Leading With Tech Optimism, Care & Caution In ‘Permacrisis’ Makes Brands ‘Change Makers’: Havas

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 amidst the biggest democratic election year in history, and conflict, violence and humanitarian crises affect millions around the world.

Understanding this thoroughly, Havas has now come up with its annual Global Meaningful Brands report for 2024. Commissioned with YouGov, the same reveals people’s higher level of resilience and control and a greater sense of optimism driving a desire for change.

Launched first in 2009, Havas via its annual Meaningful Brands Report has been furthering a commitment to bringing data science, insights, and an understanding of people to the core of its strategic methodology across businesses, brands, and markets.

Titled- ‘The Rise of the Change Makers’, Havas’ MB 2024 report surveyed more than 156,500 respondents, finding that while 70% of people feel the world is going in the wrong direction globally, 69% won’t let the tough times keep them down.

“Across 24 markets and more than 2,600 brands, 67% of respondents reported being happy today and 59% feeling optimistic about the future,” the report highlighted.

As per Havas, the reason behind this optimism lies in the fact that while the rise of AI brings ethical, environmental, and even existential challenges, it also offers newfound opportunities for growth and prosperity. Also, what this technology leads to, more broadly, is creating new and exciting possibilities for society.

“Conventional wisdom could easily paint people as victims against this backdrop of crisis and change, buffeted by powerful forces outside their control. However, Havas’ 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,” the report stated.

That being said, the report also highlights that in these new times of hyper-change affecting people in different way, there are six different psychographic portraits to reveal how the desire and the need for change are manifesting across the general population- the Faces of Change, which include:

1. The Committed Citizens
2. The Progressive Optimists
3. The Carefree Pragmatists
4. The Pressured Advocates
5. The Challenged Sceptics
6. The Disengaged Pessimists

And despite responding to adversity in different ways, the Faces of Change as per Havas are united by an expectation for brands to act decisively, understand their personal needs, and, most importantly, put them in the driving seat. Therefore, the report suggests that 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%)
• Help me save time (61%).

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

1. Invest in pragmatism to support essential needs of saving time/money and simplifying lives
2. Lead with tech optimism, yet also care and caution
3. Boost holistic health and quality of life across generations and populations
4. Promote purpose and the greater good with act and impact to drive change
5. Celebrate communities and foster connections for a more inclusive future

The Meaningful Brands methodology examines a brand’s impact and equity based on consumers’ perceptions and expectations across three key pillars – its personal, functional, and collective benefits (listed across 40+ dimensions and attributes).

To access the full report, click here.

Commenting on the launch of the new report, Yannick Bolloré, Chairman and CEO, Havas, said, “We have been investing in our landmark Meaningful Brands study for more than 16 years, and these insights now take on even greater prominence in our work for clients through our shared Converged strategy and operating system. We launched Converged to transform the client experience by building even more strategic bridges between creativity, media, production, and technology, and a shared understanding of today’s consumers is essential to this vision and to unlocking more meaningful growth for our clients and their brands.”

To this, Mark Sinnock, Havas’ Global Chief Strategy, Data and Innovation Officer, Havas Creative Network, added, “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.”

Furthermore, Joanna Lawrence, Global Chief Strategy Officer, Havas Media Network, also said, “The results of this year’s Meaningful Brands™ 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.”