CONNECT ME IF YOU CAN

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About the Study

Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, the Czech Republic,

Estonia, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania,

Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia,

Singapore, South Africa, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, the United

Kingdom, and the United States.

The survey sample was made up

of 20% leading-edge Prosumers

and 80% mainstream consumers.

Who are Prosumers?Prosumers are today’s leading influencers and market drivers

and have been a focus of Havas Worldwide studies for more than a

decade. Beyond their own economic impact, Prosumers are important

because they influence the brand choices and consumption behaviors

of others. What Prosumers are doing today, mainstream consumers

are likely to be doing 6 to 18 months from now. Learn more at

mag.havasww.com/prosumer-report/

In March 2015, Havas Worldwide partnered with Market Probe

International to survey 10,131 people aged 18+ in 28 markets:

Notes: For the purposes of this report, we have characterized respondents aged 18—34 as millennials.

Some figures do not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.

Table of Contents

4

6

19

22

33

44

46

Who Knew?!

Time, the Common Denominator

Three Typologies for the Modern Nomad

What a Small World!

Tomorrow’s Commute

Connecting Modern Nomads

Getting Us Up to Speed

FAD!

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Who Knew?!

Early technology forecasts have long been a source of amusement. Dr. Dionysius Lardner, a professor at University College, London, deemed high-speed rail travel impossible because passengers would “die of

asphyxia.” Counseling against a client’s investment in Ford Motor Company in 1903, the president of Michigan Savings Bank dismissed the automobile

as no more than “a novelty a fad.” In the 1940s, IBM chairman Thomas Watson famously predicted a world market for no more than five computers.

And just 20 years ago, Robert Metcalfe, co-inventor of Ethernet and founder of 3Com, predicted that “the Internet will soon go spectacularly

supernova and in 1996 catastrophically collapse.”

Oops...

It’s hard to imagine what the likes of Dr. Lardner and Mr. Watson would

make of today’s world a place where magnetic levitation trains have

reached speeds of 375 miles an hour, where automobiles will soon

drive themselves, where more than a billion people congregate on

a single social network online, and where e-retailers are promising

deliveries via drone.

This new world we’ve created doesn’t merely represent a lifestyle shift;

it’s actually altering our perceptions of space and time. Over the past

few decades, we’ve gained the ability to move through life ever faster

interacting with more people, accomplishing more tasks, getting from

point A to point B in less time and, if current forecasts prove correct,

we’re only going to keep gathering speed.

How is our always-on world affecting the way we live, work, and think

Which further advances do we most want to see

How can brands help people get the most out of their high-speed lives even if that meanshelping them slow down

In this report, we share findings related to time, space, and mobility.

The questions we explore in our latest global study:

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Time, the Common Denominator

Move It or Lose ItBeginning in the late 1980s, we saw the birth of a “slow movement”

that eventually grew beyond “slow food” and “slow travel” to

encompass such concepts as “slow journalism,” “slow brands,” and

even “slow thinking.” And yet our survey makes it clear that, as much

as many of us would like to slow down, we’re not willing to make the

sacrifices such a change would entail. So while we may dream of

luxuriating in some slower-paced alternate reality, we’re really just

looking for ways to recharge so that we can tick off even more boxes

on our to-do lists.

In our professional and private worlds, time itself has become more

valuable. We simply can’t stand to miss out on anything (or, worse,

be perceived as having missed out on anything), whether it’s the

new season of Game of Thrones, that pop-up art exhibit, or the latest

app our friends swear is the Best. Thing. Ever. And so we frantically

squeeze in all we can while bemoaning the loss of all we can’t.

One reason so many of us feel crazed is that time is no longer

segmented. Whereas the day used to be divided into clear-cut sectors

(working, sleeping, socializing, shopping, chores), now it’s more of a

continuous flow during which we switch from one task to the other

at will, or even dip into multiple columns at once shopping from our

desks at work, eating in our cars, responding to work emails while

waiting for the movie to begin. There are no clear delineations, so

we’re always at least peripherally aware that the way we’ve chosen

to spend a particular moment might not be optimal.

There’s a conflict, too, between our desire to get even more done and

our wish to savor life a bit more. On the one hand, a slight majority of

the global sample (including nearly two-thirds of Prosumers) admire

people who are always on the go, and think such folks lead more

interesting lives. Chalk one up for going faster. And yet, nearly as

many think that people who are always on the go are actually missing

out on important facets of life. Even as these scurriers are seeing

more and doing more and going more places, they potentially are

experiencing less or at least experiencing things less deeply as

they race from one place, one activity to the next. Millennials seem

especially conflicted. Theirs is the only generation to show majority

agreement that people who are always on the go lead lives that are

at once more interesting and potentially less fulfilling.

62% 56% 47%

49% 49% 43%

57% 52% 47%

48% 49% 44%

41% 47% 29%

65%

50%

57%

49%

43%

TOTAL 52% TOTAL 51% TOTAL 50% TOTAL 43%

PROSUMER MILLENNIALS BOOMERSMAINSTREAM GEN XERS% agreeing strongly/somewhat

People always on the go have more interesting lives

I admire people who are always on the go

People always on the go are missing out on some important parts of life

I would love to be able to slow down

And so the question becomes: How can we accomplish more while

stressing less? How can we inject a sense of stillness and relaxation

into our lives without falling hopelessly behind?

The answer lies, at least in part, in being able to live more mindfully

and in identifying which activities and behaviors are contributing to

a more satisfying life and which are merely bogging us down. As

our respondents made clear, it has never been easier to live in a

near-constant state of hurriedness while getting so very little of

substance done.

A Conundrum

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Free time is now seen as an admission that you’re nonessential.

The Productivity Paradox

In many parts of the world, complaining about how busy we are has

become a standard part of daily conversations. “How are you doing?”

“Crazy busy. You?” “Yeah, it’s insane.”

