties.
CopyMonkey
CopyMonkey is a generative AI for Ecommerce.
It generates product descriptions and SEO-optimizes Amazon listings.
The platform helps improve each platform’s listings by examining competitor insights, using effective keywords, and recommending language that is likely to increase sales.
The tool is used by over 1,000 Amazon sellers.
The startup has raised $100K in funding.
What’s next:
CopyMonkey is part of the Niche AI Generators meta trend.
Tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney have popularized the use of generative AI.
And many new startups are launching generative AI for specific use cases.
Here are a few examples of trending AI generators for niche purposes:
AI essay generators create stories based on text prompts.
AI code generators can develop complex code based on a description of the problem.
AI game generators create game assets, characters and backgrounds.
Tomorrow’s Products Today
AI Content
AI content detector refers to systems that can detect if a piece of text has been generated by large language models (LLMs).
Studies have shown that an increasing number of students are using ChatGPT to write their papers. Freelance writers are also using AI content writers to auto-generate content.
Which is what’s driving demand for AI content detectors.
And several startups have rushed in to meet this demand.
CopyLeaks, Crossplag and Smodin are trending startups that have launched AI content detectors.
Even major anti-plagiarism platforms like Turnitin have integrated AI content detection capabilities into their software.
What’s next:
AI content detectors are part of the AI Capability Control meta trend.
Searches for “AI capability control” have increased by 143% over the past 12 months.
AI capability control refers to the management and regulation of AI systems.
Specifically, the practice involves setting boundaries, limitations, and guidelines to ensure that AI operates safely, ethically, and responsibly.
The rise of powerful generative programs AI like ChatGPT, Midjourney and Dall-E has led to growing concerns about the potential risks and unintended consequences of these systems.
Which has contributed to the rise of an anti-AI movement.
(Searches for “anti-AI” have increased by 203% over the past 12 months).
This refers to a growing number of people that support software and policies designed to control AI.
Reusable Paper Towels
Reusable paper towels are a type of cloth towel that can be washed and reused multiple times instead of being thrown away after a single use, like traditional paper towels.
They are typically made from natural and sustainable materials, such as bamboo, which can be washed and used repeatedly.
Disposable paper towels are a significant contributor to deforestation.
The equivalent of 51,000 trees are used each day for paper towel production in the United States alone.
And reusable paper towels are emerging as an eco-friendly alternative to disposable paper towels.
This pack of reusable paper towels generates around $10K/month on Amazon.
What’s next:
Reusable paper towels are part of the Bamboo-based Products meta trend.
Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants in the world. This, combined with its environmentally-friendly capabilities, is a significant reason why bamboo is becoming a more prevalent raw material for a handful of products.
One trending product category is clothing.
Examples of trending bamboo-based clothes include bamboo baby clothes and bamboo pajamas.
Bamboo beddings are another trending category.
Bamboo duvet covers and linen bamboo are examples of in-demand bamboo bedding products.
The plant is also seeing increased use in the kitchen.
Bamboo spoons and bamboo drawer organizers are some of the more popular bamboo-based kitchen products.
Rosemary Shampoo
Rosemary shampoo is a type of shampoo that contains rosemary essential oil as a key ingredient.
Rosemary shampoo is considered to be especially effective at moisturizing dry scalp and hair.
Interest in this product category is also growing due to a brand called Mielle.
(Searches for “Mielle Organics” have grown by 700% over the past five years).
Search volume for “Mielle rosemary shampoo” has increased by 1766% over the past five years.
Videos about the product have over 130 million views on TikTok.
Mielle’s rosemary shampoo brings in approximately $80K/month on Amazon.
What’s next:
Rosemary shampoo is part of the Rosemary for Hair meta trend.
Some scientific research suggests that rosemary may promote hair growth in people with alopecia.
Which is why rosemary has become a popular hair growth product across social media.
Videos about rosemary and hair growth have over 233 million views on TikTok.
And this is driving demand for rosemary-based hair care products.
Searches for “rosemary for hair” have increased by 809% over the past five years.
Rosemary water for hair, rosemary oil for hair and rosemary tea for hair are trending rosemary-based hair care products.
Networking-as-a-Service
Networking as a Service (NaaS) is a cloud-based service model that provides businesses with on-demand access to network resources such as virtual routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, and other networking components.
In short, NaaS is a way to outsource the management and deployment of network infrastructure. This allows businesses to focus on core competencies rather than worrying about maintaining and updating their networking equipment.
NaaS also helps organizations access networking capabilities without having to invest in physical hardware and, instead, pay for the services they use on a subscription basis.
Compared to building in-house networking infrastructure, NaaS offers several benefits, such as scalability, flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and reduced complexity.
NaaS will likely become more mainstream, considering that the market for these services is forecasted to grow 8x in the next six years.
What’s next:
Networking-as-a-Service is part of the ITOps meta trend.
IT Operations (ITOps) is a set of activities and processes involved in managing and maintaining an organization’s IT infrastructure, including hardware, software, networks, and applications.
For example, surveys have shown that four in five organizations are overspending on their cloud solutions.
And ITOps is emerging as a way to decrease these costs through better acquisition and maintenance practices.
Gartner estimates that by 2025, 30% of organizations will create new IT roles to support their ITOps initiatives.