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Havas tries to redefine “new” purpose in global study

Havas has been puzzling about people and brands for 15 years now with its Meaningful Brands Report and the latest – The Me-conomy — How Purpose Got Personal – explores what it calls “the new hyper-personalized purpose era for brands.” 91,000 people across the world were surveyed.

Havas says this charts how rising cynicism among consumers (originally identified in 2021) was shifting to an expanded idea of purpose that’s more inward-looking and personal.

In the “Me-conomy,” brands need to act decisively to drive social change and progress, but they’re also expected to provide everyday joy, support mental well-being, make life easier, offer affordable indulgences and more. And brands’ good works, while expected, are no longer to be lauded as heroism. In today’s “Me-conomy,” consumers want brands to help them lead as participants and activists in driving social change, it says.
Other findings include:

*72% of respondents are tired of brands pretending they want to help society when they just want to make money.

*68% think that the world is going in the wrong direction, at a global level.

*1 in 3 people report being personally affected by at least one crisis on an everyday level.

*1 in 3 agree that companies/brands should satisfy their individual needs first before taking a wider role in society.

Havas Creative global CSO Mark Sinnock says: In many ways the expectations of brands have never been higher. This is what we’ve seen in the rise of the ‘Me-conomy.’ While doing good for people and planet is important, in this challenging time with more people hyper aware of global crises and uncertainty, increasingly a purpose of its own is providing joy, great service, hyper-functionality and elevating day-to-day lives.”

In other words people are pissed off with purpose, especially such posturing from companies who really don’t help them at all. They want good value products that make them feel (a bit) better about life. But didn’t we know that anyway?

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