Check out the titles of books released in recent years and you’ll find

all sorts of evidence of our hectic lifestyles, including CrazyBusy:

Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap!; 15 Ways to 15 More

Hours a Week: Strategies for the Overscheduled, Overworked, and

Under-Rested; and When You’re Running on Empty: Hope and Help

for the Overscheduled Woman.

And yet…are we truly as busy as we claim? Our study suggests we’re

not. Fewer than 1 in 3 global respondents said they always have too

much to do, and only 1 in 5 said they’re constantly rushing around.

And this holds true even in the hyperkinetic US.

Our issue with time seems to be not so much that we have too little of

it, but that we now equate being busy with leading a life of significance.

And we don’t want to be relegated to the sidelines. In an essay in The

New York Times, writer Tim Kreider observed, “Busyness serves as a

kind of existential reassurance, a hedge against emptiness; obviously

your life cannot possibly be silly or trivial or meaningless if you are

so busy, completely booked, in demand every hour of the day.”

Whereas leisure was once regarded as an important time for

reflection, introspection, and the pursuit of the “finer things” in life,

free time is now seen as an admission that you’re nonessential. It’s

no surprise, then, that 4 in 10 global respondents say they sometimes

pretend to be busier than they actually are. And 6 in 10 believe most

others are faking their busyness, too.

41%

41%

34% 65%

59%

57%

51%

36%

26%

31%

33%

24%

22%

21%

11%

34%

28%

21%

Most people pretend to be busier than they actually are

I sometimes pretend to be busier than I actually am

The one thing we’re rarely too busy for, it seems,

is complaining about how busy we are.

Truth Meets... ...Pretense

I’m usually doing two or more

things at once

I always have too much to do

I’m always rushing around

I’m tired most of the time

MILLENNIALS BOOMERSGEN XERS% agreeing strongly/somewhat

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Why is it difficult for so many of us to admit to having free time?

Because time is now so precious, we don’t want others to judge us for

not taking full advantage of it. And because we have so much more

to do these days (or at least believe we do), we feel guilty if we’re not

putting every moment to use. It speaks volumes

about modern society that the phrase “I can rest

when I’m dead” has taken hold.

Exacerbating the situation is the fact that most

of us think we’re not accomplishing enough in the

time we do have. And that puts us in a constant

state of pressure and unease. All day long, we

receive cues via mass and social media, email,

and advertising and on the street that the rest

of the world is busy getting important things

done. Log on to your favorite social media site

and you see that a former classmate you barely

remember has just gotten her PhD in some

subject you couldn’t begin to understand. Your former intern sits at the

helm of the latest startup sensation. Your neighbor’s kid has figured

out a way to turn mud into crystal-clear water. And everybody but you

seems to have some exotic hobby or riveting purpose in life. Meanwhile,

you’ve wasted most of your morning taking quizzes on BuzzFeed.

Time’s A-Wastin’ If only the rest of us could be spectacular, too. If only we could stay

focused, be more creative, achieve something anything worthy of

boasting about. Nearly 6 in 10 global respondents and two-thirds

of millennials believe their lives would be better if they were more

productive. And around half as many think their lack of productivity is

their own fault, because they procrastinate or simply waste too much time.

Overall, there’s a sense that way too many

hours are being frittered away. Few people

feel that modern technology has made them

less productive, but it’s not difficult to see

that a lot of us are devoting too much time to

the inconsequential. Whereas in earlier eras,

we might have spent our free time socializing,

doing craftwork, or reading decent literature,

now we can while away hour after hour

learning about the latest misadventures of the

Kardashians, browsing potential hookups on

Tinder, and obliterating icons on Candy Crush.

At the same time, our modern-day disassociation from the rhythms of

nature and from our local communities has left many of us feeling

adrift. We want to feel our lives have meaning, but too few of us have

a transcendent purpose. And it’s so much easier to browse images on

Instagram or amuse ourselves on Snapchat than it is to ponder more

meaningful ways to fill our existential voids.

“The world is changing very fast.

Big will not beat small anymore. It will be the fast beating

the slow.”—RUPERT MURDOCH

68% 56% 58% 57% 65% 54% 42%

32% 29% 29% 31% 35% 24% 26%

29% 27% 28% 26% 35% 21% 18%

57%

30%

27%

My life would be better if I were more productive/got more done

I often procrastinate

I waste too much time

Tyranny of the To-Do List

PROSUMER MALE MILLENNIALS BOOMERSTOTAL MAINSTREAM FEMALE GEN XERS% agreeing strongly/somewhat

73% 62% 64% 64% 65% 63% 62%

63%73% 62% 64% 63%63% 64%

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64%

People waste too much time at work doing things that don’t really matter

64%

People waste too much time in their personal lives doing things that don’t really matter

Does Any of It Matter?

PROSUMER MALE MILLENNIALS BOOMERSTOTAL MAINSTREAM FEMALE GEN XERS% agreeing strongly/somewhat

Which comes closest to your point of view? (Respondents chose one.)

For the most part, technology makes me MORE productive (faster research, communication, etc.)

For the most part, technology makes me LESS productive (time spent playing

games, surfing social media, etc.)

Technology makes me more AND less productive to EQUAL degrees,

so it all balances out in the end

PROSUMER MAINSTREAM MALE FEMALE MILLENNIALS GEN XERS BOOMERS

57% 8% 36% 44% 13% 43% 52% 13% 36% 40% 13% 48% 44% 15% 41% 49% 11% 40% 41% 9% 50%

TOTAL 41% TOTAL 19% TOTAL 24%

47%

40%

42%

40%

45%

39%

34%

22%

18%

18%

20%

22%

17%

14%

27%

23%

22%

25%

25%

22%

23%

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Can’t Sit StillFor quite a lot of us, the issue isn’t simply that we feel we should be

doing more, but that we no longer know how to do less. We can’t stop

moving. Canadian journalist Carl Honoré, an advocate of slowing

down, cautioned in an op-ed in The Guardian: “Our obsession with

speed, with cramming more and more into every minute, means that

we race through life instead of actually living it. Our health, diet, and

relationships suffer. We make mistakes at work. We struggle to

relax, to enjoy the moment, even to get a decent night’s sleep.”

