By Mats Lindgren

Consumers and lifestyles

2017
October 2007

© KAIROS FUTURE • P.O. BOX 804 • SE-10136 STOCKHOLM

CONSUMERS AND LIFESTYLES
2017
By Dr. Mats Lindgren

Where is the global community heading? Are we all becoming middle-class

Indians and Chinese with aspirations of wealth and worldly success? Or will
Scandinavian soft values reign, emphasizing trust and loyalty that goes beyond
family and close friends?
Although there are strong tendencies that young people in the West are becoming
more “Chindian” in terms of values and attitudes, it is hard to tell where we will end up
ten years form now. There are tendencies and trends pulling in different directions
unfolding several scenarios for the future consumer and values landscape. To
consider those uncertainties and alternative trajectories is essential for most
companies and organizations in today’s fast-moving and increasingly consumer driven
world.

ME OR WE – ARTIFACTS OR PEOPLE?
Based on the results from Kairos Future’s project Global Youth, the extensive survey
of the values and lifestyles of youth and young adults, we have identified two major
uncertainties for the future, and the scenarios that accompany them. The uncertainties
are based on the two values-dichotomies:
• Me-orientation vs. We-orientation. Whether people are emphasizing
individualism and disconnection with traditions and fixed communities or not
• Artifact-orientation vs. People-orientation. Whether people focus on
material goods and success or relations and people.
Imagine a world where Me- and People-orientation reigns. Such a world would be
characterized by a strong drive for individual freedom and self-expression in
combination with a people-orientation where most people do what they can to make
the world a better place.
If we swap individual freedom for economic independence we end up in a scenario
where people strive more for economic success than unique life-choices.
Similarly we could explore each of the four corners in the matrix below. Interestingly,
however, is that the characteristics of each scenario are not developed by pure logic,
but are based on a foundation of statistical analysis. On average, people emphasizing
individual freedom also believe creativity and “immaterial consumption” are important.
And people emphasizing economic independence also tend to stress perseverance
values, such as hard work and endurance, more than others.
All in all, the two uncertainties, based on different life-orientations, give us four
scenarios for the future:
• I did it my way – a world where individual freedom is in the driver’s seat
• Next stop Richistan – where the ambition to becoming member of the
exclusive global club of Richistanis is running the game

© KAIROS FUTURE • P.O. BOX 804 • SE-10136 STOCKHOLM

 • It’s all about style – where fame and acceptance are the key characteristics
• Home sweet home – where nothing of the above can compete with the sweet
feeling of being needed by the near and dear.

Four possible scenarios of the future consumer landscape

Consider the following snap-shots of a future too distant. Where do you believe we are
heading, and what does it mean to you?

I DID IT MY WAY 2017

The strive for individual freedom is the strongest driver in society of the second half
of the 2010s and manifested by independent self-expression. The so worshipped
individualism is expressed in lifestyles and immaterial consumption, rather than goods
and gadgets. People are foremost experience shoppers, and individuality reigns. Most
people are also eager to be ethical and good citizens and consequently heroes are not
only those following their own path, the unique personalities, but also great
philanthropists.

NEXT STOP RICHISTAN 2017i

Economic independence is the zeitgeist of the mid-2010s. Most people are willing to
do whatever it takes to get the positions where wealth is collected. Society is
characterized by competition, "drive", hard work and perseverance. The heroes are all
the self-made men and women who express their success on the front pages of
business magazines and in contemporary status symbols such as mansions and

© KAIROS FUTURE • P.O. BOX 804 • SE-10136 STOCKHOLM

sophisticated luxury goods. Still, it is not acceptance they are striving for, but the nice
feeling of power, freedom and independence that money brings.

IT’S ALL ABOUT STYLE 2017

In a society obsessed with fame and "worldly" success, people, especially young, do
what it takes to get it. Most elderly people describe society as superficial and
reproductive, a karaoke-world where everyone tries to be unique by copying
successful attributes or concepts. And they claim that younger people are scared of
not being cool enough. Contemporary heroes are the celebrities, famous for
something or nothing (or just for being famous). Since brands and fashion are so
important most people sense a strong lack of money, and express their frustration of
never being able to buy the things they want. There is simply never enough.

