How a fear of the future can ruin an economy
A case study in clever systems thinking.
Taiwan has one of the world's highest divorce rates.
It's so bad in fact, that big business over there is very worried as to how a growing fear of commitment amongst young Taiwanese will affect the future of their business and the future of the economy,
People who are committed to staying single don't buy expensive weddings (or go on a fancy honeymoon), they don't invest in bigger real estate, they don't have children and pay the many many many millions of dollars it takes to raise a little tyke or two.
The worry prompted a Taiwanese real estate developer to make an award-winning ad (it won at Cannes in 2021) that quite frankly is probably the best ad we've seen in the last couple of years.
'Within 7 days, “In Love We Trust” generated more than 4 million views and 14 million likes, sparking numerous discussions around the nation’s fear of marriage. More than 40 news outlets in Taiwan reported on the film and numerous local celebrities shared it on their own social media, creating millions of dollars’ worth of exposure. In Love We Trust was also Taiwan’s most shared advert in 2020.'
The ad is obviously brilliant, but what it really drives home is that people that are fearful of the future do not make great consumers.
Worrying about this, business in Taiwan has chosen to open up the conversion between people and are trying to not just sell their products and services, but to rekindle general market demand.
That's a bold and incredible insightful strategy to undertake.
What it demonstrates to us is just how open-minded the Taiwanese society is - to have the awareness that it is only through a welcoming of the future by all, that the island nation will find future prosperity.