And, sure enough, nearly half our respondents say that sitting still is

something they find it difficult to do, and around a quarter worry that

I have trouble sitting still I have trouble focusing on one thing at a time

I worry that my attention span has gotten shorter

PROSUMER MALE MILLENNIALS BOOMERSMAINSTREAM FEMALE GEN XERS% agreeing strongly/somewhat

TOTAL 60% TOTAL 49% TOTAL 32%

My life would be better if I relaxed more

The fast pace of life is harming my health I need a long vacation

Can’t We All Just Take a Break?

their attention spans have grown shorter. (If you’ve made it this far in

the report, give yourself a gold star!) More disturbing, half believe the

faster pace of life is actually harming their health. They may very well

be right, given the growing mound of evidence that our newly digital

existence is shrinking attention spans, altering brain structure (for

better or worse), and damaging our physical and mental well-being.

71%

58%

58%

62%

64%

60%

47%

56%

47%

49%

49%

52%

49%

37%

42%

30%

30%

33%

35%

33%

20%

PROSUMER MALE MILLENNIALS BOOMERSMAINSTREAM FEMALE GEN XERS% agreeing strongly/somewhat

TOTAL 49%TOTAL 51%

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Which comes closer to your reality? (Respondents chose one.)

Even our weekends traditionally a time for family and religious

observance in many cultures have become a time to cram in all the

things we weren’t able to do during the week, whether that involves

the drudgery of chores and errands or the chance to socialize and

hit the town. Only a quarter of the sample (19 percent of Prosumers

vs. 26 percent of mainstream consumers) use the weekends

primarily as a time to relax and recharge at home.

PROSUMER MALE MILLENNIALS BOOMERSMAINSTREAM FEMALE GEN XERS

It’s easy for me to sit down and completely relax

It’s difficult for me to sit down and relax because I’m always thinking about things I should be doing instead

45%

52%

55%

47%

47%

52%

60%

55%

48%

45%

53%

53%

48%

40%

30% 28% 31% 28% 33% 29% 32% 33%

45% 53% 44% 47% 43% 47% 43% 44%

25% 19% 26% 25% 24% 25% 25% 23%

PROSUMERTOTAL MALE MILLENNIALS BOOMERSMAINSTREAM FEMALE GEN XERS

Catch up on chores and errands I don’t

have time to do during the week

Stay at home and do nothing

but sleep and relax

Do things I’m not able to do during the rest of the week (e.g.,

cinema, museums, travel, exercise)

What is your #1 priority for weekends? (Respondents chose one.)

62% 69%

51% 58%

52% 59%

53% 60%

58% 61%

49% 58%

41% 56%

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Impatience: A Virtue?

You know what we hate even more than not being able to slow down?

Being forced to slow down!

As our world speeds up, we have less and less patience for delays of

any kind. Nearly 7 in 10 Prosumers and 6 in 10 mainstream consumers

say that waiting is one of the things they hate most in life. And a

majority of the global sample, led by Prosumers and millennials,

find it annoying when they encounter people who move slowly.

It’s one thing for any of us to decide to apply the brakes ourselves,

but quite another to have the driver ahead of us do it.

Waiting is one of the things I hate most in life It annoys me when people move slowly

TOTAL 52% TOTAL 59%

PROSUMER MALE MILLENNIALS BOOMERSMAINSTREAM FEMALE GEN XERS% agreeing strongly/somewhat

THREE TYPOLOGIES for the Modern Nomad

With more than 10,000 people in 28

countries taking part in our study, our

respondent base encompasses a wide array

of experiences and lifestyles. On the whole,

there were more similarities than differences

across cultural and geopolitical lines, but we

were able to divide the respondent countries

into three broad categories based on how

they’re responding to society’s increased

mobility and the quickened pace of life.

This segmentation isn’t definitive. There

is certain to be a mix of all three attitudes

within each market. A country’s placement

into a particular category merely indicates

which of the three attitudes currently

predominates there.

THE CONFLICTED

THE ENTRENCHED

THE FATIGUED

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This is the group most likely to pretend to be busier than they

actually are, even though they wish they could relax more.

THE CONFLICTEDBrazil, China, Colombia, Estonia, India,

Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia,

Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia,

Singapore, South Africa, Spain,

United Arab Emirates

The vast majority of respondents fall

into this category. They are the people

experiencing the greatest tension between

an outward admiration for those always

on the go and an inward yearning to slow

down and live in the moment. In their view,

those people who are busiest and most

mobile lead more interesting and likely

more successful lives. This thinking helps

to explain why this is the group most likely to

pretend to be busier than they actually are,

even though they wish they could relax more.

For instance, looking at Brazil we see that

62 percent admire people who are always

on the go, with 58 percent believing such

people lead more interesting lives. And

yet nearly as many (57 percent) believe

people always on the go are missing out

on important parts of life, and 67 percent

think their own lives would be better if they

relaxed more.

With regard to China, a strategic planner at

Havas Worldwide Shanghai explained the

conflict thus: “Here, people regard wealth

as the only standard of success, and the

intense competition puts pressure on people

to work and live at a pace that’s exhausting.

There’s a struggle between the desire for

success and the desire for leisure. People

don’t think they can have both at once.”

Across these 18 markets, people haven’t

quite come to grips with the new direction

life is taking. They want all the benefits that

come with technological advances, but they

fear that the price they’re being asked to pay

in exchange is too high.

THE ENTRENCHEDCanada, Czech Republic, France, Germany,

Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States

The second category is made up of markets

that are neither strongly for nor strongly

against our faster-paced lifestyles. The

citizens of these countries don’t necessarily

admire those who are always on the go, but

they’re also not desperate to slow down.

This group is greatly influenced by their

longstanding cultures. So we see only a third

of respondents in the US wanting to slow

down, even though nearly 6 in 10 agree that

always being on the go isn’t a great way to

live one’s life. In France, we see quite the

opposite attitude. Even with their shortened

workdays and long summer holidays, the

French are still looking for a break, with

three-quarters of Prosumers and 60 percent

of the mainstream agreeing that their lives

would be better if they relaxed more.

