Spain is one of the countries in the world with more visionary profiles and less conformist and success-seeking profiles.
Uncertainty is in people’s lives on a daily basis; economic uncertainty, political instability or the climate crisis are some of the factors that are constantly in the spotlight and that directly influence changes in society. With so much uncertainty, people seek to cling and hold on to things or factors that generate stability, and that is where values come in.
Personal values are something that is difficult to change and, in general, each person has them so internalized that through them people can be moved, any product or service can be sold or a new movement can be encouraged.
This is one of the main conclusions of BCW’s study, Age of Values 2023, which was prepared by leaders in the field of values and cross-cultural research by Movatory, the new strategic consulting unit of the communications agency, BCW.
The analysis shows an interesting combination of a behavioral science approach, data analysis and digital trend mapping, obtaining a mix of in-depth knowledge of values with real-time information about the cultural landscape and how to move audiences.
This is where the role of companies, brands and organizations appears, who are in constant search of moving large masses successfully and for this they need to understand the importance of people’s values and thus understand how they manifest themselves in today’s changing world.
Different generations, different values
The first point to take into account is that companies and/or organizations must pay special attention to the values of each generation, since they change depending on the segment of the public. This means that the age of the people is one of the characteristics that is most taken into account to carry out successful communication strategies.
In this aspect, the study reveals that the different generations (Millennials, Generation Z, Generation X, Baby Boomers) have more values in common than expected. However, there are certain values among them that make a real difference, such as Power, Achievement, Hedonism, and Stimulation, which are mostly present in Generation Z by far.
The Achievements of Generation Z
Young people have always been more motivated by ambition, to progress, to achieve personal success, social status and power. These issues are currently highlighted by the great economic challenges that are presented, as well as, the dominance of social networks, being considered the “ideal” platforms to show all kinds of success and progress.
On the other hand, Generation Z presents more individualistic values such as self-direction and less social values such as universalism. With this trend, we can appreciate the change in the cultural contexts in which each generation came of age, motivated by socioeconomic, geopolitical and technological advances.
It is undeniable to mention that the younger generations were born and raised in a completely digitalized society in which it is common to disseminate all kinds of achievements and progress through social networks, giving rise to constant comparisons that trigger an excessive motivation to reach one’s maximum potential.
The BCW Movatory- Age of Values 2023 study also yields some conclusions about the responsible behavior of companies in which we have to:
- 87% believe that companies should demonstrate that they respect their data privacy and digital security
- 81% believe that companies must act now to combat climate change
- 82% believe that companies should help build a more diverse, inclusive, and egalitarian society
- 80% believe that businesses should support the consumer during the inflation crisis.
- Values identified
BCW’s Age of Values 2023 study identified 11 values that are most predictive of people’s behavior. To do this, they used Schwartz’s theory of basic human values as a general framework.
As part of the Top 3 values, we have Benevolence, Universalism (social) and Security in the world, the first two being among the Top 3 in most countries.
For its part, Spain is shown as a social country where self-transcendence stands out and is positioned as one of the countries in the world that most emphasizes the values of benevolence, universalism (social and nature).
Moving on to the southern European countries, hedonism, stimulation (challenges in life and motivation) and universalism (nature-promoting environmental care) stand out. English-speaking countries, on the other hand, have conformity (meeting social expectations) and benevolence as predominant values.
In terms of archetypes, BCW identified 7 profiles, with visionaries, protectors and adventurers standing out.
It should also be noted that, in comparison with other countries in the world, Spain is one of the countries with the lowest number of conformist and success-seeking profiles. On the other hand, it is one of the countries with the most visionaries. On the other hand, the United States has in its Top 3: the traditional profile, followed by the protector and the visionary.
