This document provides an overview and summary of key findings from a report on changing definitions of personal progress and success. Some of the main points include: - Countries are divided into three stages - status symbolists, ambitious altruists, and cooperative collaborativists - based on their views of material goods and success. - Most respondents believe achieving success will be more difficult in the future but some countries like Bulgaria and Brazil remain optimistic. - New models like collaborative businesses, social innovations, and entrepreneurship are transforming ideas of personal achievement. - Improved access to arts and culture is seen as increasing opportunities for success by some respondents. - As digital connectivity increases, the ability to collaborate virtually and across borders will

1. The
81% of people Index
report for
Progress
29–09–2011
Johnnie Walker
An Independent
surveyed
believe
success in
life
is having the means
to give back to others
76% say that
the journey is
more
important
than the goal
42% say
material
goods
don’t signify
success

2. p4 1 overview
p9 2 The new stages of Progress
p17 3 The new Personal economy
p24 4 games, goals, greatness
p26 5 Collaborative Arts and Culture
p32 6 Progess Futures
p36 7 Country snapshots
p48 8 Bibliography and sources
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About us Future Poll is the research division of The Future Laboratory, one of europe’s foremost consumer research, trends, insight, forecasting, and brand
innovation consultancies. Via its online network, Ls:n global, it speaks to 300 clients in 14 lifestyle sectors on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
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3. Introduction
Introduction
globally, men and women are
reconsidering what personal progress
looks like and reassessing what
achievement means. Turbulent times
mean traditional models of success are
becoming less relevant. Today, personal,
individual and collective progress are
interdependent. enabled by digital
connectivity and empowered by global
change, a generation is emboldened by
a new sense of collective responsibility.
3 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

4. 1 overview
Around the world, people are redefining the meaning of success and achievement.
opulence and excess are ceasing to denote personal progress. our survey
sees recognisable shifts in attitude towards achievement, with many cultures
beginning to prioritise collective progress above personal progress.
Kunsthalle Athena,
Greece. A flexible art
centre dedicated to
visualizing contemporary
culture through
co-production. Exhibit -
Lets Make Lots Of Money
by Matthieu Laurette.
Photo by Robert Pettena
4 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

5. 1 overview
methodology
1.1 the new stages of progress This report by Future Poll, the research
division of The Future Laboratory,
This report sees the way the world measures success can was commissioned by Johnnie Walker
be divided into three stages. stage one’s status symbolists to investigate how the concept of
subscribe to a traditional framework of personal progress, personal progress is changing and
where material goods and ‘not what you know, but who you will evolve in the coming decade.
know’ signify success.
A combination of quantitative and
stage Two’s Ambitious Altruists still see material success as qualitative research and analysis underpins
valuable, but for them philanthropy and cultivating personal this report, spanning extensive desk and
relationships start to take precedence. stage Three’s visual research, expert interviews and a
Co-operative Collaborativists are working towards ambitions consumer survey to expand on key themes.
starkly different from those of status symbolists. They
measure their achievements by the positive effect of their Eleven surveys, conducted in July 2011,
actions on others. polled the opinion of more than 11,000
respondents aged 25–45, living in Brazil,
Bulgaria, China, Greece, Lebanon, South
1.2 the progress index Africa, Spain, Thailand, Vietnam, the
United Kingdom and United States. Ten of
Thailand, China, Lebanon and Vietnam are the status the surveys were conducted online, with
symbolists of our international sample, placing importance participants recruited using a random
on traditional signifiers of success. sixty four per cent of stratified sampling method. They were
Thai respondents believe success in life is based on wealth, sourced from eRewards’ online panel and
for example, while more than one in five (21%) of Lebanese are incentivised for their participation in
respondents believe material goods do not signify success. the survey, to help ensure reliable levels
of response and that time is given for
greece, south Africa, Bulgaria, Brazil, the UK and Us are considered responses. The survey in Lebanon
the Ambitious Altruists. These countries largely believe was conducted via in-person interviews
(55% of greeks, for example) that material goods do not and respondents were recruited using a
signify success. stratified opportunity sampling method.
Respondents are evenly spread between the
The only Co-operative Collaborativists in our survey are the ages of 25 and 45 and the global sample
spanish: 68% of those surveyed believe goods do not signify comprises a 60:40 male-female split.
success, higher than any of the other markets.
Unless otherwise stated, all statistics
within this report refer to this survey,
and should be credited thereafter as
‘Future Poll for Johnnie Walker, 2011’.
5 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker overview — Key Take outs

6. 1 overview
1.3 optimism index 1.6 collaborative arts and culture
Times are tough: more than half of our international sample digital democratisation, collaboration and co-creation are
believe that achieving success will become more difficult in opening up the arts to people and areas where access to
the future. however, there are some that see brighter days culture may once have been limited. In our survey, better
ahead – Bulgaria and Brazil, for example, are among the more access to arts and culture was seen as making success
optimistic nations in our survey. increasingly achievable for 33% of Brazilian respondents and
nearly a quarter (23%) of respondents in Vietnam.
1.4 the new personal economy
1.7 progress futures
Instability and hyperconnectivity are fuelling cultural change.
new collaborative business models, social and environmental As a generation of digital natives comes of age in the next
innovations and entrepreneurial thinking are transforming how decade, they will become leaders of a world where the ability
people achieve success. Laurence Kemball-Cook’s Pavegen, to collaborate – virtually, across borders and eventually with
for example, sources kinetic energy from pedestrian footfall. digitally connected things – will be the biggest signifier of
Meanwhile, community projects that galvanise local action success. The shift from ‘me’ to ‘we’ that this report has
to solve social issues are becoming ubiquitous and family is identified will gather momentum, influencing businesses,
increasingly the new bottom line: nine out of 10 people believe communities and culture across the globe.
success in life is about security for their family.
1.8 country snapshots
1.5 games, goals and greatness
Key data from each of the countries in our survey: Brazil,
games will soon become one of the primary methods we all Bulgaria, China, greece, Lebanon, south Africa, spain,
use to measure our progress. Learning, collaborating and being Thailand, Vietnam, the United Kingdom and United states.
rewarded by games will have a greater effect on our daily lives
than the rise of social media.
6 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

7. 1 overview
1.9 expert list
Brad Armitage, south Africa: Journalist, consultant and Zeina Daccache, Lebanon: An actress, director, drama
entrepreneur. Armitage is a contributor to gQ and Monocle, therapist, psychologist and activist. In 2009 daccache directed
has developed a luxury range of beers under Collective Twelve Angry Lebanese, a drama starring the inmates of
são gabriel and continues to work in the realm of roumieh prison. It won the People’s Choice Award at dubai
brand development. International Film Festival 2009 and first prize at dox Box
International documentary Festival 2010.
Dr Mark Ashwill, Vietnam: A previous director of World
Language Institute (Us) and founder of Capstone Vietnam, an Ze Frank, Us: An online performance artist, composer,
overseas study service. Ashwill’s book Vietnam Today gives humorist and public speaker. seen as a main influence on a
profound insights into the most important cultural influences generation of digital native YouTubers, Frank crowdsources an
in Vietnam. entire section of his online show: using collaborative tools, he
invites viewers to select the words and props.
Rachel Botsman, global: social innovator and author of
What’s Mine is Yours: The rise of Collaborative Consumption. Laurence Kemball-Cook, UK: Inventor of Pavegen, an
Botsman writes, consults and speaks about the power of energy-harvesting paving system that generates power
collaboration and how sharing through current and emerging whenever a pedestrian walks over it.
network technologies will transform business, consumerism
and the way we live. Steven Keil, Bulgaria: A sofia University lecturer,
accomplished speaker and entrepreneur. Keil’s goal is to
Sebastian Deterding, global: A researcher and designer create companies around big social and environmental goals.
working on user experience, persuasive design, video At TedxBg in sofia, Keil talk called for a return to play to
games and gamification. his Phd at the research Centre revitalise the economy, education and society.
for Media and Communication at hamburg University looks
into the use of game-design to motivate user behaviour in Sotiris Milonas, greece: entrepreneur and creator of
non-game contexts. green hotels, a website devoted to green hotels and green
travel in greece. It’s said to be the first network of greek
eco-hotels and it ranks lodgings based on criteria proposed
by the International Tourism Partnership.
7 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