THE FATIGUEDAustralia, Belgium, Italy

The final category is home to just 3 of the

28 countries, but offers a perspective that

likely strikes a chord around the globe.

People in these markets are unconvinced

that speeding up is a good thing for

individuals or for society as a whole.

Looking at Italy, for example, we see that

only 42 percent admire those who are

always on the go, while 75 percent think

such people are missing out on important

aspects of life. Around 7 in 10 Italians

think their lives would be better if they

personally slowed down, and, at 45 percent

(tied with Singaporeans), Italians were the

respondents most likely to say they need a

long vacation.

In these markets, the new pace of life isn’t viewed as a threat to be dealt with so much as a new reality to work around as one sees fit.

In these markets, the question isn’t so much “How can we go faster?” but “Why would we want to?”

1950

1999

2014

25M

664M

1.1B

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Hyper-Connected Wanderlust

Despite our perceived lack of time, we sure

are getting around more. More than 1.1 billion

tourists traveled abroad in 2014, according

to the UN’s World Tourism Organization.

That’s up from 664 million in 1999 and just

25 million in 1950. Clearly, our ability to see

other countries and cultures online hasn’t

dampened our enthusiasm for experiencing

these places in person.

According to nearly three-quarters of our

global respondents, physical travel offers a

surer path to discovery and knowledge than

anything one can find on the Internet. And

only around a quarter of the sample say the

ability to digitally connect with people makes

them less inclined to want to travel to see

their friends and relatives in person.

What a Small World!

Number of tourists traveling abroad

81%

64%

65%

67%

68%

66%

62%

71%

60%

66%EMERGING

DEVELOPED

Traveling is one of the great joys of my life (% agreeing strongly/somewhat)

PROSUMER MALE MILLENNIALS BOOMERSTOTAL MAINSTREAM FEMALE GEN XERS

71% 29%

MAINSTREAM

79% 21%

PROSUMER

PROSUMER

29% AGREE

53% DISAGREE

19%NEUTRAL

30% NEUTRAL

27% AGREE

43% DISAGREE

MAINSTREAM

24 / 54

I don’t feel as much need to travel to visit people anymore; I’m happy connecting with them via social media, Skype, etc.

Which comes closer to your point of view? (Respondents chose one.)

...by traveling around the world to discover new things and meet new people

...through books, online forums, and

conversations than I ever would by traveling

I can learn more...

Wherever they live, people’s dreams of global exploration are

supported by increased accessibility. Not only can we get around in

faster and bigger airplanes, we also have an ever-broadening array

of travel tiers from which to choose. From bare-bones hostels to

luxurious private islands, accommodations can be found to suit most

budgets. And our options will proliferate even further as the person-to-

person economy continues to grow. Consider that Airbnb was created

just seven years ago, but already is on track to book more rooms than

the world’s largest hotel chains, while offering accommodations that

include houseboats, tree houses, tepees, and castles. With more than

a million listings in some 200 countries, the sharing service provides a

unique experience hotel chains can’t begin to match.

Airbnb works not just because it may save money, but because

experiences and the conversational currency that comes with

them are what modern-day travel is all about. It used to be that

globetrotters would bore their dinner guests with a slide show of their

African safari or trip to Provence. Now, every moment of our trips can

be catalogued and displayed on social media, more often than not in

real time. Whether it’s a day trip to the nearest beach or a monthlong

Arctic expedition, we plaster whatever news and images we can wring

from it on our favorite social media sites. Where travel once was about

the accumulation of culture, now it’s as much about bragging rights

and one-upmanship. The good news for friends and neighbors is that

it’s far easier to ignore those Instagram and Facebook posts than it

ever was to graciously back out of slide shows.

People’s wanderlust is further being stoked by the increased

convenience of travel. Around three-quarters of our global respondents

say the Internet and digital apps have made travel easier, compared

with just 1 in 5 who say new technologies have made it more

complicated. Whereas trips to faraway places used to involve a visit

to a local travel agent, phone calls to the airline, cruise line, or rail

service, and lots of time spent standing in line, now we can

Where travel once was about culture, now it’s as much about bragging rights.

12%

21%

22%

17%

24%

17%

14%

TOTAL 20%

87%

71%

75%

73%

77%

74%

65%

TOTAL 74%

47%

33%

36%

34%

40%

34%

23%

TOTAL 35%

26 / 54

The Internet and digital apps have made travel easier

App-rehensive Travel(% agreeing strongly/somewhat)

The Internet and digital apps have made travel more complicated

I feel anxious when I travel and don’t have Internet access

do everything from researching destinations and accommodations to

booking tickets and prepaying for excursions via our smartphones.

With preprinted boarding passes and automated check-in and check-out

at many hotels, it’s possible to bypass a good many of the delay points

PROSUMER MALE MILLENNIALS BOOMERSMAINSTREAM FEMALE GEN XERS

34%

38%

40%

35%

39%

37%

34%

TOTAL 37%

Technology is making travel too impersonal I miss the human interaction with travel agents, airport personnel, etc.

that used to encumber our travels. Not everyone is happy about that,

however: For nearly 4 in 10 global respondents, technology is making

travel too impersonal. They miss the human interaction.

PROSUMER MALE MILLENNIALS BOOMERSMAINSTREAM FEMALE GEN XERS% agreeing strongly/somewhat

28 / 54

Emerging Importance of Emerging Markets

Tourism used to be a rich person’s game.

People in wealthy nations traveled, while those

in poor countries stayed put or migrated. With

more people around the world gaining access

to disposable income, that’s

changing as evidenced by the fact that more

than 7 in 10 of our respondents in emerging

markets deemed travel one of the “great joys

of life,” compared with 6 in 10 in the developed

markets surveyed. Leading the pack in their

enthusiasm for travel: Colombians, Mexicans,

and Malaysians.

