As Australia settles into the post-pandemic era, two thirds of Australians view themselves as being content with life and only one third see themselves as aspirational, according to research launched today by leading research and insights agency, TRA.

The MindSets survey has charted almost 10,000 Australians since 2021 and is designed to measure people’s underlying approach to life to better understand how they think in a post-demographic world.

Alex Forrester, Business Director, TRA said: "We’re delighted to share insight into Australian MindSets with our clients and Australian businesses. MindSets go beyond splitting people into demographic groups such as age or gender. This is because demography does a poor job of explaining how people act – and we know that how someone views themselves has a greater impact on their decision-making."

Forrester continued: "It’s clear that what drives behaviour is not so much what you are, but who you think you are – and that affects a customer’s decision making. So, when you view a MindSet as an overarching mental operating system – like an iOS or Android – it’s apparent it influences what we believe; the choices we make; and what type of things motivate us. For marketers that’s the holy grail of knowing how to connect with their customers," he concluded.

MindSets is based off four dimensions: a Traditional or Progressive approach to life; an Aspirational or Content view of the future; Mainstream or Unique tastes; and a Community or Family/Individual focus. The dimensions combine in unique ways to create distinct segments.

Forrester continues: "For each MindSet we can also determine what consumers’ interests are, their general beliefs and behaviours and whether they are, for example, tech early adopters, or what their view on climate change is, and that’s an incredible bank of data."

The MindSets results further reveal that sixty-three percent of those surveyed identify with an Individual focused mindset, over Community. Furthermore, most Australians view themselves as having a Traditional (65%) rather than Progressive (35%) approach to life.

This is not simply a case of young and old. For example, Australians aged 18 to 24 are split evenly between a Progressive and Traditional MindSet, while 25% of 55 to 64-year-olds and 15% of over 65’s see themselves as Progressive.

Five key insights from Mindsets

We see differences in the MindSets across the major centres. Melbournians are more likely to have an Aspirational MindSet, while those from Adelaide are more Traditional and likely to have more Mainstream tastes than the rest of Australia.

More than one in four Australians, 28%, see themselves as traditional, content and individually focused. They are the group who most agree that you should follow the rules.

Eight percent of the Australian population are aspirational, with unique tastes, but also see themselves as having traditional views. They want to get ahead in their own unique fashion, but they are not about to forget their roots.

Another 8% of the population have a progressive approach, are content, and have mainstream tastes. They enjoy life and are frequently going to concerts, festivals, eating out and working out at the gym.

One in ten Australians are defined by their progressive approach, being aspirational and seeing their tastes as unique. They want to enjoy their life and tend to live for today, preferring experiences over physical items. They are at the forefront of new trends, usually being one of the first to try new things.
The Australian survey is supported by TRA’s MindSets study in New Zealand, where the agency has surveyed 300,000 people since 2018.