Australians are no longer chasing status, they’re just chasing stability

As the cost of living crisis deepens and traditional milestones slip further out of reach, Australian consumers are recalibrating their idea of progress, writes Laura Mulcahy, head of cultural practice at TRA.

In recent times, traditional milestones such as home ownership or starting a family have become increasingly out of reach. It’s not by choice, but financial reality. In response, our ideas of progress have changed. It’s not that ambition has disappeared, but it has recalibrated.

It’s a marker of a shift inward, where self-reliance has become a core strategy. Progress is no longer about climbing the ladder; it’s about gaining agency and stability in uncertain times. For brands, this signals a critical pivot. To consumers, messaging rooted in status or accumulation risks feeling tone deaf or disconnected, we see signals of this in our cultural landscape.

Our research across Australia and New Zealand identified that, for many individuals, progress isn’t always about big, life-changing milestones. Success isn't just about the house, the car, the kids, although those are still important to us. We’re now redefining progress as smaller, more pragmatic wins: paying off debt, finding calm and achieving balance. We hear statements such as: "I went to the gym when I was tired and really didn't feel like it” and “moments of progress are minor successes to me”.

The recent nuptials between Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez that took over Venice was a strange modern-day fairytale and clearly signalled wealth is out of touch. It wasn’t a private ceremony attended by close friends and family, but a celebrity roll call captured by the world’s paparazzi. While some look to the dramatic showcase and aspire to that level of lifestyle, for many (not just the protesters causing interruptions at the event) it was another sign of the imbalance of power that shapes the world today.

Just months before, Sánchez boarded Bezos’s Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket alongside Gayle King, Amanda Nguyen, Aisha Bowe, Kerianne Flynn and (infamously) Katy Perry. What was positioned as a step forward for women was seen differently to many of those back on earth. The stunt gained widespread criticism for being out of touch and privileged.

Think about these two milestones – a wedding and space flight. In the 1960s, these were signs of individual and collective progress. Now? A wedding is not a must. It is increasingly delayed or downplayed as much as it is celebrated. Space Flight has become synonymous not with national scientific pride, but billionaire’s colonising outer space.

All this to say… times have changed. What was ‘aspiration’ for a Boomer generation isn’t a reality for many today and at the risk of stating the obvious the way brands engage with their audience must change too. It is no surprise that the idea of progress is shifting and for brands to stay relevant, they must act as an ally.

As the major milestones in our life, that we traditionally measure our progress against, are becoming further apart, we find ourselves seeking more frequent markers to sustain our need for momentum in life. Consumers now look to the ‘little and often’ things from which we can build ourselves a personal narrative of progress; things that can give them a sense of control over their lives.

There’s a big role for brands and organisations to play – as allies in our quest for progress and success, as well as symbols of how well we’re travelling. It’s a powerful space, but only for those brands who can read the room, tap into the cultural context and innovate to create value and meaning.

We’re see signals of this within the fitness and sportwear apparel industry. While brands have traditionally inspired us to push beyond our limits, they’re now lowering the bar. Athletes continue to inspire us, but their achievements aren’t relatable or as desirable as they were decades past. Brands like Asics, Les Mills and On have responded by launching successful campaigns that don’t call on Type A personalities. Instead, they position being active as an antidote to modern life. Asics told us to ‘Take a break from your desk’, while On was imploring us to go easy on ourselves with Elmo a nostalgic ambassador encouraging runners on.

This shift toward the individual and focusing on what is in your control has meant self-reliance is core strategy. Progress is no longer about climbing the ladder, it’s about reclaiming agency in uncertain times.

For brands, this is a critical point. The opportunity lies in recognising the new shape of progress and meeting people where they are by supporting small wins, reinforcing personal agency, and celebrating what progress looks like now. It’s time to forget messaging rooted in status or accumulation, those days are long gone.