8. 1 overview
Martin Raymond, UK: Co-founder of The Future Laboratory. Stan Stalnaker, global: Founding director of hub Culture, a
raymond is an acclaimed author with titles including creATe, social network service that operates Ven currency and is the
The Tomorrow People and The Trend Forecaster’s handbook, first to merge online and physical world environments.
the definitive work on trends and the trend-forecasting arena.
he is also a regular contributor to the BBC, ITV and Channel 4. Bernardo de Tomás, spain: Founding partner and investor
at okuri Ventures, Tetuan Valley, Arbco and Tailored Market
Paijit Sangchai, Thailand: Ceo and founder of Flexoresearch. Monitor. okuri Ventures is a professional services firm, focused
sangchai has developed a series of blended enzymes that can on aiding and investing in startups.
recover fibre from laminated paper, which were previously
hard or impossible to recycle. For every 300 tons, sangchai Eric Whitacre, Us: A classical composer who, in 2010,
produces 270 tons of recycled pulp. encouraged a collaborative culture by creating a crowdsourced
virtual choir of 185 singers from 12 countries. This year’s
Ana Santi, Brazil: Commissioning editor of leading trends and Virtual Choir 2.0 is an order of magnitude larger, with 2,052
fashion magazine drapers and drapersonline.com. santi is also singers from 58 countries.
the founder of influential blog Born In Brazil.
8 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

9. 2 The new stages of Progress
‘What does success look like?’ motivational speakers, sports coaches and
management consultants are fond of asking. It’s a technique designed to get
individuals and teams to visualise their goals and imagine achieving them.
81%
81% in our
international
survey believe
that success in
life is having
the means to give
back to others
9 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

10. 2 The new stages of Progress
2.1 introduction 2.2 but what form does this progress take?
eighty one per cent of international respondents believe that This report finds that the way people across a country think
76%
success in life is having the means to give back to others. about progress can be described in one of three ways. They
identify a discernable shift in many cultures: what people think
seventy six per cent of respondents in our international survey constitutes success and progress is changing.
say that when it comes to achievements in life, the journey is
more important than the goal.
Across the world, many people are asking the same question.
What individual success and personal progress looks like
for people across the world has changed. In the wake of
social and political turbulence, as a result of increased digital
connectivity and alongside the rise of a new middle class in key
markets across the world, traditional models of progress are
becoming less relevant. new models are emerging. Individuals
are measuring their progress in life against new criteria.
ostentatious wealth and conspicuous consumption are no
longer straightforward signifiers of success, while dog-eat-
dog competitiveness no longer characterises the path to
achievement. Instead, a move from ‘me, me, me’ to ‘we, we,
we’ is discernable across different cultures and countries.
76% say when Individual societies’ customs and traditions may differ, but
it comes to one idea is shared across the world: people need to feel that
achievements in they are making progress in their lives. In our international
life, the journey survey, 96% of respondents said that ‘It is important for me
is more important to continually improve as a person’.
than the goal
Bicicloteca. A tricycle
adapted to function
as a mobile library,
created by the Institute
of Green Mobility in
Brazil. Books are
received by donation and
stamped to remind the
reader to pass them on,
creating a continuous
cycle of reading
10 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

11. 2 The new stages of Progress
stage one: the status symbolists
This is the traditional ‘fortune and fame’ idea of personal Businesses measure how well they’re doing by the people they
progress. An individual’s achievements can be reflected by benefit, as well as the profit they make. People take intrinsic
his or her material possessions: sports cars, multiple homes pleasure in leisure activities that also help to build communities.
and designer labels are the ultimate in social capital. Personal There’s a new currency around successful parenthood.
success at any cost characterises both male and female
mindsets, and celebrities and Ceos are the cultural and The careers people choose, and the lifestyles they aspire to,
financial power-brokers. show a move away from traditional structures that measure
success by the size of your office or even your pay packet.
The acquisition of wealth, defined social-positioning and The idea of exclusive value – that the rarer something is, the
conspicuous consumption are at the heart of this stage. more valuable it is – moves instead towards an idea of inclusive
People like to show their success in life by flaunting their value: the more people use something, the more valuable it is
money and showing off the fruits of their achievements. to everyone.
stage two: the ambitious altruists
from me culture to we culture
This is a more considered and self-aware concept of personal
progress. People take a longer-term view of what progress in Across the world, we can already see
their life means: some material status symbols are still valued, evidence of the beginnings of this move
but personal relationships and philanthropy begin to be from a Me Culture to a We Culture
valued more.
In this way of thinking, personal achievement is linked to a
• In our international survey 88% of
respondents say that they achieve
wider social awareness. It’s less about simply ‘making it’ and more by working together than alone
more about ‘giving something back’: the Ceo-philanthropist
is the person others look up to. People begin to measure
their progress in terms of the respect they get from their
• Nearly one in three in our
survey (31%) say they will
international
be able to
peers. status symbols begin to include a person’s networks, call themselves successful when they
experiences and knowledge. can help those around them to succeed
stage three: the co-operative collaborativists • Only one in five (21%) say they
would be willing to have personal
success at the expense of others
stage Three is subtly but importantly different from stage
Two. Instead of working hard to achieve success in order to
give something back, people in stage Three measure their own
• Among men, 24% would be willing to
succeed at the expense of others – the
success by the success of people around them. same is true for only 16% of women
11 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker overview — Key Take outs

12. 2 The new stages of Progress
2.3 the progress index
stage one: These countries are more likely to link their personal
status symbolist countries in our survey progress in life to their career success. Forty six per cent of
Vietnamese, 43% of Chinese, 38% of Lebanese and 37% of
In China, Lebanon, Thailand and Vietnam we can see that, Thai respondents said that one of their chief aspirations was to
for a significant proportion of the population, the traditional get ahead in their careers. By contrast, people in the UK (20%)
signifiers of success are still important. These are the and Us (16%) least aspired to this.
countries most likely to say that material goods are what
shows that someone is successful. For Thai people, owning Things are not static in any of these countries, however. There
multiple properties is what shows you have made it (40%). is evidence that, for many people in these societies, there is a
move towards a different set of ways to measure progress
In Thailand (32%), China (32%) and Vietnam (29%), being and success.
written about in the press and appearing in the media are also
seen as things that signify success – much higher than the ‘Vietnam is firmly situated in stage one,’ says Vietnam expert
international average of 15%. dr Mark Ashwill. ‘The economy has been on fire, with most
of the increases in income and wealth occurring in the past
decade or so. People who were poor not long ago suddenly
72% have more money than they ever dreamed of – almost
overnight – and if you’ve got it, you flaunt it.
64%
61% ‘But there are indications that the second stage is emerging
– companies setting up foundations, individuals of means
52% 50% supporting various charitable causes not limited to countryside
pagodas, and so on. I think it’s a natural progression: once
42% one’s basic needs have been met and much more, what’s next?’
Zeine dacchae thinks that things are changing in Lebanon,
36% too. ‘I think more than half of our Lebanese society is in stage
one. But I do see more of a civic society growing. Things are
21% 28%
25% heading in the right direction for us.’
Lebaanon
ThaLiand
ThaLiand
Lebanon
VieTnam
VieTnam
China
China
Key
‘success in life is ‘material goods do not
•
•
Global average
Countries in
based on wealth’ signify success’
our survey
12 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

