Global – FleishmanHillard’s latest report, The Culture Gap, has introduced a new psychographic group, Generation Divided.
Internally conflicted and struggling to keep up with the ever-changing cultural landscape, the dissonance and inconsistency of Gen Divided are fuelling societal schisms. Faced with a constant flow of contradictory information, this group are feeling a multi-faceted disconnection – between what they are told they should care about, what they genuinely believe, and what they actually do.
Data backs up this picture of conflict. Some 52% of those surveyed think brands should be bold and brave, while 54% say they should be conservative, totalling over 100% because some respondents chose both contradictory options. Culturally sensitive topics like politics also reflect this generation’s lack of confidence in their beliefs, with just over half (51%) of respondents saying they feel loyal to a political party. Similarly, only 50% think that monogamy will still be the norm in 20 years.
Internal conflicts and ambiguous attitudes held by Gen Divided consumers are mirroring The Paralysis Paradox that is tainting the post-pandemic reality. Businesses can help consumers navigate the complexity to halt this state of arrested development.
Strategic opportunity
Generation Divided are seeking reliability and certainty. They will favour brands and businesses with a clear stance that act as cultural navigators while remaining aligned with their own values