Visitors from emerging economies represented

46 percent of international

arrivals in 2014, according to a report

from the World Travel & Tourism Council.

That’s up from 38 percent in 2000. Asia

continues to be a key industry driver, with

the number of outbound trips increasing

53 percent between 2009 and 2013,

compared with overall global growth

of 22 percent.

The emerging markets are also

becoming increasingly important as

destinations. The top five

destination cities for 2015 (by projected

visitor arrivals), according to CNN, include

Bangkok, Dubai, and Istanbul. With so many

current travel trends from ecotourism and

glampacking to medical tourism centered

in emerging markets, it seems certain that

less developed parts of the world will have an

increasingly strong impact on global travel.

Is Our Reality Becoming Too Virtual?

Until recently, there were very few things we could do without having

to physically get up and go someplace. If we wanted to make money,

we had to leave our homes and go to an office, factory, or other place

of work. If we wanted to research something in depth, we had to go to

the library. If we wanted to shop, we had to go to a store. If we wanted

to be entertained, we had to go to a theater or other venue. Now, more

often than not, whether we do something in person or virtually is a

choice rather than a necessity. Certainly, the virtual path can save a lot

of time. The question becomes, then, whether time and convenience

override all other factors, including socialization and intimacy.

We gave our respondents a list of basic activities and asked whether

they think people will be more apt to do these things in person or online

in 20 years. In every instance, the response was that people will be

In 20 years, which of these do you think people will be more likely to do? (Respondents chose one.)

32%Spend time socializing IN PERSON

68%Spend time socializing

ONLINE

46%Attend a concert, play, or sporting event IN PERSON

54%Watch a

concert, play, or sporting

event ONLINE

30 / 54

more likely to do these things online. For socialization, shopping, and

medical appointments, the choice was clear-cut: It’s simply easier and

faster to connect with people and retailers via our new technologies.

Attending concerts/plays/sporting events was more of a toss-up, with

46 percent saying people would be more apt to attend such events in

person in the future, while 54 percent said they’d watch them online.

Clearly, some of the allure of cultural and athletic events stems from

factors (e.g., a sense of community, the energy of the crowd, the

intimacy of a live performance) that can’t be replicated when sitting

in front of a screen at home.

21% Go to a PHYSICAL STORE to shop

35% Go to a DOCTOR’S OFFICE for a medical appointment

79%Shop

ONLINE

65%Connect

with a medical provider via a

DIGITAL DEVICE

84% 78%

73% 66%

71% 66%

78% 69%

75% 67%

74% 67%

77% 72%

TOTAL 75% TOTAL 68%

A big problem with society is that people no longer walk places

I worry that children growing up today feel more connected to virtual places online than to the physical places they live

The fact that most of us believe our interactions increasingly will be

virtual shouldn’t be taken to mean that we think that’s a good thing.

Three-quarters of the sample (and 84 percent of Prosumers) worry

that today’s children feel more connected to the virtual worlds in which

they spend time than to the physical world. And more than two-thirds

of respondents think it’s a real problem that people no longer walk

most places. As eagerly as many of us are embracing our ultra-mobile

lifestyles, we’re also aware there’s a price to be paid for the privilege.

PROSUMER MALE MILLENNIALS BOOMERSMAINSTREAM FEMALE GEN XERS% agreeing strongly/somewhat

32 / 54

A New Lifestyle of Mobility

Even though we have the option of doing most things in the virtual

realm, there’s a counterpressure pushing people toward actual human

contact. For some, the ease with which we can now sample other

countries and cultures online only serves to whet our appetites for

visiting new people and places in person. As we write this, Humans

of New York photoblogger Brandon Stanton is posting photos of his

travels in Pakistan, prompting tens of thousands of commenters to

gush over the unexpected beauty of that country and pledge to add

it to their travel itineraries or bucket lists. Digital becomes a bridge

enticing us into worlds previously unknown.

And then there are the people for whom travel, thanks to new

technologies, isn’t a once-in-a-while pastime but a way of life. Now

that we can stay connected to virtually anyone and anyplace

including our jobs from anywhere, it’s no longer just the

independently wealthy who can afford to globetrot for extended

periods. In a phenomenon known as the “new nomadism,” we see

the adventurous and rebellious leaving behind their usual environs

in favor of life on the road or in an exotic locale.

The growth of the so-called gig economy is certainly a factor in this

trend. It used to be that the best way to get ahead was to remain with

a single company for the entirety of one’s career. Now that a “job for

life” is no longer an expectation for most people, it’s not as much of a

risk to hop from job to job and place to place. And many companies

and countries are happy to have a steady influx of short-term

talent. One startup, Jobbatical, has created a business out of

connecting employers with skilled workers from around the globe.

It has proved a popular way for countries such as Singapore, Malaysia,

and Estonia to attract the (primarily tech) talent they need, while

giving skilled workers a chance to immerse themselves in a foreign

culture as they earn enough to live on.

It’s no longer just the independently wealthy who can afford to globetrot for extended periods.

Tomorrow’s Commute

Don’t believe the hype: Despite forecasts to the contrary, millennials

have not abandoned the automobile in favor of shared rides and public

transport. Looking at car owners across the age groups, we discovered

that our youngest respondents were the most likely to agree that

a) they feel a personal connection to their cars, b) their cars say a lot

about who they are, and c) their cars are one of their favorite places to be.

It’s also interesting to see that, despite their pronounced environmental

sensibilities, Prosumers are significantly more attached to their cars

than are their mainstream counterparts. They are also more apt to

associate their cars with positive terms such as freedom, comfort,

and pleasure. At the same time, Prosumers are more demanding of

their cars. For instance, 8 in 10 Prosumers (vs. just less than two-

thirds of mainstream consumers) say it’s important that their cars be

fun to drive, and more than half of Prosumers (vs. 38 percent of the

mainstream) think it’s important that their cars be “cool.”

They seem to be getting what they want. Even with all the other

transportation options out there, fully half of Prosumers say their

car is one of their favorite places to be.

Are Cars Going Anywhere?

