Life Trends Reveal Opportunities for Improving Government Communications
The changes brought on by emerging technologies and supercharged by generative AI, such as improved bots and instantly customisable content, are rapidly altering the dynamics of public communications. As these new tools emerge, organisations face a steep learning curve to understand and weigh public communication opportunities - balancing speed and costs with risk, compliance and trust.
The same changes are also re-shaping how we use technology and interact with brands, organisations and each other. People are rebalancing their behaviours, online and offline, shifting priorities and 'working through' how to meet their needs in an ever-more technology-intensive world. Government organisations will need to update efforts to build trust and communicate priorities to meet the public’s changing habits. Our annual report, Accenture Life Trends 2025, helps make sense of swirling, intertwined currents of technological, societal and behavioural change. Crowdsourced insights from around the world reveal five macro trends. Here’s how we see them play-out in the public service industry.
Cost of hesitations
People’s trust in digital technology and online environments is under threat - diluted by authenticity issues. Think of hyper-targeted scam communications posing as governmental organisations, using advanced methods to mimic logos and text. 33% of our survey respondents have experienced deep-fake attacks or scams for personal information and/or money. The lines between online reality and deception have blurred, introducing widespread hesitation - customers are more likely to ignore a message just to be safe. This makes it more difficult to reach them. While platforms must invest in and modernise to address harmful and deceitful content, governments must consider consumer protection and prioritise clear, simple trustworthy public communications. Rolling out technologies such as government issued, biometric secured digital identities at scale can provide robust identity proofing and security to residents - making it easier to use online government services with confidence.
The parent trap
One of today’s biggest parenting challenges is helping the next generation shape a safe relationship with digital technology and protecting adolescents from the harms posed by unrestricted online access. There is rising scrutiny of how brands target children and young people - both top-down driven by governmental policy, but also in direct response to demands from parents. In November 2024, Australian Parliament passed a world-first law banning social media for under-16s - making social media platforms liable for hefty fines for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts. From pilot 'smartphone-free under-14s' city programs, to updated school policies - governments are scrambling for legislative approaches, and parents and schools are casting for ideas and beginning to organise.
Impatience economy
Technological advances and expectations for online services have fuelled demand for companies and governments to respond faster to changing consumer needs. People want quick answers and are increasingly turning to crowd-sourced information for easy results - even for high-priority concerns such as health and financial goals. Online influencers' remit has evolved from style, travel and music to life fundamentals such as health and wealth. From medications supply shortages driven by do-it-yourself (DIY) medicine to 'quick-wins' and 'hacks' on avoiding taxes or payments - extreme cases can pose challenges to public safety. Governments need to focus on getting the right content to the right people at the right time and should evolve their communication tactics and strategies to address audience habits and preferences.
The dignity of work
The dignity of work is being tested as rapid advances in technologies and automation reshape workforce dynamics across industries. Governments globally already struggle to hire and maintain the necessary workforces. By understanding the impact of the dignity of work, leaders have a unique opportunity to change the way government work is perceived. They need to design and ensure fulfilling and respectfully structured work to attract and retain talent, and drive continual change management around accountability and productive use of new technologies in parallel with supporting employee morale and the evolution of career opportunities. Employees should have their voices heard and respected when it comes to AI and other new technology tools - prioritising better experiences for worker and customers, over cost-saving.
Social rewilding
People are seeking more depth and authenticity in their experiences and aiming to engage with their surroundings in more meaningful ways. There is a growing desire to connect with nature and real people; to rebalance technology habits with moments of natural well-being and joy. Fulfilment means taking time to disconnect and focus on satisfying activities and meaningful interactions in real life, which is changing opportunities for businesses and governments to connect with their target audiences. These will increasingly be about non-digital ways to authentically connect with people, recognising customers increasingly value simpler technology, and finding ways to 'go local'. This is resulting in a greater demand for local government service centres and not just better digital tools. Many crave the connection as much as the simplification of service delivery that they receive from digital channels.
The growing prevalence of technology tools and diversions within digital-first lifestyles are central to Life Trends - with broad economic and societal impact raising communication challenges for business and government. Public services, like private businesses, should focus on the need to build trust in digital channels. Communication approaches can and should evolve with greater speed in alignment with lifestyle trends shaping citizen priorities for information accessibility, authenticity and simplicity of services.
Anita Puri is Accenture’s global public service industry lead and Kevin Ellenwood leads Accenture Song for public service and citizen experience.
