The old pillars of success no longer hold true

Ninety-five per cent of respondents to our Protein Audience Survey 2015 define who they are according to their values. Not only are they risk-takers, willing to indulge in experiences over material possessions, they are also increasingly socially conscious.

A total of 90% are concerned about environmental issues and 83% care about unemployment and gender inequality. However, it’s worth noting that, perhaps unsurprisingly, men tend to be less concerned than women about gender inequality.

This disruptive spirit isn’t confined to our Audience sample. It is rising in everyone from teens to boomers who value their own vision, creativity and ideas over conformity, and look beyond the traditional ways of measuring success; money and power.

There are four components to this new way of thinking; well-being, wisdom, wonder and giving. All four illustrate methods our Audience uses to combat the pressure of modern life, something respondents are highly sensitive to: 75% find life’s increased pace a source of stress and 76% are concerned about the amount of time they spend working.

95% of people say 'values' define them, closely followed by their 'interests' at 93%

The old methods of identity building, such as gender, sexuality or nationality, are also becoming increasingly irrelevant. Values and interests now carry far greater weight when it comes to defining our Audience’s identity. Meanwhile, digital platforms and social networks, in particular, help our audience allow people to connect with an international community of strangers who share their values and philosophies first and foremost.

Online physical characteristics become less important, as more interactions are brought about as a result of a shared interest, rather than a shared location. Evidence of this shift can be found in our Audience’s response to self-definition, with 95% of people saying 'values' were a factor, closely followed by 'interests' at 93%. These outrank where you live (82%) and gender (70%).

As a result, a host of platforms are looking to inject spontaneity into the internet and connect users to strangers outside of their traditional network. Beansprock is a platform that finds you jobs based on values rather than traditional skills, while Tworlds connects users with strangers based on their mood.

“For whatever reason you use Tworlds, there’s an experience between you and a complete random stranger somewhere else in the world,” says the app's creator, fashion designer Antoine Peters. “This shared moment brings you in contact with a huge variety of people, countries, religions and cultures that you never knew before.”