34 / 54

Do you own a car?

72%28%

YES

NO

PROSUMER 76 · 24

MALE 75 · 25

MILLENNIALS 64 · 36

BOOMERS 80 · 20

TOTAL

MAINSTREAM 71 · 29

FEMALE 68 · 32

GEN XERS 78 · 22

41%

49%

2% 3% 3%

5% 5% 7% 8%

12% 12% 16% 29%

47%

50%

7%

Which of these words do you associate with driving YOUR car? (Car owners only)

There are some important distinctions by country. In general, we

see three broad profiles of car ownership. The first exemplified by

countries such as Australia, Germany, and the US is the traditional

model of people feeling deeply attached to their automobiles. These

were among the countries where respondents were most likely to

state that they love to drive and so have little interest in self-driving

vehicles. The second model particularly evident in emerging markets

such as China, India, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE is based on drivers

who consider their cars a status symbol and want them to be perceived

as cool. In these markets, drivers are eager to welcome self-driving

cars and other high-tech advances. The third model most prevalent

in Europe is where people still embrace driving but also recognize

the drawbacks. For instance, French drivers were among those most

likely to associate their cars with the word expensive and among the

least likely to associate them with pleasure.

36 / 54

Beep, Beep ’n’ Beep, Beep! Yeah! (Car owners only; % agreeing strongly/somewhat)

80%

65%

72%

67%

59%

35%

46%

43%

43%

51%

63%

54%

55%

56%

54%

56%

39%

49%

40%

26%

50%

38%

48%

38%

26%

37%

26%

36%

26%

12%

60%

47%

56%

48%

34%

54%

38%

49%

38%

24%

I feel no particular attachment to my car—it’s just a vehicle that gets me from Point A to Point B

My car says a lot about who I am

My car is one of my favorite places to be

It is important to me that my car is a status symbol

It is important to me that my car is fun to drive

It is important to me that my car is eco-friendly

I feel a personal connection to my car

It is important to me that my car is cool

PROSUMER MILLENNIALS BOOMERSMAINSTREAM GEN XERS

iCar, Anyone? (% agreeing strongly/somewhat)

In the future, cars will compete much more on their entertainment and connectivity offerings than on looks/style

I would like my car to be connected to the Internet

By 2050, cars will be designed jointly by traditional automotive companies and technology companies

By 2050, the best-selling cars will be produced by technology companies rather than by traditional automotive companies

So, what’s next for cars? The consensus is that cars of the future will

compete less on style and more on technology. Already, nearly 6 in

10 Prosumers and 43 percent of mainstream consumers would like

their cars to be connected to the Internet. Most believe that by 2050,

cars will be jointly designed by car manufacturers and technology

companies. And a majority of Prosumers think the best-selling cars

will be sold by pure-play tech companies.

62% 59% 71% 54%

50% 43% 55% 41%

56% 50% 60% 47%

51% 46% 56% 42%

42% 29% 50% 35%

38 / 54

When we looked at the issue of cars getting greener, we found that

consumers expect their cars to change, not their driving behaviors.

So, while only around a third of respondents think most people will be

sharing cars or using public transportation by 2050, two-thirds think most

cars will run on electricity or another renewable energy by that point.

By 2050, most cars will be self-driving

By 2050, most cars will be electric or run on another type of renewable energy

By 2050, most people will share cars rather than own them

By 2050, most people will use public transportation rather than individual vehicles

Goodbye, Guzzlers (% agreeing strongly/somewhat)

PROSUMER MAINSTREAM MILLENNIALS BOOMERSGEN XERS

57% 81% 37% 37%

46% 66% 33% 35%

50% 69% 35% 36%

47% 68% 34% 34%

41% 69% 30% 33%

Do We Need Innovation in Transportation?

While inventors such as Elon Musk are

hatching grand schemes for the future of

mobility, today’s consumers appear largely

disinclined to embrace radical or even

moderate change. When we asked our

respondents which of four transportation

breakthroughs they look forward to using,

only around a quarter to a third of the

global sample raised their hands for each.

And we weren’t talking jetpacks or personal

rocket ships, but things that already exist

or are in the works: self-driving cars,

magnetic levitation trains, urban transport

pods, affordable electric bicycles. Granted,

Prosumers were more open to these new

technologies, as one would expect, but even

they failed to muster majority agreement

on any of the four.

The biggest distinctions within the

responses to these questions pertain to

market type. People in emerging markets,

especially in Asia, are significantly more

enthusiastic about impending mobility

breakthroughs. So while a majority or

near majority of respondents in Australia,

Canada, France, the UK, and the US

indicated that they’re not interested in any

of the four listed advances, only around

1 in 10 respondents in China and India

said the same. Looking at the individual

transportation options, we see majority or

near majority approval for self-driving cars

in China, India, and Malaysia; for affordable

electric bicycles in Colombia, India, and

Poland; for magnetic levitation trains

in Estonia and Mexico; and for personal

transport pods in Malaysia. While people

in developed markets may be satisfied

with their current transportation options,

emerging countries are champing at the

bit for what’s next.

“It is theoretically possible to warp spacetime itself, so you’re not actually moving faster than the speed of light, but it’s actually space that’s moving.” —ELON MUSK

34%

25%

31%

24%

36%

26%

21%

18%

28%

35%

MALE

51%

FEMALE

44%

4 0 / 54

Autonomous/self-driving cars

Magnetic levitation trains

*single-passenger vehicles that move

on their own to a designated destination

Urban transport pods*

Affordable electric bicycles

None of these

I enjoy driving, so I have no interest in self-driving cars

Which of these are you eager to start using?

EMERGING

DEVELOPED

What are the most important things transportation companies should be working on today? (Respondents chose up to three.)

*access to 3G/Wi-Fi,

battery charging, etc.

