The Future Report

Welcome back to another season of The Future Report! Have you ever wondered how popular your name is? Or perhaps you’re about to welcome a little one, and you are deep in the world of name lists, baby books, and family opinions. Each year, McCrindle analyses the top baby names across Australia — and the 2025 results have just been revealed! In this week's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with Research Executive at McCrindle and key author of this report, Abby Robinson, to unpack these results, including the trends, the surprises, and what they tell us about today’s parents.

The charities and not-for-profit sector is a significant contributor to Australia. For decades, charities have been making an impact and caring for those in need. The operating environment for organisations, however, is increasingly complex. Organisations are navigating technological change, tightening regulations and reporting, demographic and generational change, and cost-of-living pressures, which are altering the giving landscape. Understanding the psyche of donors, therefore, is critical to ensuring sustainability and future impact. In this week’s episode and to wrap up Season 14, our host,Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle’s Managing Director, Sophie Renton, to discuss some brand-new research about how and why people give to not-for-profits.

Many people are intimidated by data, believing that withouta background in mathematics or statistics, they are not equipped to engage with it. However, most data is not the heavy, academic material - and you don’t need to be an expert to effectively use data in a presentation. In this week’s episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle’s Founder and Principal, Mark McCrindle, to discuss how data can be used as a storytelling tool.

Consumer behaviour is evolving faster than ever, shaped by economic pressures, technology, and generational preferences. In this week's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with Marketing and Insights Strategist at McCrindle, Luke Davies, to dive into how different generations are spending, saving, and shopping—and what this means for businesses and brands.

Have you ever worked with someone of a different generation and found it to be a bit of a challenge? Well, you’re not alone. In a recent study, we uncovered the different priorities, expectations and preferences of each generation at work. In this week's episode, our podcast producer, Holly Schaaf, sits down with Social Researcher and Director of Advisory at McCrindle, Ashley Fell, to discuss these insights.

The pace of generational change is accelerating, with each new cohort bringing fresh perspectives and reshaping the world faster than ever before. We call this phenomenon, “Generation Acceleration.” In this week's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle's Principal and Founder, Mark McCrindle, to discuss what this acceleration means for society and organisations.

We live in an increasingly connected world, with that set to only continue in the future as we undergo what some call “the third digital revolution”, driven by artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. Despite this, people are seeking balance by stepping away from their screens — a movement we have labelled the “Digital Detox.” This trend highlights a growing awareness of the need for mental and physical well-being in the digital age. In this week's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle’s Managing Director, Sophie Renton, to explore this phenomenon.

Economic uncertainty has led to a shift in consumer behaviour, with many opting for what we’re calling “Consumer Compromise.” From prioritising needs over wants to finding value in second-hand goods, today’s consumers are making smarter, more deliberate choices. In today's episode, our Future Report podcast producer, Holly Schaaf, sits down with McCrindle’s Director of Advisory and podcast host, Ashley Fell, to discuss this shift and its implications.

Despite advancements in technology and innovation, productivity growth has slowed — an intriguing phenomenon known as the “Productivity Paradox” (as we have called it!). As workplaces adopt new tools and processes, the question remains: why isn’t output increasing at the same rate? In today's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle's Founder and Principal, Mark McCrindle, to explore this topic.

2025 is shaping up to be a landmark year for infrastructure. With cities expanding and populations growing, we’re going to see an era of major development projects, which we’ve deemed to be our first trend of 2025, titled the “Big Build.” These projects aim to accommodate future generations, reshape urban living, and improve connectivity. In today's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle's Director of Solutions, Geoff Brailey, to unpack this trend set to shape the year ahead.

Welcome back to another season of The Future Report! The year 2025 marks not only a new year, but the beginning of a whole new generation. That’s right - from 2025 we will welcome Generation Beta into the world. To kick off Season 14, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle’s Founder and Principal, Mark McCrindle, to discuss this new generation and their future.

Although we are futurists, we do think it’s wise to look back at the past, for context and helpful insights about what might lie ahead. As 2024 draws to a close, we are going to reflect on the year that has been. In this final episode of season 13 and of the year, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle’s Managing Director, Sophie Renton, to discuss some of the memorable things we’ve lived through in 2024.

As we approach the middle of this decade, the world continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, shaped by demographic, economic, and social shifts. An understanding of the transformative trends set to shape 2025 is essential. Why? Because the future of an organisation rests in its relevance and innovation. That is why, every year at McCrindle, we release our predictions for the trends set to shape the year ahead. These are based on our thought leadership, which is grounded in research. After all, we have the privilege of conducting around 100 insights projects and almost 200 speaking engagements each year, so our team are regularly observing, researching and commenting on the future, and the trends set to shape it. In today's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with social researcher and futurist, Mark McCrindle, to explore the five trends we believe will have a big impact in 2025.

How often do you get distracted by your digital device? Do you feel like you spend too much time on social media? Do you wish it had never been invented? We are in a unique era where society is now questioning technology and taking steps to reduce its impact on their life. In today's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle’s Managing Director, Sophie Renton, to investigate this topic from our trends of 2025 research.

In recent years, we have witnessed the greatest transformation to work in a century. The rapid rise of AI and machine learning, as well as the shift towards hybrid work, and redefined employee expectations, have all reshaped the world of work, and in turn the role of Human Resources (HR) leaders. Organisations are increasingly looking to these HR leaders to inform strategy, recognising that the alignment of people to processes and technology is crucial to success. That is why we were commissioned by Workday to conduct research into The Forever Forward HR Leader. In today's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle's Director of Strategy, Grant Dusting, to discuss some of the insights from this study.

A futurist can be described as someone who studies the future and makes predictions about it based on current trends. As you can imagine, it’s a fascinating profession to be in, and one that we love to explore. In today's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle’s Principal and futurist himself, Mark McCrindle, to discuss the behaviours of a great futurist.

Consumers today are different to that of the past. They have different expectations, different values, and subsequently, different expectations of the brands they engage with. Thus, if companies want to connect with current and future consumers, they need to do things a little differently. In today's episode, our podcast producer, Holly Schaaf, sits down with podcast host and social researcher, Ashley Fell, to discuss the future consumer.

Younger Australians, particularly Gen Z and Gen Y, are optimistic about their future financial prospects. Yet some of our latest research reveals that financial anxiety remains prevalent, especially among Gen Z, who report worrying about their finances more than any other generation. Although this is true, many younger Australians are still taking proactive steps toward financial freedom, investing and building wealth while juggling personal aspirations like work/life balance and homeownership. In today's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle's Director of Solutions, Geoff Brailey, to discuss the findings from McCrindle and MLC’s new 'Financial Freedom' report, which explores the financial aspirations, anxieties, and preparedness of Australians.

Welcome back to another season of The Future Report podcast! Last week, Mark McCrindle and Ashley Fell had the pleasure of speaking at the second iteration of SXSW in Sydney - a conference for global creative professionals seeking future industry trends and adventurous new ways of thinking. In today's episode, our podcast producer, Holly Schaaf, sits down with our host, Ashley Fell, to discuss McCrindle's recent involvement with this great event.

You might think that Baby Boomers and Generation Z are worlds apart in their work ethic and values, but our latest research challenges those assumptions, revealing surprising similarities and debunking some common stereotypes. In this final episode of season 12, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle's Managing Director, Sophie Renton, to explore how each generation approaches work, what they value most in their colleagues, and how these insights can help create more harmonious and productive workplaces.