Havas Australia has created a new segmentation model after its Havas Labs 2025 Aussie Futures report, launched today, identified a seismic shift in national values since a study conducted in 2022*. The new findings revealed the emergence of six critical needs Australians are seeking to fulfil as they increasingly focus on ‘self’ over others.
Key research findings
The key findings from the Havas Labs 2025 Aussie Futures report include:
- Security has emerged as the top national value for Australians (22%) reinforcing that safety from crime, terrorism, and general instability is foundational to Australians’ vision of the future.
- In 2022 58% of Australians said ‘mateship’ was an important value, this report tells a different story. The shift in focus from ‘us’ to ‘I’ sees ‘mateship’ rank just 17th in national values in 2025 as Australians increasingly choose their personal futures and success above all else.
- Only one in five (23.7%) Australians report a strong sense of community, underscoring it is not a priority national value and highlights the shift toward individualism and away from collective values like mateship.
- Less than half (46.2%) of Australians view social groups as essential to achieving life goals, further highlighting the rise of me-ship over traditional communal values.
- One in three (34%) Australians are optimistic about the future of the nation, but 54% are more optimistic about their own personal futures.
Through the findings Havas has created a model that gives marketers a new segmentation playbook for identifying and meaningfully connecting with Australians, grouping the nation by real life needs revealed by the research’s examination of Australians’ most significant personal, financial, and professional goals.
The Aussie Futures report captures the complexity of, and interconnectedness between, Australians’ beliefs and aspirations in ways that traditional demographic groupings such as age or gender cannot.
As part of the nationally representative study of over 2,000 Australians conducted by YouGov, Havas has grouped the nation into six new segments based around core needs – Support Seekers, Caring Connectors, Aspiring Altruists, Enjoyment Explorers, Progress Pioneers and Status Seekers.
The six defining needs for each segment are ‘help me get by’ (Support Seekers), ‘help me connect’ (Caring Connectors), ‘help me save the world’ (Aspiring Altruists), ‘help me break free’ (Enjoyment Explorers), ‘help me progress’ (Progress Pioneers), and ‘help me build status’ (Status Seekers).
The report found that Australians are actively seeking to meet their needs through individual action and putting ‘self’ first to fulfil their dreams and needs. The ‘me first’ approach comes as Aussies deprioritise collective values like mateship and equal opportunity, marking a new era of self-agency that Havas has coined ‘me-ship’.
The turbulence of recent years, including COVID global conflicts, geopolitical and economic insecurity and social justice divides, has seen Security become the nation’s number one value (25%) – more valued than health and physical wellbeing (24%), freedom (14%) and community (9%).
While one in three (34%) Australians are optimistic about the future of the nation, more than half (54%) are more optimistic about their own personal futures. One in two (48%) describe success as ‘achieving financial stability’.
Olly Taylor, Chief Strategy Officer Havas Creative Network Australia said, “Brands can only add value if they first understand what is meaningful to Australians. By segmenting the nation on six crucial needs for people to fulfil their dreams, we have given marketers a new way to identify audiences, meet their needs and connect with them.”
Mitchell Long, Chief Strategy Officer Havas Media Network Australia said, “In a climate of increased uncertainty, our findings show Australians are looking for more tangible and practical solutions from brands. The intention of our research is not to act as a standalone report, but as a usable playbook for brands to forge more meaningful connections with the needs defining Australians in the current climate.”
For further information on the report and to request a copy visit: https://aus.havas.com/aussie-futures/
Further information on the six new segments
Support Seekers
The quintessential Aussie battler trying to make ends meet. They crave the simple things – a steady job, a home to call their own, and the peace of mind to support their families.
Caring Connectors
The Australian family provider and supporter who places value in their relationships with family and friends above all else. They fear what the world may end up like for future generations.
Aspiring Altruists
Australians frustrated by the lack of real action from government. They are intent on taking matters into their own hands fighting to create a better world based on their beliefs, actions and purchasing power.
Enjoyment Explorers
Australians focused on getting the most out of life as it is now despite the challenges of the world around them. With financial security to do what they want they seek the confidence to actually make it happen.
Progress Pioneers
Australians defined by their aspirations to create a better more fulfilled life for themselves valuing critical thinking, technology and culture. They see life and the world around them as an opportunity to learn, move forward and evolve.
Status Seekers
Free-market Australians driven by traditional markers of success – a high-flying career, money, and luxury. They view their careers and social network as critical to their success making them the nation’s ultimate networkers.
About Havas Labs’ 2025 Aussie Futures Report
Havas Labs’ Aussie Futures report conducted by YouGov Australia uses a segmentation model which has been developed using the data collected from a nationally representative online survey of 2,040 Australians conducted between 4th December to 9th December 2024.
The report aims to uncover the changing sentiments of Australians and identify their most significant goals they aim to achieve across personal, financial, and professional dimensions. The report hopes to uncover perspectives on family, community, and social circles as sources of fulfilment and support.
About Havas Labs
Havas Labs is the specialty brands research division of Havas Australia Creative and Media Networks.
About Aussie Values Study 2022*
A study by Havas Labs in partnership with YouGov. The study was conducted online between 13-22 December 2021, with a nationally representative sample of 1,535 Australian residents aged 18 or older.
About Havas
Founded in 1835 in Paris, Havas is one of the world’s largest global communications groups, with nearly 23,000 people operating in over 100 markets and sharing one mission: to make a meaningful difference to brands, businesses, and people. To meet the needs of its clients, Havas has developed a seamlessly integrated strategy and operating system, Converged, fusing all its global expertise, tools and capabilities, to create, produce, and distribute real-time, optimized, and personalized marketing solutions at scale. With inspired human ideas at the heart of this unique model, supercharged by the latest data, technology and AI, the teams work together with agility and in perfect synergy within Havas Villages to provide clients with tailor-made solutions that support them in their positive transformation. Havas is committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace, that prioritizes the well-being and professional development of its talents. Further information about Havas is available at www.havas.com.
About Havas Media Network
Havas Media Network is the media experience agency. Havas Media Network delivers this brand promise through the Mx System, where meaningful media helps build more meaningful brands. Havas Media Network is part of Havas, one of the world’s largest integrated content, media and communications groups. Havas Media Network also consists of two global media networks: Havas Media and Arena Media. The media experience agencies are home to specialists across 150 countries worldwide, with 73 Villages. Clients include BBC, Canal+, Credit Agricole, Dolce & Gabbana, EDF, Fidelity Investments, Grupo Carso, Hyundai, JDE, Kia, Leroy Merlin, Lidl, PNC Bank, Puma, Reckitt Benckiser, Red Bull, Sanofi, Shell, Telefonica, YUM Brands, among many others. For more information, visit the website or follow Havas Media Network on LinkedIn @Havas Media Network or Instagram @havas_media_network.
About YouGov
YouGov is a global research data, and analytics group. Our mission is to offer unparalleled insight into what the world really thinks and does. With operations in the US, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, India and Asia Pacific, we have one of the world’s largest research networks. Above all, YouGov is powered by reality. That stems from a unique panel of millions of registered members across 55 countries, encapsulating some 18 million shopping trips and millions of interconnected data points. Our unique approach to recruiting and engaging with our panel, combined with our state-of-the-art technology platforms, enables us to deliver real-world, real-time insights that lead to better decision making and a competitive advantage for our clients. As innovators and pioneers of online market research, we have a strong reputation as a trusted source of accurate data and insights. Testament to this, YouGov data is regularly referenced by the global press, and we are consistently one of the most quoted market research sources in the world.
For further information, visit business.yougov.com
