Monthly Trends Report: February 2021

Welcome to our new Monthly Trends Report series!

Each month we’ll be taking a bit of a data dive through historical and emerging trends to help publishers plan their content and marketing efforts for the month ahead.

Heading into February, we’ve identified seven major trends that we expect to be popular with searchers and readers: 

1. Love in the time of coronavirus
2. A mid-pandemic Super Bowl
3. Three growing trends for the home
4. Presidents’ Day deals 
5. Building healthy habits at home
6. Emerging self-care trends
7. Increased spending on pets

1 ) Love in the time of coronavirus

February is a month dedicated to love! It’s Creative Romance Month, National Weddings Month, and, of course, it contains Valentine’s Day. 

Now, more than ever, we all need love in our lives, whether that be from partners, families, friends, or ourselves. There are numerous angles to focus content for a Valentine’s Day celebration that helps people feel connected in a masked-up, socially distant world.

Valentine’s Day, February 14

Similar to what we saw with holidays in 2020, readers began searching for Valentine’s Day ideas weeks in advance (earlier than ever), and they’re planning to be extra festive this year.

Popular recent Valentine’s Day searches: 

• Gifts: splurging on jewelry, gifts for significant other, gifts for kids
• Valentine’s Day Zoom backgrounds and digital wallpaper
• Decor: Valentine’s Day tree, Valentine’s Day wreath, Valentine’s Day gnome
• At-home date ideas and dinner recipes for two
• Ideas for virtual Galentine’s Day get-togethers
• Valentine’s Day crafts and activities for kids
• Valentine’s ideas for nails
• Recipes for Valentine’s Day sweet treats

2) A mid-pandemic Super Bowl

This year’s Super Bowl holds a lot of excitement — whether people are looking forward to the game, the commercials, or the half-time show. But it will also look quite different from past Super Bowl events. 

Super Bowl LV, February 7

People are looking for: 

• Game details: how to watch the Super Bowl, the half-time performance
• Virtual viewing party ideas
• Super Bowl snacks and foods for fewer people (think scaled-down party food recipes)
• Virtual game and trivia ideas
• Favorite commercial recaps
• Details on the Puppy Bowl

3) Three growing trends for the home

In another major trend carrying over from 2020, people are still very interested in finding ways to spruce up their homes. In fact, we’re seeing renewed interest in this with the new year. 

It makes sense that the desire for a better, brighter 2021 extends to the living spaces where we’ve all spent so much time over the last year. 

Home refresh

Searches are up for:

• At-home office 
• Air purifying plants
• Portable washing machines
• Living room furniture
• Futons

At-home gyms

77% of city-dwellers now exercise 3+ times per week at home due to the pandemic, so building out a gym at home isn’t a new trend. 

But with 15% more people making a New Year’s resolution this year, and the two top resolutions centering on health and self-improvement, it makes sense that at-home gyms are surging in popularity right now. 

Interest is up for treadmills, weights, Peloton, and Pelton-like fitness equipment and subscriptions. 

Sustainability

We’re seeing an increasing interest in sustainability and environmental awareness. 

According to Exploding Topics, reusable kitchen towels, reusable storage bags, reusable makeup wipes, and even reusable q-tips are hot products right now.

4) Presidents’ Day deals 

Yet another continuing trend from 2020 is the seemingly oxymoronic combination of people being financially conscious while also wanting to treat themselves.

Presidents’ Day, February 15

Deals have become a holiday staple, and Presidents’ Day 2021 in the US will be no exception. 

This year, readers are especially interested in deals for: 

• Electronics: TVs, gadgets
• Mattresses
• Furniture
• Home decor
• Clothing and jewelry
• Travel deals
• Pet deals

5 ) Building healthy habits at home

Expect January’s focus on health to continue into February, with two main trends that focus on healthy habit building.

Healthy eating 

If 2020 was the year of the carb, 2021 is the year of the reset! 

Many people are resolving to eat healthier, so healthy recipes, healthy eating inspiration, tips for sticking with a new healthy diet, and information about the benefits of healthy eating will all be popular.

Those who are trying out a specific diet are eager to find recipes to help them stick to it. Trending diet searches include: 

• Ketogenic diet
• Intermittent fasting
• Mediterranean diet
• Paleo

At-home health

Many people are still working from home and looking for ways to stay active inside the house. They’re interested in ways to incorporate more healthful routines — physical, mental, and emotional — into their daily lives.

Popular searches:

• Active at-home fitness routines
• Mental health ideas: journaling, meditation, calming techniques, digital detoxes
• Ways to optimize your health: recipes with collagen, supplement and vitamin recommendations

6) Self-care trends

Self-care is going to be a priority in 2021, and we’re seeing that play out in increased searches for the trends below.

Enjoying the spa experience at home

Searches are up for: 

• Skincare: at-home face masks, homemade skincare
• Haircare: hair masks
• Massages (the massage gun is all the rage right now) 
• Bath bombs

Dressing up for yourself

Last year’s increase in working from home brought the rise of everyday athleisure. Many people enjoy the business-on-top, sweatpants-on-bottom look for their online calls. 

And that’s not necessarily going to go away, but there are those that are reclaiming their style and looking to dress up just for themselves. 

According to Pinterest, people are searching for more dresses, jumpsuits, and flowy, oversized outfits. Fashion Weeks are happening digitally this February in Milan and London (Paris will be taking place at the end of January), and we expect some of the trends we see there to influence at-home style! 

People are also splurging on little details like jewelry. Searches for earrings and ear cuffs are up. 

7) Increased spending on pets

After the puppy and kitty craze of 2020, many people are looking to splurge on their furry companions. 

According to one study, 61% of pet owners will spend the same or more on their pets’ wellness compared to their own and 43% of pet owners are spending more on their pets as a result of the pandemic.

According to Exploding Topics, some popular searches of late include:

• Freeze-dried dog treats: up 1420% since 2016
• Automatic cat feeder: up 109% since 2016
• Portable dog water bottles: up 133% since 2016
• Cat pheromones: up 50% since 2016
• Dog probiotics: up 68% since 2016
• Dog paw cleaners: up 522% since 2016