13. 2 The new stages of Progress
stage two:
ambitious altruists in our survey
Most of the countries in our survey are in stage Two, the Many south Africans, says Brad Armitage, are on the cusp of
Ambitious Altruists. In these countries, we can see that a stage one and stage Two. he talks about the influence of ‘the
significant proportion of the population is moving away from traditional Afro-notion of Ubuntu: ‘I am what I am because of
considering that material goods are the only way to show how who we all are.’ education and greater employment, he says,
a person has progressed in life. In south Africa, for example, will begin the shift into stage Two and stage Three, but ‘with
94% of our sample say that ‘success in life is having the means extremely high levels of unemployment in south Africa, this is
to give back to others’. But it’s not all selflessness and altruism. still very much a developing trend. Material goods are still the
Around one in five in the UK, Bulgaria, Brazil and south Africa, primary signifiers of success. But this is where I think Ubuntu
for example, still think what car you drive is a signifier of your has implications, in that community progress and connection
success in life, while in the UK 34% still judge someone’s continue to play a role in the south African psyche, no matter
success by what their home looks like. what car you drive or where you live.’
For other countries, such as Brazil, less affected by global
economic turmoil, experts predict an accelerated move
towards more philanthropic activities. only 30% of Brazilians
in our survey thought the national economy was preventing
them from progressing (compared to say, greece, at 61%).
With a 2011 Ipsos Public Affairs poll placing Brazil far ahead of
24 other countries in terms of optimism about the economy,
55% 55% McKinsey Consulting has predicted Brazil’s potential for
philanthropy at $9.4bn per year.
49% 49%
42% 42%
39%
SoUTh afriCa
bULGaria
GreeCe
braziL
UK
US
Key
‘material goods do not
•
•
Global average
Countries in
signify success’
our survey
13 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

14. 2 The new stages of Progress
stage three:
ambitious altruists in our survey
The only country in our survey already beginning to enter ninety five per cent of those surveyed in spain say ‘it is
stage Three is spain, where 68% of respondents indicated important for me to continually improve as a person’.
that goods did not signify success, far higher than any of the
other markets. seventy one per cent of our spanish sample seventy four per cent of those surveyed in spain think that,
believe that success in life is not based on wealth, while a mere when it comes to achievements in life, the journey is more
12% say that owning many homes is a signifier of success – important than the end goal.
the lowest for all the countries in our survey.
Whatever its current economic challenges – in our survey,
spain was second only to greece in saying that unemployment
(55%) and the national economy (51%) were standing in
the way of progress – experts point to spain’s long history
of collaboration and co-operation. harvard law professor
Yochai Benkler, author of The Penguin and the Leviathan:
how Cooperation Triumphs over self-Interest, singles out the
95% 68%
way thousands of farmers in spain have been managing their
access to water through self-regulated irrigation districts for
more than five centuries. dr Marta rey, assistant professor
at the school of economics and Business of the University of
A Coruña, spain, meanwhile, focuses on the way the right to
endow a foundation is protected in spain’s constitution.
Today, spanish entrepreneurs are harnessing this collectivist
idea of progress – what the founders of the Tetuan Valley
startup school (a not-for-profit pre-accelerator programme
for businesses) call ‘a state of mind’. In our ‘hyper-connected
world, where flat is the norm and frontiers are just lines in a 2d
map,’ says co-founder Bernardo de Tomas, what’s needed is ‘a
place where you can empower your ideas with the aid of other
like-minded people’.
‘it is important for ‘material goods do
me to continually not signify success’
improve as a person’
14 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

15. 2 The new stages of Progress
2.4 a global shift technological ubiquity
We can see that this shift from a ‘me culture’ to a ‘we culture’ Access to technology is another determinant in enabling
comes about from the confluence of two important global personal progress. What progress means is shifting for the
forces. The combination of turbulent times and technological inhabitants of online communities, who know no national
ubiquity means that across the world, men and women are boundaries. new ways to spread ideas worth sharing are
reconsidering what the path of personal progress looks like emerging, both as a result of and to cater for the demands
and reassessing what achievement means. of an increasingly digital planet.
For 39% of our global sample, improved technological
testing times infrastructure in their country has made progress in life
easier: a feeling that is especially strong in Vietnam (58%),
recessions, natural catastrophes and political rebellions have China (48%) and Thailand (48%). And globally, men (42%) are
propelled many to pause and evaluate their values. Financial significantly more likely than women (34%) to say that better
uncertainty, in particular, is driving people to reassess what’s technological infrastructure in their country has made it easier
important to them. Unsurprisingly, people in greece believe to achieve success in life. The ability to share information
unemployment in their country is the biggest barrier to their electronically has also proven key for people in south Africa,
success (60%). half of Bulgarians, 43% of south Africans and who said email has been the most important contributor to
32% of Americans feel the same. making personal progress easier in their country (53%).
15 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

16. 2 The new stages of Progress
2.5 optimism index
We can see evidence of the continuing after-effects of For Brazilians and the Vietnamese (both 37%), on the other
economic turbulence when we look at how optimistic countries hand, there is the belief that personal progress is easier now.
are about the future. greece, for example, is still battling
economic difficulties; this is reflected in the fact that 78% But does the future look brighter? For some it does. globally,
of those surveyed believe it’s harder to be successful in life more than half (57%) of our survey thinks achieving success
now than it was 20 years ago. will become harder. however, Brazilians and Bulgarians
optimistically believe it will be easier (33%). Thai and south
greece
68% African respondents are most likely to believe that achieving
success will only get harder (66%).
45%
thailand
39% 35%
29%
south bulgaria
africa us spain
46% 44% uk lebanon
36% china
32% 11%
13
vietnam
%
brazil
harder easier
greece 36% 32%
49
us thailand
% south
46% 46% 45% 45%
uk lebanon
africa spain
•
Key
Is it harder
china
35% 20%
brazil
or easier to be
vietnam
23%
successful now,
compared to
20 years ago?
• Will it be harder
or easier to be
successful
4% bulgaria
in 20 years time?
harder easier
16 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

17. 3 The new Personal economy
Together, the turbulent times and the new digitalised democracy we live in are
driving a cultural transformation. People are beginning to seek meaning outside
of traditional structures and systems. And this, in turn, means that the ways
in which personal progress is defined and measured are changing.
I Wish This Was project
by Candy Chang,
New Orleans. Chang’s
project enabled
residents of New Orleans
to have input into
the neglected areas
of their city
17 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

18. 3 The new Personal economy
‘of all the events 3.1 movers and makers
that have the experts from many disciplines point to our need to find seventy nine per cent of our global survey believe mankind
purpose in what we do. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s work on the will come up with the solutions it needs to solve the world’s
power to excite psychology of ‘flow’ has helped us understand why we are problems. In China and Vietnam, 90% of respondents agree.
and engage happiest when utterly absorbed in an activity. We’re completely Forty four per cent of Vietnamese respondents, 43% of
in the zone and nothing else seems to matter. he says we need Bulgarian respondents and 30% of Brazilian respondents
people, the purpose, because it provides ‘activation energy for living’. In believe an increased culture of innovation in their country
single most drive: The surprising Truth about What Motivates Us, dan Pink is making success more achievable.
sees people placing equal emphasis on purpose and profit in
important is their personal and professional lives. A new breed of pioneers, innovators and trailblazers are
making progress.’ showing how the next generation of businesses combines
Psychologist and director of research at harvard Business entrepreneurial spirit with collective purpose, in order to
school Teresa Amabile, author of The Progress Principle, says tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges.
Teresa Amabile, that what motivates people the most on a day-to-day basis is
psychologist making progress on meaningful work. ‘of all the events that ‘The recession has been an accelerator of consumer values,
and director have the power to excite people and engage them,’ she says, but also an accelerator for where people are looking for the
of research ‘the single most important is making progress – even if that next generation of businesses and recognising that the model
at Harvard progress is a small win.’ has changed,’ observes rachel Botsman, author of What’s
Business School Mine is Yours: The rise of Collaborative Consumption.
What matters to people is changing. And when people no
longer have to fit into traditional structures of work and These three pioneers making progress across the world show
success, the elements that make up their personal economy how this already is being done.
change. We can see this in new collaborative business models,
the new breed of innovators leading them and a growth in the
importance of community collateral. wealth from waste
nearly half (48%) of south Africans, more than a third (37%) Thai pioneer Paijit sangchai converts waste into wealth.
of Brazilians and 34% of Thai respondents said they would his firm, Flexoresearch, has developed a series of blended
consider themselves successful once they could help enzymes that can recover pulp or fibre from laminated paper
others succeed. such as cigarette packets, stickers or milk cartons, all of which
were previously hard or impossible to recycle. The resulting
pulp can be used to produce new paper products, thus saving
trees, or turned into building materials. This technique, the first
of its kind, also produces clean plastic that can be recycled and
used to make new products.
18 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

