Report: Truths & Tensions 2025 by Nature - Brands Need a New Cultural Playbook
- The Marketer
- Jul 8
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 10
New Report Shows People Say One Thing, Do Another: Why Brands Need a New Cultural Playbook
Nature’s Truths and Tensions 2025 unpacks the intention–action gap and what it means for brands navigating cultural change.
Strategic insights consultancy Nature has today released Truths and Tensions 2025, its second annual cultural insights report exploring the evolving forces shaping how Australians live, spend and connect.
Building on last year’s inaugural edition, the 2025 report draws on new data, behavioural analysis and cultural observation to examine the widening gap between people’s stated intentions and their real-world actions.
The report identifies seven cultural truths and tensions that offer marketers, strategists and brand leaders a fresh lens on where society is heading, and how to stay relevant within, creating brand impact and business growth.
“We’re seeing an increasing number of interesting intention-action imbalances across consumer life. From splurging in a cost-of-living crisis to being future-focused, yet stuck in nostalgia. These tensions aren’t just behavioural quirks, they are strategic opportunities for brands,”
said Aliya Hasan, Head of Strategy at Nature.
The Seven Truths and Tensions
We care about others, yet are more self-centric than ever
Australians are becoming more individualistic in their decision-making, despite valuing social good and togetherness.
We are sacrificing to survive, yet splurging to indulge
Cost-cutting behaviours sit alongside indulgent, even irrational, spending on emotional ‘pick-me-ups’ and small luxuries.
We are obsessed with the future, yet can't stop living in the past
People are tracking tomorrow’s trends while clinging to nostalgic rituals, brands and formats from the past.
We care about sustainability, yet the intention–action gap widens
Many Australians want to live more sustainably, but good intentions often fall short. Infrastructure gaps, cost barriers and convenience concerns continue to derail progress.
We are health obsessed, yet unhealthier than ever
Wellness may be a cultural obsession, but it’s at odds with rising rates of chronic illness, stress, poor nutrition and the rapid uptake of Ozempic suggests we may be outsourcing health to pharmaceuticals instead of addressing root causes.
We are connected and busy, yet bored
Digital connection is constant, but emotional payoff is low. As people navigate overstimulation and sameness.
We are rebellious and individualistic, yet regressive and conformist
Individual expression is on the rise, but cultural fatigue and fear of saying the wrong thing are driving risk aversion.
From category strategy to creative direction, the report explores the brand implications of each tension, helping organisations reframe cultural contradiction as brand opportunity.
“This isn’t just about knowing what’s trending,”
“It’s about understanding the forces that define modern life and designing strategies that reflect how people actually think and behave.”
said Chris Crook, Founder and Managing Partner at Nature.
Truths and Tensions 2025 is based on a nationally representative quantitative survey of n=1,000 Australians conducted between April and May 2025. The research was supported by cultural scanning, trend forecasting, behavioural science, AI-powered social listening and secondary data intelligence.
Nature
An award-winning strategic insights consultancy with offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. As the first B Corp certified insights business in Australia and New Zealand, Nature helps organisations make more informed business and marketing decisions through evidence-based insight.
Now in its 18th year, Nature exists to inform tomorrow, drawing on deep expertise in understanding human nature and the nature of people. The business has been recognised as The Research Society’s Organisation of the Year (2023 and 2024) and B&T’s Research Agency of the Year (2018 and 2020).
