Spotify has published its new cultural research report titled the Culture Next Trends Report, which reveals two thirds of Gen Z and Millennials (65 per cent ) believe brands need to promote more progressive values, and play a more meaningful role in society. You can read the report in full here.

The report also reveals Aussie brands can get cut through with Gen Z and Millennials by showing moral support and understanding of consumer’s struggles (59 per cent).

Utilising first-party data from 4,000 respondents from eight different countries around the world, including Australia, the report was commissioned to better understand what’s on the horizon in technology, fashion, music, sports and more (read: Culture) through the lens of the generations driving it: Gen Z (15-24) and Millennials (25-34), what we like to call the Streaming Generation.

Other key findings in the Spotify Culture Next Trends Report included:

• Close to half of Gen Z’s and Millennials believe brands need to soften up as this age group finds camaraderie in sharing deep feelings including sadness and loneliness (47 per cent)
• Three in five in the Gen Z and Millennial age groups agree brands should create communities based on common interests and passions (61 per cent)
• The lines dividing who influences culture for Gen Z’s and Millennials are more blurred than ever with more than one in four agreeing culture is not influenced by one defining group — like celebrities, online influencers, brands, or politicians — but rather by all of them

The Spotify Culture Next Trends Report is published in partnership with research agency Culture Co-Op and the insights are based on responses from focus groups and surveys. The responses were collated from across the globe across the following eight countries: Australia, Philippines, Brazil, Mexico, UK, Germany, France and the US.

Through the research findings, Spotify has identified archetypes of individuals in the Gen Z and Millennial age groups to enable brands to understand and relate to consumers better. Interestingly, equality, environmental, protection and honesty were identified as the top ideals brands should convey in their messaging according to these age groups.