Havas has released its 2024 'Meaningful Brands' global report, titled 'The Rise of the Change Makers', revealing a significant shift in consumer attitudes, with a majority expressing a desire for change and a sense of personal agency.

The report, commissioned in partnership with YouGov, surveyed over 156,500 respondents across 24 markets and more than 2,600 brands.

According to the report, 70% of respondents feel the world is heading in the wrong direction, yet 69% remain resilient and optimistic. A majority of respondents (67%) reported being happy today, and 59% expressed optimism about the future. The report suggests that people are feeling more in control of their lives, with 56% expressing this sentiment. A strong sense of personal agency emerges, with 69% striving to be physically and mentally healthy and 63% trying to be environmentally responsible.

Havas identified six different psychographic portraits to reveal how the desire and need for change are manifesting across the general population. Interestingly, 64% of respondents said brands should use their power to influence or effect change.

The report concludes with five guiding principles for how brands can address people's new expectations, empowering them to become 'Change Makers' themselves. 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.

"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," said Global Chief Strategy, Data and Innovation Officer, Havas Creative Network, Mark Sinnock.

"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 our 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," said Chairman and CEO, Havas, Yannick Bolloré.

"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," said Global Chief Strategy Officer, Havas Media Network, Joanna Lawrence.