Accenture has released a new report highlighting key five trends for marketers navigating consumer trust issues on social media and digital channels: Social Rewilding, Era of Mistrust, Impatience Economy, The Parent Trap, and Dignity of Work.

The report, titled 'Life Trends', highlights how marketers can adapt to these shifts to build stronger, trust-based connection with consumers.

In the realm of 'Social Rewilding', the report notes Australians are seeking deeper, more authentic experiences that reconnect them with nature and each other. The report reveals that 51% of those dating are doing so more in real life, having switched from online equivalents. Furthermore, 59% of respondents said their most enjoyable experience in the previous week was a physical one.

The 'Era of Mistrust' highlights that Australians lost over $7 million to online shopping scams in 2023. Trust is a significant factor for 67% of Australians when choosing to engage with a brand. The authenticity of product reviews is questioned by 47% of respondents, while 63% are questioning the authenticity of online content more than before.

The 'Impatience Economy' trend shows that 32% of respondents get inspiration from social media on how to do things smarter. In the past year, 9% of respondents have started a new side hustle to make extra money.

The 'Parent Trap' trend reveals that Australians aged 18-24 are more than five times as likely as those over 55 to agree that social media significantly impacts how they think about their own identity. About two-thirds of Gen Z and Millennials surveyed globally strongly agree that they’re spending more time online than they would like to.

Finally, the 'Dignity of Work' trend shows that Australians value work/life balance most highly (64%). A high salary (50%), job security (50%), flexibility in working time and arrangements (44%), and personal growth (15%) were also considered valuable to workers. Globally, 60% of employees are concerned about generative AI increasing their stress and burnout, but only 37% of leaders see this as a problem.