19. 3 The new Personal economy
a step-change for sustainability
‘People are unlikely to change their lifestyles overnight,’ admits
Laurence Kemball-Cook. ‘But, as an industrial designer, I know
sustainability is very important. I wanted to create a way in
which people could save energy without realising it.’ Kemball-
Cook’s innovation, Pavegen, is a pavement slab, made from
100% recycled car tyres, which harvests energy. Whenever
a pedestrian walks on it, 5% of the energy created is used to
power its central Led light and the rest is stored in a battery
(for up to three days), which can then be used for applications
such as street lighting and advertising displays. ‘I can imagine
Pavegen in more remote areas of India, for instance,’ he says.
‘There’s huge footfall there, but where there is power it’s
polluting, fossil-fuel energy. This could be transformative.’
streets ahead
When social entrepreneur Bahi ghubril became frustrated by
the lack of a comprehensive, up-to-date street map of Beirut,
he set out to map the city himself – walking the streets to
check place names against old atlases; roads and alleyways
against satellite images. on more than one occasion, he
was taken away in an unmarked vehicle and questioned by
the authorities about his activities, but months of pavement
pounding paid off and Zawarib Beirut (Beirut Alleys) is now
expanding to cover neighbouring cities. There’s also a pocket
version, with eight different covers designed by local artists,
and ghubril is also creating the first Beirut bus map. The
project was born from a need to organise the city, but also
as a socio-political project to help residents and visitors see
Beirut in a different way.
Pavegen by Laurence
Kemball-Cook, United
Kingdom. Pavegen
sources kinetic energy
from pedestrian
footfall to sustainably
create electricity
19 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

20. 3 The new Personal economy
3.2 community is the new collateral
A solve-it-yourself culture is emerging. Local heroes are not Candy Chang’s ‘I Wish This Was’ project is enabling residents
afraid to take matters into their own hands, make the first step, of new orleans to have civic input in the neglected areas of
or take a chance in the belief that others will follow. the city, for example, while seeClickFix helps people document
non-emergency issues using mobile phones and Facebook, so
‘People are coming out of an age of hyper-individualism and they can be fixed.
there is a massive resurgence of need for community,’ says
rachel Botsman. ‘We are expressing ourselves by what we In Cape Town, south African design organisation and magazine
belong to, versus what we individually own.’ design Indaba is challenging local creatives to submit ideas for
transforming local streets – from garbage collection and crime
This can be a community that’s geographically local. In our prevention to murals and vegetable gardens. Ideas are judged
survey, 86% of our international sample say that supporting on criteria including generosity, feasibility and fun. And after
community action to resolve local and social issues is an riots damaged cities in the UK, architects Lee Wilshire and
important part of their personal progress. nick Varey launched riot rebuild, a community-driven website
to coordinate the construction workers, architects and interior
designers needed for repair and reconstruction.
Wind and Water Café,
Vietnam. Created by
architect Vo Trong
Nghia to demonstrate
the use of indigenous
resources like fast-
maturing bamboo and show
how modern architecture
should be available to
everyone in Vietnam
20 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

21. 3 The new Personal economy
‘there’s a huge 3.3 realising the potential of
collaborative innovation
ambition to use
Thanks to online connections, communities can also be virtual our experts see the beginnings of a new wave of innovation
technology to and global. ‘Increasingly, people look around and realise and entrepreneurialism that challenges conventions and
make the world a the world isn’t that divided,’ says hub Culture founder stan looks to crowdsourcing, collaboration, customisation and
stalnaker. ‘There’s a huge ambition to use technology to make conversation to find solutions to economic and environmental
better place.’ the world a better place.’ issues. In this way, they say, the successes of individuals can
help the progress of entire countries.
stalnaker developed hub Culture to provide a community
Stan Stalnaker, for people looking to make an impact on the world through ‘The only way greece can move on from our current economic
founder, Hub different technologies, inspired by ‘the idea that collectively situation is to invest in innovation,’ says entrepreneur sotiris
Culture we can help each other and help those at large. The more Milonas, founder of the green hotels network in greece.
people that join the network, add resources, the better we can ‘People are slowly starting to understand this and developing
tackle larger projects.’ Already a global network of more than social businesses because of it.’ Milonas is among many
25,000 professionals and entrepreneurs, hub Culture combines experts who think that growing awareness of the need
virtual networking and physical workspaces where people can to address global sustainability issues, coupled with local
connect and work together. economic difficulties, is providing the perfect opportunity
to foster change.
The advent of networks, online and off, is transforming how
people around the globe can achieve success and how their Ana santi, Brazilian journalist and blogger, adds that
successes are recognised. In Vietnam, for example, ‘your social sustainability and business go hand-in-hand in Brazil.
network is a major contributing factor to success in many ‘environmental consciousness is very important to Brazilians
areas, including education, business and investments,’ says and, I think, part of this is driving the innovation in our country.’
dr Mark Ashwill. ‘Connections determine what doors can be Brazilian doctor-turned-fashion-entrepreneur oskar Metsavaht
opened. With a diverse and reliable network, good things can describes this spirit as ‘the ‘Brazilian soul’ – binding our natural
happen quickly.’ resources with our social and environmental sustainable-
development projects is a mandate that we are given. I like
In south Africa, Brad Armitage adds, technology ‘is playing to say Brazilians conquer by seducing, not by aggressively
a huge role in shaping the lives and goals of south Africans. competing to be champions.’
More people have access to mobile phones in south Africa
than running water: this has opened a world of communication
in areas such as banking, electricity, basic sharing of
information and the development of cost effective peer-to-
peer communications platforms, such as Mxit.’
21 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

22. 3 The new Personal economy
But challenges remain. Paijit sangchai is hopeful for the
future, but thinks Thailand could do more to cultivate
entrepreneurialism and innovation. ‘The next generation are
going to be the rising stars of innovation. They have better
education and access to information unlike before. Together,
this is a powerful combination for change.’
Brad Armitage echoes this: ‘south Africa is fertile soil for
entrepreneurs. Apart from finance there are few barriers to
entry, and younger generations seem a lot less risk-averse with
a new, independent attitude to business. Collaboration among
the smaller players and start-ups will play a role in assisting
this change.’
Bernardo de Tomas, co-founder of startupbootcamp
Madrid, however, warns that embedding innovation in a
generation is not straightforward. ‘To encourage investment
in entrepreneurs, we need continuous success stories of
start-ups in spain. We also need real, hands-on training for
entrepreneurs, because a good idea isn’t enough. You need
guts to start or work for a start-up.’
New York Pavilion by
Hub Culture and
Sportmax, New York.
The Pavilion was
designed to enable
collaboration for
those involved in New
York Fashion Week and
as a hub for those
interested in the global
world of fashion
22 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

