Study: Brands Should Listen To These Five Trends From Spotify’s Latest Report

Spotify’s latest report revealed Southeast Asia’s Gen Zs and millennials are finding new ways to team up and shape culture.

“What became clear through our research is that the excitement of the last decade’s rapid technological growth has been replaced with a healthy dose of intellectual curiosity, scepticism and cultural hyperawareness,” the report noted.

“Gen Zs and Millennials are critically evaluating their relationship with digital media, deftly navigating ubiquitous algorithms to connect and form micro-communities across geographical barriers through digital platforms. This is a deeply socially conscious generation, and they are unafraid to show courage, as well as the vulnerability that they believe comes with authenticity and real change.”

The Culture Next: The Trends Defining Gen Z and Millennials in Southeast Asia report has spotlighted five trends that emerged from its research:

Band of Others: With its migratory nature, heightened cultural and cross-cultural changes, today’s world has become more diverse. In response, the younger generations are forming communities, subcultures, and bonds that span the globe.

Subliminal Attraction: Apps tell us where to eat, influencers tell us what to buy, and social media dictates our visual aesthetic. We are subconsciously attracted to things in the real world based on our online content consumption.

Polyfly: Driven by the proliferation of digital media access, Gen Zs and Millennials agree that politics has never been as influential in pop culture as it is today and are calling for a diversity of voices and better representation across a full spectrum of issues.

All the Feels: There is a palpable strain of melancholy running through culture today. As Gen Zs and Millennials go through key life-stage transitions, they learn how to deal with these new experiences and are proactively taking steps to improve their mental wellness, finding support and comfort in shared reflection.

Surround Sound: After a decade dominated by visual media and culture, sound is taking centre stage. On average, 57% of Southeast Asia’s Gen Zs and Millennials feel that audio has shifted from something they tune into, to something that completely surrounds their everyday life.

Key insights from Singapore:

• 55% say there is too much visual stimulation and think audio offers a nice escape.
• 61% believe that brands should convey messaging of moral support that resonates with consumers’ struggles.
• 75% believe brands have the power to create communities based on common interest and passion.

Key insights from Malaysia:

• 86% say they expect brands to be part of the debate, to promote more progressive values and play a more meaningful role in society.
• 71% believe that brands have the power to create communities based on common interest and passion.
• 59% believe online aesthetics have altered what their generation expects to see in the real world.

Key insights from the Philippines:

• 73% say they expect brands to be part of the debate, to promote more progressive values and play a more meaningful role in society.
• 61% say there is too much visual stimulation and think audio offers a nice escape.
• 64% believe brands should convey messaging of moral support and show they understand consumers’ struggles.

Key insights from Thailand:

• 82% say they expect brands to be part of the debate, to promote more progressive values and play a more meaningful role in society.
• 77% believe that brands have the power to create communities based on common interest and passion.
• 70% think ‘local’ has become more about what surrounds them digitally than what surrounds them physically.

Key insights from Indonesia:

• 94% say they expect brands to be part of the debate, to promote more progressive values and play a more meaningful role in society.
• 77% believe music allows people to connect with each other and other cultures.
• 61% believe that brands have the power to create communities based on common interests and passions.

Conducted by Culture Co-Op and YouGov, the study surveyed 3,000 Gen Zs and Millennials in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Taiwan.

 The report comprises a mix of survey data, qualitative exercises, and interviews with artists, creators, and influencers and analysis of Spotify’s Streaming Intelligence data.

As music streaming and podcasts continue being a means to engage Gen Z and millennial audiences, it’s about time more brands are woke to the opportunities and emotional engagement offered in this aural landscape.