Pressure mounts on brands to show greater humanity

While most consumers feel the world is going in the wrong direction globally, they are determined not to let the tough times keep them down, with the emergence of a newfound resilience but brands have an increasing role to ensure their lives don’t go completely tits-up.

That is according to Havas’ 2024 Meaningful Brands study, commissioned with YouGov, which has been published annually since 2009, bringing data science, insights, and an understanding of people to the core of its strategic methodology across businesses, brands, and markets.

“The Rise of the Change Makers” surveyed more than 156,500 respondents across 24 markets and more than 2,600 brands, with two-thirds (67%) of consumers reporting being happy today and nearly three-fifths (59%) feeling optimistic about the future.

In 2022, The Collins Dictionary named ‘polycrisis’ its word of the year, but, as 2024 comes to a conclusion, ‘permacrisis’ is a more apt descriptor for a landscape where climate change escalates, the cost of living continues to soar, political differences are dramatised amid the biggest democratic election year in history, and conflict, violence and humanitarian crises affect millions around the world.

However, there is also reason for optimism. While the rise of AI brings ethical, environmental, and even existential challenges, it also offers newfound opportunities for growth and prosperity. And technology more broadly is creating new and exciting possibilities for society.

The report maintains that conventional wisdom could easily paint people as victims against this backdrop of crisis and change, buffeted by powerful forces outside their control. However, a separate Leo Burnett report claims this is a reality in the UK, with many Brits suffering a “crisis hangover”, where the emotional toll of the last four years has left them feeling highly wary of all possible financial and social threats.

Nevertheless, the Meaningful Brands study reveals people are feeling more in control of their lives (56%) and a strong sense of personal agency emerges, with 69% trying to be physically and mentally healthy and 63% trying to be environmentally responsible. This spells the dawn of a “New Era of Agency”.

Havas Creative Network global chief strategy data and innovation officer Mark Sinnock explained: “We’ve entered a New Era of Agency where the only way to survive is to adapt. We see people take a step forward. They still expect help, and consumer centricity from brands, but they also feel a new sense of optimism and empowerment to affect change and build the future they want.”

The study shows that these new times of hyper-change are affecting people in different ways. Havas distinguishes six different psychographic portraits to reveal how the desire and the need for change are manifesting across the general population, including the Committed Citizens; the Progressive Optimists; the Carefree Pragmatist; the Pressured Advocates; the Challenged Sceptics; and the Disengaged Pessimists.

Long gone are the days when all brands had to do was flog their wares; they are now expected to do much, much more. As, despite responding to adversity in different ways, consumers are united by an expectation for brands to act decisively, understand their personal needs, and, most importantly, put them in the driving seat.

Brands should show more humanity and generosity when times are tough (73%); do more for the good of society and the future of our planet (71%); do more to support our local communities/causes (70%); help me save money (68%); make my day-to-day life easier (63%); and help me save time (61%).

The report finally highlights key insights from their analysis of the Most Meaningful Brands in 2024. It concludes with five guiding principles for how brands can address people’s new expectations empowering them to become change makers themselves.

These include: invest in pragmatism to support essential needs of saving time/money and simplifying lives; lead with tech optimism, yet also care and caution; boost holistic health and quality of life across generations and populations; promote purpose and the greater good with act and impact to drive change; and celebrate communities and foster connections for a more inclusive future.

Havas Media Network global chief strategy officer Joanna Lawrence concluded: “The results of this year’s study are heartening. People are far from blind to the challenges in the world today, but they feel a sense of agency over their happiness. Brands that understand this new resilient and optimistic consumer and empower them to build the life that they want, will build loyal, lasting relationships with their customers.”