23. 3 The new Personal economy
‘in times of family first
uncertainty, Family is the new bottom line: 84% of our global survey say ‘There has been a big reappraisal of people’s values and
that in life ‘you have to look out for number one and take care what represents personal stability,’ says Martin raymond,
people return of yourself and your family’. Forty per cent of 25-29-year-olds co-founder of The Future Laboratory. ‘In times of uncertainty,
to families and want most to start a family and be a good parent in the future. people return to families and to the values attached to them.’
to the values dr Ashwill agrees: ‘In Vietnam, family is the only unit you can
attached trust in a society where many of the bonds of the past are
fraying at the seams. Children remain the most important
to them.’ legacy. This, combined with the value placed on education
and the success of one’s children, explains why investment
in education is so high and why parents are willing to make
Martin Raymond, so many sacrifices to ensure the success of their children.’
co-founder, The
Future Laboratory
90% 66% 51%
84% 60%
‘you have to look out ‘success ‘knowing my family ‘my family’s opinion ‘i will feel truly
for number one and in life is security will be secure in the of my personal successful when
take care of yourself for my family’ future is how i want successes are i have raised
and your family’ to be rewarded in life’ most important’ successful children’
23 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

24. 4 games, goals and greatness
social networking was the technological enabler that redefined the past decade.
gamification – where the mechanics behind games of all kinds are applied to the way
we measure progress in our daily lives – will change the next decade even more.
Urbanology by the mobile
BMW Guggenheim Lab,
New York. An online
game where people can
create their own urban
policies in virtual
cities. Its aim is to
provoke discourse about
pertinent city-life
issues like housing,
health care, education
and infrastructure
24 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

25. 4 games, goals and greatness
In the past 10 years, social networking has radically Increasingly, gaming is becoming the default way in which
changed the way we interact with each other, created a new individuals – especially generations weaned on technology
transparency between consumers and brands and even helped and connectivity – measure success and rank their progress
33%
to facilitate social and political change across europe and the against self-defined goals and against each other. Commuters
Middle east. download brain-training apps to improve their mental
prowess. Across the Us, China and India, gild – a platform
In the next few years, a ‘game layer’ will be integrated which combines social gaming and career advancement for
into the way we live and work, with similarly far-reaching developers – adds programming puzzles and coding tests
consequences. For the Bleisure generation, who see no to job postings, ranking applicants on their scores. seattle-
boundary between their business and leisure lives, game based Mindbloom’s Life game enables players to set realistic
mechanics will be the essential, accepted way they measure priorities in their lives and then measure their progress against
progress in their everyday lives. them – whether it’s learning a musical instrument, managing
finances or building better relationships.
The devices and dynamics that games use to compel us to play,
replay, achieve and succeed tap into our deep-rooted urge to ‘The best games motivate us because they provide us with
compete, collaborate, succeed and exert power. Importantly, challenges tuned to our capabilities,’ says leading games-
games measure progress and provide intrinsic rewards designer sebastian deterding. ‘games are motivating and
for success. engaging, because they deliver an experience of mastery and
overcoming challenges in a limited, clear activity space.’
Partly this is because we are hard-wired to use play to help us
progress, according to Bulgarian entrepreneur and academic In our international survey, respondents are most likely to
steve Keil. ‘Playing is universal. We are designed by nature say that ‘better education opportunities’ (52%) and ‘better
to play from birth to old age. And it’s got huge benefits. For technological infrastructure’ (38%) were the things that had
33% of our example, it’s been shown that we develop better decision- most helped their own progress. education is particularly
international making ability and bigger emotional capacity. Play improves important in Vietnam (70%) and Brazil (60%). We can see the
survey say our work. It stimulates creativity. It increases our openness to confluence of these factors in the way academic institutions
technology has change and provides a sense of purpose and mastery, which are using game systems and the notion of edutainment to
made it easier to increases productivity.’ create a new framework for progressing learning. new York’s
achieve success Quest to Learn school, for example, which describes itself as
in their life a ‘school for digital kids’, applies game techniques to everyday
learning. Universities, borrowing from World of Warcraft, are
even awarding xPs (experience points) as part of their grading
systems. Meanwhile, the organisers behind the forthcoming
olympic games in London and rio are already looking to see
how game mechanics, coupled with our urge to compete, can
be harnessed to facilitate the behaviour change necessary if
we are to combat global environmental challenges.
25 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

26. 5 Collaborative Arts and Culture
digital technologies are also enabling people across the world to access, engage
with and collaborate in the creation of a wide range of arts and culture.
Virtual Choir by
Eric Whitacre. Whitacre
crowdsourced vocal
lines of one of his
choral pieces via
video, then combined
the video entries from
185 respondents and
12 countries to create
a virtual choir
26 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

27. 5 Collaborative Arts and Culture
In our survey, better access to arts and culture was seen as ‘older generations are more limited in their use of many
making success increasingly achievable for 33% of Brazilian kinds of media, while the younger generation is incredibly
respondents, 31% of Chinese respondents and 23% of media savvy: it utilises new media, such as iPad, iPhone and
Vietnamese respondents. computers much more than in the recent past. Through this
access, young people are interacting more with fine art and
Jorn Middleborg, owner of the renowned Thavibu gallery in design, also including textiles and fashion.’
Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam, sees younger generations in
Thailand and Vietnam heavily influencing the art scene through not only is the accessibility of arts and culture for a community
their digital empowerment. seen as an enabler of individual personal progress, many art
forms now thrive on co-creation.
The Palacio de Velazquez
exhibition, The Art
Project powered by
Google. The Art Project
is a collaboration
between Google and
17 of the world’s
most acclaimed art
museums, enabling
users to explore the
museums using the same
technology used in
Google Street View
27 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

28. 5 Collaborative Arts and Culture
Immersive environments and innovative art installations collude Curator and writer Marina Fokidis is the power behind
‘through new with the public as co-conspirators; new forms of culture Kunsthalle Athena, based in one of the poorest precincts of
media, young move away from the traditional mould of artistic and cultural Athens, which is applying this collaborative approach to its
endeavours as expressions of individual creativity and towards flexible art-centre model. This is particularly relevant for the
people in more social and democratic endeavours. people of greece, says Fokidis, since ‘recent socio-political
thailand are events and economic turmoil in the region have made apparent
‘Like so many different aspects of social media today,’ the need for novel, participative and co-operative initiatives in
interacting more says Us composer eric Whitacre, ‘we’re unlocking people’s the field of culture.’
with fine art own creativity, or desire to join a community in a creative
way.’ Whitacre’s Virtual Choir is inspired by a fan’s YouTube In Lebanon, Zeina daccache is the star of a political satire
and design.’ recording of one of his choral pieces. The first version saw sitcom called Basmet Watan (The nation’s smiles). she’s
contributors record vocal lines via video, working to a track also the country’s first drama therapist. ‘I love Lebanon and
produced by Whitacre. The videos were then assembled to I believe in my country,’ says daccache. ‘But the war had a
Jorn Middleborg, create a choir of 185 singers, from 12 different countries. big effect on our society and, as a result, drug-abuse and
owner, Thavibu Virtual Choir 2.0 saw 2,052 singers from 58 countries crime soared.’ Working in Lebanon’s largest prison, daccache
Gallery, Thailand contributing. Ted curator Chris Anderson called it an anthem staged an original drama called Twelve Angry Lebanese with
for ‘the humanising possibilities of a connected world’. 45 inmates, some of whom taught themselves to read in order
to learn lines for the play. ‘It’s my passion to bring theatre to
Us-based online performance artist Ze Frank says that people where theatre is most needed,’ says daccache. ‘Culture can
will take up even more opportunities to explore the power live in the most forgotten places.’
of their creativity in digital and virtual spaces. Ze Frank has
collaborated with his audience to create a series of projects
based on shared emotions, such as pain, fear, or even the
pangs of nostalgia. one of his most well-known projects,
‘Young Me, now Me’, invited participants to send photos of
themselves as children, and then as adults, in the same pose.
‘Progress, as defined by an aggregation of knowledge and skills
– not by material gains – is what is interesting about virtual
culture,’ says Ze Frank. ‘There are untapped resources of skills
and time in the virtual aggregate of the population – an obvious
example is Wikipedia. A person can say, ‘hey, I can hack the
things around me to shift the world that I live in’.’
28 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