52% Making travel more affordable

49% Making travel safer

39% Making travel more comfortable

35% Reducing their carbon footprints

22% Increasing the speed of travel

18% Offering total connectivity*

13% Making it easier to sleep while traveling

8% Improving entertainment options

5% Something else

For the most part, today’s consumers are

looking for incremental improvements in

existing technologies. Presented with a list

of possible enhancements, a majority

of respondents said they want current

means of transportation to be made more

affordable and safer. More than a third also

want travel to become more comfortable and

eco-friendly. Each of the other options we

offered increased speed, total connectivity,

making it easier to sleep while traveling,

better entertainment options only made

the top-three choices of around a tenth

to a quarter of the sample.

There wasn’t much of a divide between

Prosumers and the mainstream on these

questions, except in the area of connectivity,

which made the top-three lists of 26 percent

of Prosumers compared with just 17 percent

of the mainstream. The higher headcount for

millennials on this option further indicates a

growing market for connected travel.

TOTAL 39% TOTAL 34% TOTAL 17% TOTAL 10%

4 2 / 54

When choosing between different types of transportation, which matters most to you?

40%

39%

38%

40%

34%

41%

49%

29%

35%

33%

35%

36%

32%

32%

21%

16%

18%

16%

19%

16%

11%

10%

10%

12%

9%

11%

11%

9%

Convenience Price Speed of travel Environmental impact

PROSUMER MALE MILLENNIALS BOOMERSMAINSTREAM FEMALE GEN XERS(Respondents chose one.)

38%38%

38%

40%

38%37%39%

36%

37%

45% 37% 24%

18% 25%

24%24%

24% 27%23%

36%40%

38%

39%36%

PROSUMER MALE MILLENNIALS BOOMERSTOTAL MAINSTREAM FEMALE GEN XERS

Which comes closest to your point of view? (Respondents chose one.)

In the future, people will move around LESS because they can do virtually everything from their homes

In the future, people will move around MORE because advances in technology will make it easier and faster to get around

In the future, people will move around THE SAME amount they do today

Our respondents were divided as to whether technological advances

will cause people to physically move around more or less in coming

years, but it seems certain that we’ll be experiencing and absorbing

more, whether in person or via digital devices.

4 4 / 54

Connecting Modern Nomads

The pursuit of ever greater speeds is deeply ingrained in modern

society. We are forever searching for ways to get to places faster,

seeking instantaneous solutions, and creating gadgets that eliminate

burdensome steps. And no matter how many time-savers

we incorporate into our routines, we’re never quite satisfied.

If only we had a few more minutes/hours/days…

Whereas time may have sat softly on the shoulders of our ancestors,

now it’s something of which we’re acutely conscious. At various

points in the day, time may seem to stand still or be moving far

too fast. And we have all sorts of technologies that allow us to

override Mother Nature: electric lights that give us longer days,

lighted screens that trick our brains into thinking it’s time to be

awake, engines that let us travel vast distances in hours rather than

days. This new relationship with time and space may make our

lives more convenient and productive, but it doesn’t necessarily

feel natural or right.

“I need this on my desk yesterday.”

“I’m doing a zillion things at once.”

“I’m always on the run.”

In a world moving as quickly as ours, it’s easy to feel left behind or

adrift. For many, the anchors that used to hold people in place community,

ancestry, culture, religion, entrenched customs are no more. We no

longer feel as much a part of some collective whole as much as we

feel apart from everything authentic and permanent.

Acclaimed sociologist Zygmunt Bauman coined the phrase “liquid

modernity” to describe the new world in which we live. He likens

modern people to nomads, always on the move and never quite

reaching a destination that satisfies them. In a discussion of

Bauman’s theories, Danish sociologist Michael Hviid Jacobsen writes,

“Nomadism becomes a general trait of the ‘liquid modern’ man as he

flows through his own life like a tourist, changing places, jobs, spouses,

values, and sometimes more such as political or sexual orientation

excluding himself from traditional networks of support.”

Our newly liquid world may be freeing and energizing fewer

boundaries and restraints, fewer taboos but it can also be deeply

unsettling and even scary. And so we look for supports to which we

can tether ourselves so as to feel more certain and secure (however

fleetingly). In this context, brands offer a steadying influence. It may

seem trite to say that what one drinks or drives or wears can offer

a sense of groundedness, but there’s a reason we derive a sense of

comfort from the brands of our childhoods. There’s a reason we like

to be associated with the brands we admire. And, as more businesses

take on responsibility for solving society’s problems, big and small,

we’re gaining even more reasons to regard brands as one of the few

things on which we can rely in our incredibly turbulent world.

Already, we’re seeing a number of ways in which brands are helping ease the tensions of our on-the-go world.

We look for supports to which we can tether ourselves so as to feel more certain and secure (however fleetingly). In this context, brands offer a steadying influence.

4 6 / 54

If you’re a resident of Boston or New York City, you can hire Alfred,

“an automatic, hands-off service that hums along quietly in the

background of your life so you can be free to live yours.” For less

than $25 a week, the virtual “butler” will tidy up your home, run

errands (groceries, dry cleaning, pharmacy, etc.), and take care of

other hassles such as coordinating home repairs.

Zirtual (“Get more done in a day than you ever thought possible.”)

takes care of administrative and organizational tasks that bog people

down, such as scheduling appointments, creating travel itineraries,

and conducting research. Monthly memberships start at around

$750 for up to 32 hours of virtual assistance.

IFTTT (IF This Then That) allows users to create “recipes” to

automate their digital activities. For instance, IF you upload a picture

to Instagram, THEN the program will automatically add the image to

Dropbox. IF you get kicked off your home Wi-Fi, THEN it will send you

an alert so you don’t inadvertently burn through your data plan. The

service goes some small way toward quieting the to-do lists racing

around in our heads.

Most of us want to squeeze more hours into our

days, but we haven’t quite figured out a way to

bend the rules of physics or go entirely without

sleep. Happily (for those who can afford it), there

are a growing number of services promising to

take care of a lot of the details and drudgery

that eat up our time.

Maximizing Time

Getting Us Up to Speed

A good place to start might be the Digital Nomad Academy a

network of entrepreneurs that promises to help members launch

their own web-based businesses in just three months. Be your own

boss in whatever locale you fancy.

