Havas creates new segmentation model as Aussies move from “mateship” to “me-ship” – Havas Labs 2025 Aussie Futures report

Havas Australia has created a new segmentation model after its Havas Labs 2025 Aussie Futures report, launched today, identified a seismic shift in Australians’ 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.

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’.

Says Olly Taylor, Chief Strategy Officer Havas Creative Network Australia: “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.”

Says Mitchell Long, Chief Strategy Officer Havas Media Network Australia: “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, click here.