Landmark Research Shows Americans Are Redefining The “Good Life”
...say their view of The Good Life differs from their parents.
...say “living a healthy, balanced life” is important to them.
...say The Good Life requires making a difference for others.
...are loyal to brands that help them live The Good Life.
Four Key Elements of The Good Life Today
Today’s version of The Good Life appears to be shifting; less focus on money and status, and more towards a pursuit of a simpler, balanced life that is rich with connections to people, community, and environment. Across generations, genders, and political affiliations, 36% of Americans ranked Balanced Simplicity as the most important element of The Good Life, followed by Meaningful Connections (28%), Money and Status (26%) and Personal Achievement (10%).
Balanced Simplicity
and living a
simpler, healthier life
36%
Meaningful Connections
to people, community and the environment
28%
Money and Status
or having money and
the ability to spend it
26%
Personal Achievement
with respect to both career
and level of education
10%
We’re More Alike Than the Media Makes Us Out to Be
We tend to think we are more divided than we are on our aspirations. In reality, there appears to be far more that connects us than divides us in terms of our hopes and dreams. Consumers share an underlying optimism about the possibility to achieve the good life.
Across generations (Millennials [34%] Gen Xers [35%] and Baby Boomers or older [38%]), the interest in Balanced Simplicity rises to the top as having the largest impact on defining The Good Life.
There is also little difference between men (37%) and women (35%); parents (35%) and non-parents (36%) or Republicans (34%) and Democrats (38%).
In other words, these aspirations aren’t restricted to a particular group but are remarkably consistent across the board.
There is a New Role for Business and Brands to Support the Good Life Journey
People want business to help them live The Good Life, and a strong majority (80%) say they are loyal to those who do. While 51% of respondents to our study sense that companies would like to help them live the life they seek, nearly 2 out of 3 (65%) struggle to name brands that are actually doing something about it.
For brands, this is a ripe opportunity to innovate and create goods and services that genuinely help individuals realize their changing definition of The Good Life.