29. the success glossary
People around the world consider patience, long-termism
and intelligence to be the crucial characteristics of a truly
successful person. our quantitative analysis shows an evolution
of what it takes to be successful – ‘rich’ and ‘ruthless’ are
conspicuously absent from this list.
29 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

30. character traits for success
56% of the people in the West think being ‘Ambitious’ is
a trait that characterises success, compared to only 38%
of the people in the east. 56% of those in the east think
‘Patient’ and 55% ‘Long-termist’ characterise success,
compared to 36% and 18% in the West.
east
38%
west ambitious
56% 56% patient
ambitious
36% 55%
long-termist
patient
18%
long-termist
30 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

31. icons of progress
We asked our survey who, alive or dead, they most admired for barack obama
the progress they had made in life. The top three answers were
Bill gates, nelson Mandela and Barack obama. America’s first African-American president and recipient
of the 2009 nobel Peace Prize.
These global leaders have all achieved success – sometimes
against the odds. Bill gates dropped out of an Ivy League ‘Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows
university to start up a business; nelson Mandela fought a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of
institutionalised racism and Barack obama became the first yourself. Because it’s only when you hitch your
African-American President in Us history. Through innovation, wagon to something larger than yourself that
victories over oppression and unique leadership, these men you realise your true potential.’
represent progress to millions of people across the world.
bill gates
Founder of Microsoft, one of the wealthiest people in the
world and a leading philanthropist through the Bill and
Melinda gates Foundation.
‘success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people other notable figures named in our survey
into thinking they can’t lose.’
Most admired women
Angelina Jolie
nelson mandela Oprah Winfrey
Former president of south Africa, anti-apartheid activist Most admired revolutionary
and recipient of the 1993 nobel Peace Prize. `
Hô Chí Minh
‘education is the great engine of personal Most admired sportsman
development. It is through education that the Rafael Nadal
daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that
a son of a mineworker can become the head of Most admired parent
the mine, that a child of farm-workers can become ‘My mother’
the president of a great nation. It is what we make
out of what we have, not what we are given, that Most admired scientist
separates one person from another.’ Albert Einstein
31 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker overview — Key Take outs

32. 6 Progress Futures
What will progress mean to a new generation brought up in digital democracies,
environments defined by connectivity and empowered by ‘design it Yourself’ attitudes?
Ideas.in.th, Thailand.
An online collaboration
platform for social
change, which provides
a place where people
can plan to make
change happen, from
environmental awareness
campaigns to bigger
policy changes
32 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

33. 6 Progress Futures
6.1 ‘collabusiness’ will power the economy
In the next decade, a generation of digital natives will come of Within a decade, organisations and institutions will be filled
50bn
age. They will inhabit an open-source world, where knowledge with people for whom the idea that progress is simply about
and ideas are not rare commodities but are instantly and climbing the corporate ladder will seem an archaic ambition.
readily shared. As these heirs of the status symbolists and entrepreneurs and employees will expect work to fulfil their
Ambitious Altruists grow up, they will find themselves as need for meaning and purpose – and begin to demand it as
natural Co-operative Collaborativists. They are the generation a right. Already, the distinction between the virtual and the
for whom collaboration is the biggest signifier of success. physical worlds barely exists for tomorrow’s workers.
When they begin to make their mark on the world, partnership
and problem-solving will become the accepted – and expected Wiki business models will radically transform mass education,
– constituents of personal progress. social welfare and environmental renewal. Collaboration will
be harnessed for good, based on the values of transparency,
In this world, the shift from ‘me’ to ‘we’ that we have begun integrity and community. The guiding hand of gaming
to identify will gather momentum, influencing businesses, psychology will co-opt and coerce, and technology will enable
communities and culture across the globe. looser, more adaptable organisational structures.
The development of ‘swarm intelligence’ and the ‘Internet of
Things’ will raise collaboration to new levels. The ability of
artificial intelligence to interact, collaborate and learn will result
in the development of a parallel and global-scale network,
where many people will work seamlessly in teams of thousands.
The number of Ultimately what ownership, participation and progress mean
devices that to people will be further redefined, as our individual know-how
Cisco predicts takes second place to the collective knowledge contained
will be connected within our wider networks and our ability to collaborate
to the Internet effectively with others.
by 2020, when
the ‘Internet of
Things’ will raise
collaboration
to new levels
33 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

34. 6 Progress Futures
6.2 art will have social value 6.3 upwardly mobile – telecommunications help
communities step forward
Far from being superfluous in a digitally ubiquitous world, The widespread adoption of mobile communication devices
culture and the arts will be the creative capital upon which and systems will enable individuals and families in developing
whole societies are formed. countries to leap the barriers to personal progress.
The democratising power of technology, coupled with new Mobile and micro payments systems – such as square, the
models of small-scale giving, will transform how art is created, mobile point-of-sale system developed by Twitter founder Jack
distributed and accessed in the future. Traditional models of dorsey – are already revolutionising business, enabling farmers
patronage and philanthropy will no longer be the only way or food vendors to take payments anywhere and becoming
to finance cultural projects, as corporate sponsorships and a fast-growing source of barter and currency exchange,
personal bequests are replaced by micro-giving models such particularly in emerging markets where cash may be dangerous
as Kickstarter, the online pledge system that funds to carry and/or non-existent.
creative projects.
Mobiles are also expediting technological innovation in
In a decade that will see still more turbulence and change, countries that may not have the economic infrastructure to
artistic and cultural activities will become mediums for support development. Lebanese engineer and entrepreneur
communities and societies to reflect, communicate and elie-grégoire Khoury, for example, has created the new
co-create, particularly in developing markets where social, technology startup dermander around a panoramic photo
cultural, environmental and political turmoil accompanies iPhone app, securing 200,000 downloads in its first two weeks.
rapid growth.
The mobile revolution will continue to facilitate distributed
‘Most things express themselves in an expression of power, access to medicine in rural areas (MIT Media Lab’s neTrA,
and the art world has traditionally expressed itself through for example, is a mobile eye-testing tool that can screen
monetary value,’ says Ze Frank. ‘The movement away from for common, treatable visual impairments and could help
that will be when you start seeing art expressed in social areas, more than half a billion people worldwide), as well as
where the power of art will manifest in the creation of social provide solutions in times of crisis. students from Thailand’s
status, adding social value to people’s lives.’ Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, for example, have already
developed The Terra Project, which, in the event of a natural
disaster, enables survivors to broadcast their location with one
click through social networks such as Facebook.
34 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