HOME SWEET HOME

Most people are fed up with the artificiality and hard-core individualism and are looking
for the "completeness" experienced in personal relations. The goal in life is not so
much to be rich or famous as to be remembered as a good person, father, mother,
friend. Thus, most people spend a lot of time nurturing relations to their near and dear.
Loyalty and trust are the virtues of the day. Since most people do not consider
"showing off" very important, luxury industries are having hard times and marketers
and economists are talking about the new "Minimalist Society" which is slowing down
growth and expanding hard discount segments in most industries.

THE QUESTION IS: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU AND

YOUR BUSINESS?
Which of the four scenarios are the most probable? Will they all exist and prosper as
parallel universes? What do the scenarios mean to you? What will be the effect to
your industry? What will happen with values such as loyalty and trust?
The challenge for most consumer-driven companies, whether they are business-to-
business or business-to-consumer, is to consider the consequences of these
scenarios in combination with more certain consumer trends. And so should public
administration and other non-profit organizations do.
In order to succeed in the future, where consumers are increasingly driving the
markets it is crucial not only to understand the consumers of today, but also where
they are heading, not only what they think about our own products and services, but
also what their aspirations and profound values are. We need to be able to
contextualize specific data, step back to see the broader picture and develop
processes to bring consumer insight into innovation and growth.

© KAIROS FUTURE • P.O. BOX 804 • SE-10136 STOCKHOLM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Mats Lindgren is founder and CEO of Kairos Future

Group. He is also heading Kairos Future’s international
research activities. Mats has been working with values
and consumer research as part of his futures research
and strategy consultancy for almost 20 years, the first
piece of values research done in 1990 and presented in
the bestseller Tomorrow’s Values in 1992.
He is the author of more than 20 books, among them,
prized The MeWe Generation and Scenario planning –
the link between future and strategy, by Harvard
Business School considered the best book in the field.

ABOUT GLOBAL YOUTH AND THE KAIROS

CONSUMERSCAPE SERVICE
Global Youth was the first in a series of international values studies conducted by
Kairos Future carried out during 2006-2007. It is based on a combination of qualitative
and quantitative research, where the quantitative part covers 400 questions answered
by 1,000 16-29 years olds and 300-500 30-50 years olds in 17 countries throughout
the world.
The results are accessible through series of reports or tailored services such as
reports, analysis of interest or other target groups, as well as company specific
presentations.
The data will be used in the upcoming service Kairos ConsumerScape where
subscribers receive a combination of general consumer insight in the format of trend
briefs and reports and tailored services such as workshops and expert consulting.
For further information, please contact Ms Elin Åström, project coordinator, or Ms
Anna Kiefer, director Kairos Future International.

© KAIROS FUTURE • P.O. BOX 804 • SE-10136 STOCKHOLM

 ABOUT KAIROS FUTURE
Kairos Future helps companies and organizations understand and
shape the future through:
• international surveys and futures analysis

• lectures and workshops

• courses and training programs

• knowledge-based projects and networks

• scenario, strategy and improvement projects

• change process support

We combine the think tank’s and research company’s ability to

generate new insights and ideas with the consulting agency’s focus
on what works in practice. Our work is built on our own skills
development along with in-house designed and advanced methods
of analysis, strategy development and change processes.
We often work in close collaboration with our clients.
Kairos Future has over thirty employees in Sweden, Denmark,
France, Spain and the US with headquarters in Stockholm and an
international network of partners.

For more information, visit our website: www.kairosfuture.com or

contact us at:
Kairos Future
P.O. Box 804
(Street address: Vasagatan 40)
SE-101 36 Stockholm, Sweden.

Tel: + 46–(0)8–545 225 00

Fax: +46–(0)8–545 225 01
E-mail: info@kairosfuture.com
Website: www.kairosfuture.com

i
For an entertaining analysis of today’s American Richistan, see Robert Frank:
Richistan – a journey through the American wealth boom and the lives of the new rich,
Crown 2007

© KAIROS FUTURE • P.O. BOX 804 • SE-10136 STOCKHOLM