The new study looks at different aspects of achievement, from what makes people feel they are achieving and how they measure achievement, through to what these insights mean for advertisers.
The research finds that experiences are the most common achievement measurement metric, with 58% of consumers saying they measure how well they are achieving in terms of experiences. A successful work/life balance came second, with 56% of consumers citing it as their metric of choice, and 48% choosing health and well-being – leaving relationships, salary and job titles behind.
The research also found that achieving today is about being informed, with 78% of consumers citing intelligence and aptitude as what enables achievers. Education was second to this (66%) and a knowledge of news was third (64%). Taken together these things show that being savvy makes people achievers. Being savvy has never been more important: 84% of people think they need to understand how the world is changing rapidly in order to adapt and achieve. News consumption plays a big part in that.
According to ESI Media, further findings included:
* Experiences remain the principle measure of achievement for UK consumers throughout their lives (it isn’t just a Millennial thing)
* UK consumers are two times more likely to believe they can achieve than believe they are held back (58% vs 30%).
* Brexiteers feel more held back than Remainers (34% feel held back vs 27% of Remainers)
* Consumers are very divided over what will help them achieve, with splits on digital technology (53% think digital technology will help more people achieve in life, 47% don’t) and higher education (44% think that more people having access to higher education will help more people achieve in life, 54% don’t)
* People are driven by the fear of doing worse than others, with 65% saying they only want to do no worse than those they compare themselves to, as opposed to the 35% who want to do better. However, amongst London workers the split is 50:50 meaning London attracts competitive people or it makes people competitive
* 22% of UK consumers feel like they are doing better than those they benchmark themselves against and 22% feel they are doing worse. Those more likely to feel they are doing better include married people (or living as married), parents, high earners and Londoners.
* Moving to London increases your chances of feeling like you’ve achieved more than average, compared to other British cities (34% of people who have moved to London to get on in life feel like they are doing better than people they benchmark themselves against vs 26% for people who have moved to other British cities to get on in life)
* Living in large urban centres encourages people to become high achievers, with 25 – 34 year olds [62%] and Londoners [66%] most likely to live in communities that help them achieve. Economist refer to such clusters of achievers as Agglomeration Economics
‘Achievement’ also looked at learnings for advertisers:
* Be achievement minded – 63% of consumers want brands to help them achieve and 40% have been inspired by advertising. 35% say ads help them see what they could achieve in life.
* Be realistic – 67% get fed up with advertising that portrays unrealistic achievements and 40% say brands should associate themselves with people who have ‘genuinely’ achieved
* Celebrate everyday achievements, as six out of ten people like advertising that does and social media puts people under pressure to show regular achievements
* Help your audience be savvy – 84% say brands need to understand how the world if changing rapidly
* Target potential achievers, as well as those already achieving, for long term loyalty. Spot people likely to achieve in life and build a relationship with them in the striving stage, before the thriving stage
* Facilitate experiences as this is an audience priority
* Target high achieving communities – London scores particularly highly
ESI Media says it has created audience segments that allow advertisers to target key groups of achievers as identified by this research.
