Did the pandemic cause the world to re-evaluate the meaning of life?

One trend study among branding professionals points to changed attitudes about life that could drive 2023 product and perhaps technology strategies

In a November 2022 survey of 15,195 respondents, including 6,993 in eight Asia Pacific markets to measure trend attitudes among brands, the most prominent was the desire to produce more purposeful, affordable products and services in a future facing resource constraints.

In the Asia Pacific countries surveyed, this trend ranked first in Australia, the Philippines and Singapore.

The next most popular trend globally, was one that focuses on bringing nature and wildness into daily experience for guiding everyday behaviour. Regionally, this was an expanding trend in Australia, which scored highest based on importance (attitude) and third highest on behavior (behind Taiwan and the Philippines).

Following that were two trends: ‘social health’ and ‘interconnected well-being’ in terms of importance for all APAC markets except Thailand. Both trends were “emerging” in the region, except in Taiwan where ‘interconnected Well-being’ was categorized as “expanding”.

Finally, one prominent trend reflected how respondents resonated with the maxim of being thankful for what they have now, instead of they have lost. It represents a focus on preserving and growing into the future, rather than dwelling on being lost in crises now.

Highlighting 2023 as a moment of cultural and environmental transition, the survey report explores a collective desire among respondents to reimagine, reinvent and transform the world, and the call for brands to help create a future that matters for people and the planet.

Said Lily Charnock, Director at Space Doctors, who led the survey: “Our aim with this study was to move beyond a standard trend report to something that speaks to our collective imaginations and societal imperatives, while being grounded in what people need. The next step is of course applying this to drive action.” Taking action involves brands putting people—and what matters to them—at the heart of product and service innovation for 2023 and beyond.