35. 6 Progress Futures
• Altrupreneurs will use the power of their global networks
to develop a new generation of ‘not just for profit’ business
models that put making money on the same footing as creating
social change and managing environmental impact.
• stockbrokers will manage the flow and finances of community
resources. Micro-generators in homes and businesses will
sell electricity back to suppliers through the smart grid, for
example, creating a new breed of community power-brokers.
• digital Medicis will leave a legacy of globally funded, locally
created collaborative art projects.
• Value Added Taxonomists will channel the spirit of the great
Victorian explorers and geographers, undertaking worldwide
projects that use distributed computing power and wiki wisdom
to further the progress of human knowledge.
• state-Us Updaters will combine the transparency of social
networking with collective altruism, as people begin to share
real-time data about their community activities across all
digital platforms.
• sixth sensors will be engaged in continuously improving
all aspects of their daily lives. They’ll do this by constantly
filtering and analysing the data provided by some of the 50bn
devices that (Cisco predicts) will be connected to the Internet
of Things by 2020.
Yiuco, Greece. A
web-based service -
the first of its kind
– where people can
sell things as long
as they are recycled,
reused, upcycled or
remanufactered. People
can also use the
site, named after the
Greek word for piled
up clothes, to share
their ideas for reuse
and recycled objects
35 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

36. 7 Country snapshots
36 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

37. 7 Country snapshots
7.1 brazil
Brazilians are refreshingly optimistic and have high hopes for six in 10 (60%) of people in Brazil recognise that better
85%
the future. Around 37% think it is easier to be successful now educational opportunities have helped their own progress.
than it was 20 years ago (global average 25%) and 33% think it
will be easier in 20 years’ time (global average 22%). Brazilians believe in other people’s success as well as their
own: 37% (compared to 31% globally) of respondents think
Brazilians aspire to living a sustainable life (26%) over having a they will be successful when they are able to help those around
lot of money (18%) and being more attractive (4%). them and 88% agree success in life is having the means to
give back to others.
Family is also extremely important to Brazilians. More than four
in 10 (44%) of respondents believe that being a good parent
and raising successful children are the ultimate symbols of
success. one in three Brazilians (33%) aspires to spending
more time with his or her family.
progress personality traits
In Brazil it’s all about being both smart and driven. Intelligence
(80%) is the trait that best characterises success and 38% Intelligent: 80%
of people think they can only call themselves successful once Confident: 74%
they have become a specialist in a chosen field. Innovative: 64%
Patient: 50%
43% Articulate: 42%
37%
85% of Brazilians 33%
say that they
achieve more by
24% most admired people in brazil
working together 21% 19%
than alone 1. Silvio Santos
Brazilian TV presenter
2. Bill Gates
Brazil versus
US entrepreneur and philanthropist
International i woULd aCCeSS To i beLieVe iT’S
Key
LiKe To be arTS and eaSier To be 3. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
rewarded CULTUre SUCCeSSfUL former President of Brazil
•
•
Brazil
International
by GeTTinG haS made Than 20
To The nexT iT eaSier yearS aGo Other notable inclusions were
LeVeL of for me To Angelina Jolie and Jesus Christ
my job SUCCeed
37 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

38. 7 Country snapshots
7.2 bulgaria
Being good parents and raising successful children are the They also value the opinion of their colleagues and peers more
83%
ultimate goals for Bulgarians. over six in 10 (61%) rank this than any other market; 25% compared to 13% globally.
as the main indicator of success (global average 50%). only
1% of Bulgarians aspire to be famous and only 12% (21% social capital is increasingly valuable to Bulgarians. Four
internationally) would be willing to succeed at the expense in 10 don’t believe that goods signify success – instead,
of others. it’s the connections that matter. Personal connections are
a signifier of success for one in three Bulgarians. Connections
Financial stability is an issue, however: Bulgarians rank build networks and steve Keil, a Bulgarian academic
financial problems (59%), the national economy (52%) and and entrepreneur, recognises the growing popularity of
unemployment (49%) as their main obstacles to progress. collaboration in his country: ‘There are collaborative projects
starting up that are really refreshing to see, which I have
never witnessed in Bulgaria before.’
73% 72%
progress personality traits
62%
Intelligent: 76%
58%
Ambitious: 73%
Confident: 69%
47% Innovative: 57%
83% of those Patient: 56%
surveyed in
Bulgaria say 33%
that for them,
success in life most admired people in bulgaria
is about having
the means to give 1. Boyko Borisov
back to others Prime Minister of Bulgaria
2. Bill Gates
Bulgaria versus American entrepreneur and philanthropist
International aspire to aSpire To KnowinG my
Key
financial STarT a famiLy iS 3. Vasil Levski
stability in famiLy/be a SeCUre in Bulgarian revolutionary
•
•
Bulgaria
International
the future Good parenT The fUTUre and national hero
iS my reward
38 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

39. 7 Country snapshots
7.3 china
Being ruthless and hasty do not make a person successful, in Perhaps because of this, people in China are more likely to
93%
the view of the Chinese. Instead, being a pioneer and a long- look up to philanthropists than other countries in our survey
termist trump being ambitious. Knowledge is also a priority for (13% versus 4%). having the means to give back inevitably
Chinese respondents, with 39% (versus 27% globally) saying garners respect from friends (26%) and public praise (15%),
they will be truly successful when they become specialists in both of which are valued highest among Chinese respondents
their chosen field. (compared to 17% and 8% globally).
Connections (52% versus 32% globally) and the people
with whom one mixes (52% versus 30% globally) are also
significant, reflecting the importance of the guanxi web of
relationships and favours. Freedom (55%) is the reward people
most desire.
progress personality traits
seventy two per cent of our Chinese sample say that success
in life is based on wealth. Meanwhile, 89% feel that success in Pioneering: 65%
life is having the means to give back to others, compared Confident: 61%
to only 8% who disagreed with this statement. Passionate: 55%
Innovative: 54%
50% Intelligent: 53%
93% of those
surveyed in 36% most admired people in china
China say that 32%
we achieve more 27% 1. Bill Gates
by working Entrepreneur and philanthropist
together than
we do alone 15% 15% 2. Zhou Enlai
former Chinese Premier
China versus
3. Mao Zedong
International raising media in The Chinese Communist revolutionary
Key
successful CoVeraGe fUTUre,
children refLeCTS haVinG Other notable mentions include
•
•
China
International
is success SUCCeSS freedom business magnate Li Ka-shing,
in life wiLL be former basketball player Yao Ming and
imporTanT actor and film director Jackie Chan
39 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

40. 7 Country snapshots
7.4 greece
The greeks are the most romantic in our survey: 28% Yet despite a dismal financial situation, greek consumers
80%
(compared to 14% globally) say they will only be successful believe in the inventiveness of mankind. nearly three quarters
when they have found love, while 23% say that finding love (73%) of the respondents have faith in humanity’s natural
will be important to them in the future (compared to a global inventiveness to transcend problems. Innovation plays a
average of 15%). sizeable role in their optimism, as a quarter of greeks feel
that a growing culture of innovation has made success
scientists are held in higher esteem in greece than they are more achievable.
globally – 18% of greeks in our sample say the person they
most respect is a scientist (compared to 8% globally) and Ambition is important to greeks (54%); getting to the next
nearly one in three greeks (30%) would like their children level in their job is more important to them (28%) than the
to be scientists when they grow up. global average (21%).
economic worries may be behind the lack of optimism in
greece, as 78% feel it’s harder to be successful compared to
20 years ago – far more than their global counterparts (61%).
It comes as no surprise, therefore, that the greatest barriers
to progress for greeks are the national economy (61%) and progress personality traits
unemployment (60%). Personal financial problems (53%),
political instability (40%) and the worldwide economy (37%) Intelligent: 68%
are not far behind. Ambitious: 54%
Patient: 52%
80% of those Long-termist: 46%
surveyed in 32% Innovative: 46%
Greece say that 27% 28%
success in life
is about having 16% 18%
the means to give 14% most admired people in greece
back to others
1. Angelina Jolie
Greece versus
American actor and UNHCR ambassador
International respect i Can CaLL i Can CaLL
Key
from my mySeLf mySeLf 2. Bill Gates
community SUCCeSSfUL SUCCeSSfUL Entrepreneur and philanthropist
•
•
Greece
International
is a valuable when i when
reward Can GiVe i find LoVe 3. Marianna Vardinoyannis
baCK To my UNESCO advocate and campaigner
CommUniTy
40 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

