If you have never heard of this report, we like to think of it as a pulse check on what and how New Zealander’s think about all things sustainable, environmental, economic and everything in between.
And if you are a business this is a real good insight into how potential customers view brands and organizations.
So what three things stood out for us this time round?
“Cost of Living” leads the charge
The report highlighted that 75% of those surveyed felt this was the the biggest concern for them which was up slightly by 1% the previous year.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as I think it’s safe to write that most New Zealander’s have been feeling the pinch lately and its been well documented across many outlets, so for it to be top of the concerns is about right.
Businesses should take more responsibilities!
In this years report it one of the things that stood out was the continued belief from consumers that businesses should take more responsibilities when it comes to environmental and social elements, which was at 85% in 2024 and up 89% in this report.
Other insights include how businesses talk about their social and environmental commitments outlining that it is confusing which has increased from 62% to 66%.
It’s tough for consumers
Similar to the earlier point about cost of living being the dominate concern for New Zealander’s, the reality is, that spills out into how we choose to spend our money.
So when it comes to thinking about environmental or social decision making, consumers are debating whether its worth it to purchase something that may have some benefits to those areas.
Some of the observations include;
- Not having enough money
- Being doubtful that their choice would actually make a difference
- Not having enough knowledge about certain issues in this area
And to be fair, they are all relevant when making decisions when bigger concerns a swirling around.
So what does this all mean?
Good question, like we mentioned above this report provides a real good “pulse-check”.
We think the reality is this, people and families are doing their best to get by, its really tough out there and this report highlights that sentiment.
It also highlights that while its tough, there is an even stronger expectations for businesses to continue doing their part for the society and the environment.
With that being said, I thinks it’s also safe to assume that we all want to live better lives and in order to that there is a sense of working together to achieve that.
What will be interesting is to see how New Zealander’s are feeling this time next year and what changes the report highlight.