In 2017, Sustainable Brands set out to study how Americans define The Good Life in the 21st century and found that, in place of the pursuit of money, status and personal achievement, Americans were collectively beginning to seek more balance and simplicity, along with greater connection to family, community and the environment. They did not at that time, though, feel empowered to get off the hamster wheel, or understand how to have an impact on the world around them.

 

Findings from a 2026 refielding of the  research, led by Sustainable Brands in partnership with FINN Partners, Babcock Ranch and Junxion Strategies reveal a surprising shift: despite widespread concerns about growing social and economic instability, Americans increasingly understand and believe in their own agency and power to create The Good Life for themselves. This new-found confidence in personal agency and self-reliance is raising, not lowering, expectations for business. Consumers want brands to deliver products, services and experiences that visibly, measurably and affordably improve everyday lives. To help businesses respond, Sustainable Brands and FINN Partners developed a Practical Purpose Playbook for Brands along with a report on research results, showing how companies can react to current consumer priorities in ways that build trust, loyalty and relevant business value for the moment we’re in.  

 

What You Will Learn:

 

• How The Good Life is perceived by Americans in 2026, along with detailed survey data explaining their current hierarchy of needs, why they value stability over status, and how they are navigating the relationship between personal and collective well-being

 

• Why Americans strongly believe that the path to The Good Life is centered around self-reliance, and what that means for brands’ opportunities to help with daily habits, local networks and personal purchasing decisions

 

• Why broad aspirational purpose statements are no longer enough, and how brands can contribute meaningfully by creating visible impact in people’s personal lives and communities