People value inspiration over sleep, sex and treats: new global survey from Wunderman Thompson reveals the vital role inspiration plays in our lives

NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new global report shows that 80% of people believe inspiration is not only vital to their lives, but more important than sleep, physical intimacy or personal treats. More than one-third (41%) also say they rate feeling inspired more than time spent with their children.

Entitled Inspire InFocus, the report, by global communications network Wunderman Thompson, surveyed 16,000 adults aged 18+ across the UK, US, China and Brazil, during May 2021. Inspiration is defined as a human experience that always feels good, and always evokes change.

The report also delves deep into where people find inspiration. The five main ways identified by respondents are outdoors in nature (54%), in movies/TV (43%), in stories of honesty and integrity (41%), in stories of kindness (41%), and through travel (40%).

Meanwhile, the top five things people are inspired to do globally are: get into better shape (31%), set a goal for myself (27%), travel (27%), change my habits (26%); and live a simpler life (25%). These factors vary across countries: 'decorate my home' is ranked highest in the UK at fourth place, while respondents in China ranked 'change my perspective or see things/myself differently' in fourth place and Brazilians ranked 'cut back on spending' in third place.

The impact of Covid-19 appears to have made people more reflective, and perhaps led to a more serious outlook on life, with stories of more hedonistic pleasures ranking low: humour/comedy, enjoying life/indulgence and romance, were placed 13th, 14th and 15th respectively.

When it comes to figures of inspiration, politicians and world leaders have much less impact than doctors and scientists. Historical figures, artists, musicians, and entrepreneurs are also seen as popular sources of inspiration, as well as local advocates, celebrities, religion and their inner circle of friends and family.

Mel Edwards, Global CEO, Wunderman Thompson, said: "Our first ever Inspire InFocus report reveals facets of human nature never before uncovered. We believe that inspiration has an overwhelming positive effect, enabling people to do things they often believe are beyond their capabilities. It's a force for motivating change, sparking people's imaginations and driving growth for ambitions brands."

The research has identified six inspiration typologies. These are: Creators, Nurturers, Advocates, Indulgers, Guardians and Loyalists. Marketers can use this data to make inspiration more personal and to show up in more powerful ways at points in people's lives where inspiration is possible.  

Neil Dawson, Global Chief Strategy Officer, Wunderman Thompson, commented: "Our data contains key insights into what inspires individuals and the impact of cultural differences on inspiration. Our inspiration typologies can be used by brands to connect with their customers much more effectively on a truly human level. Together with our recent Inspire Score ranking the top 100 most inspiring companies in the world, Inspire InFocus proves that Wunderman Thompson has cracked the code on how inspiration fuels brand growth."

The research was conducted by Wunderman Thompson's futures division, WT Intelligence and its proprietary market research consultancy, SONAR™.

Elizabeth Cherian, EMEA Director of Wunderman Thompson Intelligence and author of the Inspire InFocus report, added: "Inspiration is a powerful motivator that makes people believe in themselves and the possibility of change. Despite the challenges of today, our first wave of data identifies strong trends towards positive, post-COVID self-transformation."

The InFocus report is the latest pillar of Wunderman Thompson's proprietary Inspire platform, which launched in 2020 and includes an annual list of the Top 100 Most Inspiring Brands in the World.

Please download the report here: https://www.wundermanthompson.com/inspire-2/inspire-infocus 

About Inspire

Inspire is a global research initiative that uncovers a never-before-identified connection between brand growth and human inspiration. Putting inspiration at the heart of everything we do, we have designed a suite of services rooted in consumer data that empowers brands to inspire customers to react in new ways, and in turn build better business.  

The foundation of Inspire is a rigorous, multidimensional research methodology, including qualitative and quantitative research across four continents, and sophisticated data analytics. Based on over 20,000 interviews, we've identified the qualities a brand must embody, the narratives it should weave, and the experiences it can design in order to spark people's inspiration. 

Inspire has two core components: 

Inspire InFocus: an annual consumer tracker surveying 16,000 people worldwide that reveals what inspires people. Inspire InFocus feeds our proprietary syndicated motivational Inspire segmentation, which enables brands to apply these powerful insights to target audiences and strengthen their marketing strategies.

Inspire Score: a proprietary brand diagnostic tool that identifies the brand attributes that fuel growth through their power to inspire people, culminating in an annual list of the world's top 100 most inspiring brands. Validated by consumer data and expert analysis, the Inspire Score enables our teams to audit more than 125,000 brands worldwide from over 1700 categories in 34 sectors, and provide a road map to greater inspiration and growth.

About Wunderman Thompson   

At Wunderman Thompson we exist to inspire growth for ambitious brands. Part creative agency, part consultancy and part technology company, our experts provide end-to-end capabilities at a global scale to deliver inspiration across the entire brand and customer experience.

For more information_,please visit us at www.wundermanthompson.com, subscribe to our newsletter, and follow Wunderman Thompson on our social channels via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.   

Alie Griffths, [email protected] +44 7780 513411

SOURCE Wunderman Thompson

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