Value Index 2018: Environment and family become more important

Yesterday Germany’s most important social media barometer has been introduced in Hamburg: The Trend Survey Value-Index 2018. ORCA van Loon Communications supported the publishers with the organisation of the communicative measurements. Hereby, they continued the collaboration with Kantar TNS and the well-known trend researcher Peter Wippermann which started in 2014.

Hamburg, 21st November 2017 – The Value-Index 2018 published today analyses discussion papers in the German-speaking social media channels and demonstrates, how traditional and original values gain in importance: The environment replaces health from its top position, taking the 2nd rank. The family moves up to the third rank. The values success looses its relevance und has been redefined – the Germans do not want to be “better” but “happier”. “The last ten years have shown, how fast und noticeable values and its frames of relevance can change”, notices Jens Krüger, managing director at Kantar TNS.

The discussion between the users explains as well, that climbing values have not to be understood conservatively, but under new and modern standards. The migration flows on the other hand, have clearly left their marks: The confrontation with the unknown encourages users to enter discussions, that explicitly ask to redefine the very own values. On top: the original environment.

TOP 1: First time since the survey of the Value-Index in 2009 the environment reached the peak of the ranking. Most frequent are comments about the originality of the environment. Like in the past, the nature is still described as a source for the peace of mind and for gaining strength. Changes like environmental and climate protection also belong to the most relevant topics.

TOP 2: For the Germans health is still a very important value. Yet, self optimization has changed its quality: The detailed pseudo medical exchange has been replaced by a simple status update. Nutrition gains in importance, not only found in text contributions, but also on Instagram.

TOP 3: Family has climbed up three steps to reach the third rank and has therefore, gained significantly in relevance to the users. Rituals and routines enjoing with the family are almost celebrated in text and pictures. Great attention is paid to the family as a value of itself. The perspective of trends demonstrates, that by means of the generation y the claim for perfection of the family has been replaced by the courage to be calm.

Climbing values environment and family; improvement of safety
Next to the climbing values like family and environment the ranking of the value safety improved itself by two positions. For the first time, safety is discussed by users more often than trust. Increasingly the comments are to be found in a political security context. Hereby, the role of the state is focused, especially regarding the refugee crisis. On this account, questions concerning the internal security as well as the safety of the refuges are raised – both has to be ensured.

Historical low for freedem; descent of success
Fort he first time the value freedom is not to be found under the TOP 2, but has dropped to the fourth rank. Individual defining and experiencing of freedom in everyday life are in the centre of interest. Discussions regarding the political freedom are loosing their relevance. Users are rather concerned with new questions as for example how aspects of freedom can be related to artificial intelligence. The value success looses three positions and is ranked sixth. The age of heroes has gone by as it seems. Generation z though, seems to believe in hard work rather than in saviour. This belief is accompanied by the wish for predictability.

Conclusion
The confrontation with the unknown asks us for commitment, it aks us to confess and define what is important to us. In this survey the unknown is seen in its relation to social phenomenas like globalization and migration. Those who look ahead will understand, that technological development like robotics and artificial intelligence are critical challenges to our society, especially in such moments when we are asked to define or to guard our values. In this aspect as well values like freedom, safety or justice are in the centre of interest. In the last decades technological developments contributed strongly to our social progress. This progress will be seen in the future, yet and for now it defines how well we will manage to live in a global and engineered world. To live in a world that is technically networked, seems to be an easy task. “Technology is something that brings us closer to each other – yet only without commitment. What is more important: to build up stable social connections”, explains trend researcher Peter Wippermann.

About the Value Index
As of 2009 every two years the Value-Index is surveyed by Peter Wippermann, trend researcher, professor emeritus for communication design and founder of the Trendbüro, and by Jens Krüger, managing director of the market research institute Kantar TNS.
For the survey of the Value-Index 2018 around 4 million postings of the most popular German websites, communities, and blogs were collected between the 1st of March 2016 and 28th February 2017. Qualitative and quantitative parameter were used to analyse how users discuss fundamental societal values (e.g. freedom, health, environment, family, society) in the German web. In comparison with the Value-Index of 2009, 2012, 2014, and 2016 the change of values can be identified and made visible.
For the first time Instagram is used as a social media source and pictures are surveyed as well. Additionally, the contributions of influencers are surveyed as an extra source in order to gain information about discussions on values by opinion leaders in social media. These empirical results are complemented by a perspective of the trend research as well as interviews by experts and companies, which are already facing the implications of these changes in everyday business.
Further information concerning the current Value-Index can be found under www.tns-infratest.com, www.werteindex.de and bit.ly/dfv_Fachbuch_Werte-Index.

Trendbüro
Trendbüro is an international trend research and marketing consultancy. Founded by Prof. Peter Wippermann in 1992 in Hamburg, it now helps companies to analyse trends in society and consumer behaviour. Hereby, it demonstrates how to recognize market opportunities and to transfer them into marketing strategies. Current publications as for example: „Otto Group Trend Survey 2013 – 4th Survey about ethical consume“, „Healthstyle 2 – The Age of Self Optimization“, Trend Survey for Telefónica: „My digital Me – A Life in a Networking Society“. As of 2009 Trendbüro is part of the owner-led globally operating communications agency Avantgarde.
Futher information under www.trendbuero.com and under www.peterwippermann.com.

Kantar TNS
Kantar TNS is one of the worldwide leading market research firms with experts in more than 90 countries. We provide action-oriented insights and recommendations and assist our clients in making the right and relevant decisions and in achieving growth. By means of our expertise in the fields of product innovations, brands and communication, shoppers and customer relationship management we support our clients in identifying, optimizing, and designing the right topics in their relevant business areas which are crucial to growth. Kantar TNS is a company belonging to the Kantar Group. Further information under www.tns-infratest.com.