For those looking to join the gig economy, Upwork connects web-

based freelancers with employers looking to hire individuals and

teams for short-term assignments. Whether you’re logging in from a

coworking space in SoHo or a café in Singapore makes no difference.

Designed by Dutch firm The Tipping Point Foundation, the

KantoorKaravaan is a solar-powered, self-contained micro-office

designed to let you break free of cities to get your work done in a

more natural setting.

Information has leaked regarding a Microsoft app that will let users

connect to Wi-Fi providers anywhere in the world through a pay-

as-you-go service. The service promises 10 million hotspots in 130

countries, so you’re down one excuse for not packing your bags.

Had a tough week at the office? Want to get

out and see the world? A growing number of

businesses have your back.

Supporting Modern Nomadism

48 / 54

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk unveiled plans for a high-speed ground

transport system called the Hyperloop back in 2013. Although Musk is

no longer involved with the project, a number of private companies

are working on fulfilling his vision of a tube track with pod-like cars

that transports people at speeds of around 800 mph. If it comes to

fruition, it would mean you could travel from L.A. to San Francisco

in just 30 minutes.

Though it’s not yet on the market, BMW has demonstrated a

modified version of its i3 electric car that can drop the driver off,

find a place to park, and then return to its owner when summoned.

Ford’s MoDe:Flex smartbike lets you ride hands-free and offers turn-

by-turn navigation. When connected to a smartwatch, there’s even a

“no sweat” feature that tracks the rider’s heart rate and increases

the electric pedal assist as necessary to avoid perspiration.

Not to be outdone, Lexus has revealed working plans for a flying

skateboard. The hoverboard uses liquid nitrogen—cooled super-

conductors and permanent magnets to achieve magnetic levitation.

Although the prototype is scheduled to be unveiled in October 2015,

there currently are no plans to make it available to the public.

We all know the self-driving car is heading

our way, but there are plenty of other new

technologies in the works as well.

Pimping Our Rides

Google has updated its mobile search results to include a graph that

shows foot traffic by hour. This means that when you’re looking up the

address or hours of a store, coffee shop, or other establishment, you

can identify which times to avoid in order to reduce your wait time.

Waze (“Outsmarting traffic, together.”) is a community-based traffic

and navigation app that lets drivers share real-time traffic and road

information in order to speed up commutes and save on gas.

Founded by two students from the University of Southern California,

LineAngel promotes itself as “the Uber for lines.” Want that concert

ticket/newest iPhone/Black Friday doorbuster, but don’t want to

wait for hours in line? This service lets you hire someone to do the

waiting for you, for a charge of $15 the first half hour and $5 for every

additional 15 minutes.

OpenTable now lets you pay for your meal through its app, so no need

to wait for the check.

Depending on which study you believe, the

average person spends either one or two years

of his or her life waiting in line. Businesses have

devised all sorts of ways to disguise wait times,

including serpentine queues (thanks, Disney!),

QR codes to scan for coupons, and visual

distractions. Now they’re finding ways to let

customers take the reins.

Cutting Back on the Wait

50 / 54

National Geographic Expeditions invests a portion of the profits

from its tours in nature research programs, and supports sustainability

schemes in every region it visits.

CarbonTRACK, a free tool from SAP, allows businesses to check the

environmental impact of a given work trip against various modes of

transportation.

Air France is among the airlines giving passengers the option of

adding voluntary carbon offsets to their ticket prices. Eco-conscious

passengers can use an online calculator to determine the amount

of carbon dioxide their flights will create and then pay to remove an

equivalent amount from the atmosphere.

And for ocean cruisers, Carnival Corporation has an environmental

officer aboard each ship to ensure it meets all company and regulatory

environmental requirements. The company is working toward a

20 percent reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions.

In our study, only 4 in 10 global respondents

agreed that the social benefits of overseas travel

outweigh the environmental impact. And while

that may not be keeping too many people off

the tarmac, there’s certainly scope for brands

in the travel space to help ease their customers’

consciences.

Reducing Our Guilt

Named for the year Kodak cameras first hit the market, the 1888

Hotel in Sydney was designed with Instagrammers in mind. Prizes

are awarded for best photography, and guests with 30,000 or more

Instagram followers qualify for one free night.

When installing Jeff Koons’ Hanging Heart art piece, the Centre

Pompidou in Paris affixed stickers to the floor to direct visitors to the

best selfie angles. In Manila, the Art In Island museum has gone many

steps further: The museum was actually created with selfie-takers in

mind. Reproductions of famous works of art are altered with blank

spaces that museumgoers can sit in, climb on, or poke their heads and

torsos through as they record their images for their fans on Instagram

and other sites.

As part of its #TravelBrilliantly campaign, Marriott loaned guests

the newest GoPro action cameras, encouraging them to film their

holiday adventures and share the footage on social media.

Even as a growing number of tourist

destinations are banning selfie sticks, other

brands are going out of their way to make it

easy for visitors to chronicle (read: brag about)

every aspect of their travels.

Supporting Digital Diary Keeping

52 / 54

Prosumer Reports is a series of thought leadership publications by Havas Worldwide part of a global initiative to share information and insights,

including our own proprietary research, across the Havas Worldwide network of agencies and client companies. Havas Worldwide is a leading

integrated marketing communications agency and was the first to be named Global Agency of the Year by both Advertising Age and Campaign in

the same year. The Havas Worldwide network is made up of 11,000 employees in 316 offices in 120 cities and 75 countries, and provides advertising,

marketing, corporate communications, and digital and social media solutions to some of the largest global brands. Headquartered in New York,

Havas Worldwide is the largest unit of the Havas group, a world leader in communications (Euronext Paris SA: HAV.PA).

mag.havasww.com/prosumer-report/

Follow us on Twitter @prosumer_report.

Or contact Matt Weiss, global chief

marketing officer, Havas Worldwide,

at matt.weiss@havasww.com.

Find out more about Prosumer Reports

VOLUME 22 | 2015