41. 7 Country snapshots
7.5 lebanon
Money may be a key reward for 39% of Lebanese (compared Innovation and technology are also seen to be playing a
90%
to 29% globally), but community is equally important. strong role: 36% say mobile phones and an increased culture
Forty four per cent say they will be able to call themselves of innovation have made it easier to achieve success. Better
successful when they are respected in their community. nine technological infrastructures (31%) and email (28%) also
out of every 10 Lebanese respondents believe that success in score highly.
life is having the means to give back to others, while 17% say
playing a part in their local community is also important to
them, compared to 10% globally.
The strength of local communities (54%) and better education
opportunities (50%) are the chief facilitators of progress in
the eyes of Lebanese respondents. economic and political
strife have reinforced the need for strong family ties,
better education and technological tools that encourage
communication and innovation. Thirty nine per cent of
respondents say they will be truly successful when they
are good parents and have raised successful children.
progress personality traits
Intelligent: 71%
Ambitious: 64%
90% of those 42% Patient: 57%
surveyed Long-termist: 49%
in Lebanon say Confident: 39%
we achieve more
by working
24%
together 21%
than alone 19% admired people in lebanon
3% 4% Notable mentions include
Lebanon versus
Fayrouz
International goods do aim To LiVe mULTipLe Lebanese singer
Key
not signify a more parTnerS
success SUSTainabLe SiGnify Marcel Ghanem
•
•
Lebanon
International
Life SUCCeSS Lebanese journalist
41 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

42. 7 Country snapshots
7.6 south africa
south Africans value confidence more than the global average Technology, specifically mobile phones, is serving as a key
94%
(77% compared to 62%). Being passionate is also key (67% facilitator of personal progress: 41% say mobiles have made
versus 37%). 85% of south African people believe supporting it easier to achieve success (compared to 22% globally).
their community’s actions to resolve local and social issues is
also important.
Financial problems are a barrier for 62% of people, while racial
inequality is seen as a block for a sizeable 44%. Unemployment
(43%) is a similarly important issue. Brad Armitage, an
entrepreneur and writer, sees south Africa in a transitional
phase: ‘As we develop and more wealth is created and more
opportunities open doors to elevate social standing, we will see
more interest being paid to a collectivist sense of progress.’
progress personality traits
Confident: 77%
Ambitious: 68%
Passionate: 67%
48% Intelligent: 63%
Innovative: 55%
41%
94% of those
surveyed in
South Africa 31% 31%
think success most admired people in south africa
is about giving 22%
back to others 17% 1. Nelson Mandela
former South African leader
2. Richard Branson
South Africa versus
British business magnate
International i can call mobiLe bUSineSS
Key
myself phoneS peopLe 3. Oprah Winfrey
successful haVe made Garner The American talk show host and producer
•
•
South Africa
International
when i can aChieVinG moST KUdoS
help those SUCCeSS Bill Gates was another
around me eaSier notable inclusion
42 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

43. 7 Country snapshots
7.7 spain
The spanish are the least likely to consider material wealth The most popular way in which our respondents would like to
85%
as a signifier of success. They more than most disagree with be rewarded for their successes is ‘knowing that their family
the suggestion that success in life is based on wealth (71% - would be secure in the future’ (61%). Freedom to do what they
international average 53%). More than two thirds (68%) say want (30%) is the other significant response, nearly twice as
that material goods cannot signify success. popular as making lots of money (17%).
Finding love is important, however. one in five sees finding eighty five per cent of our spanish respondents agree that we
love as an indicator of success – the global average is 14%. achieve more working together than alone and three quarters
But the truest indicator of success for spanish people is of the spanish sample would be unwilling to succeed at the
becoming a good parent and raising successful children (44%). expense of others. eighty two per cent agree that it is important
Continuing the strong family theme, 29% of respondents to support local and community action, while 15% disagree.
say that the person they respect most in life for their
achievements is a parent.
71%
68% progress personality traits
Intelligent: 65%
Pioneering: 57%
52% Confident: 54%
Ambitious: 48%
85% of those 42% Inspiring: 46%
surveyed in
Spain say that we
achieve more by 32%
working together most admired people in spain
than alone
17% 1. Rafael Nadal
Tennis player
2. Bill Gates
Entrepreneur and philanthropist
Spain versus
International goods do SUCCeSS in ConneCTionS
Key
not signify Life iS noT peopLe 3. Amancio Ortega
success baSed on haVe Show Fashion entrepreneur and
•
•
Spain
International
weaLTh SUCCeSS Spain’s richest man
43 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

44. 7 Country snapshots
7.8 thailand
In Thailand, success is mostly based on financial gain, prestige Being a good parent and raising successful children is seen
71%
and family: 75% contend that goods signify success, in as the ultimate gauge of success (49%), while 35% say they
contrast to global opinion (43%). The majority (64%) of Thai will be successful when they can help those around them to
respondents feel that success in life is based on wealth, the succeed, and 33% when they are able to give back to their
highest in the global sample (42%). Among the goods that country. More than three times as many people (74% vs 24%)
reflect this, multiple properties/homes (40%) are the most agree that success is having the means to give back to others.
popular. sixty six per cent say security for their family is the most
popular way in which people would like to be rewarded for
receiving media coverage is also a key aspiration. It’s one their successes. People are also far more concerned with
shared with other Asian countries (notably China and Vietnam) their family’s opinion of their achievements (81%) than
and is the second most popular signifier of success (32%) – with anyone else’s.
more than twice the global average (15%).
74% progress personality traits
Patient: 66%
Confident: 65%
Intelligent: 63%
Innovative: 61%
Passionate: 56%
71% of those
surveyed in
41%
Thailand say
that humankind’s 32% admired people in thailand
inventiveness
will help us find
24% 24% Notable mentions include
the solutions we
need to solve the 15% Bhumibol Adulyadej
world’s problems King of Thailand and entrepreneur
Bill Gates
Thailand versus
International success is media SUCCeSS Entrepreneur and philanthropist
Key
having the CoVeraGe meanS
means to iS a SymboL owninG Abhisit Vejjajiva
•
•
Thailand
International
give back of SUCCeSS my own former Thai Prime Minister
to others bUSineSS
44 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

45. 7 Country snapshots
7.9 uk
Although 45% of UK respondents contend that goods do not however, the UK predominantly feels that progress is a
78%
signify success, the British are most likely to think someone’s collectivist effort. eighty one per cent of the UK sample feel
home (34%) and the area in which they live (30%) are that success in life means being able to give back to others
indicative of success, compared to the global averages of 24% and that family is extremely important, with 91% agreeing that
and 21%. success in life would be security for their family.
Where the world is big on valuing social capital, the UK is not.
People here are not likely to consider the connections people
have and the people they mix with as signifiers of success.
More than a third of people (34%) would be willing to succeed
at the expense of others.
And the future lies in going abroad: people aspire to travelling
more, 35% compared to 25% globally. Business prospects progress personality traits
must look dim as well, because only 14% aim to run their own
business, compared to 24% globally. Confident: 71%
Ambitious: 65%
60% Intelligent: 60%
55% Passionate: 57%
Innovative: 45%
47%
78% of UK
respondents
believe it is 34% most admired people in the uk
important to 31%
support community 1. Richard Branson
action to resolve
24% Entrepreneur
social and
local issues 2. Sir Alan Sugar
Entrepreneur
3. Nelson Mandela
UK versus International
would be SUCCeSS iS The worLd’S former South African president
Key willing to when They probLemS
• UK get ahead at Can heLp are Too Other notable mentions include
• International the expense oTherS GreaT To footballer David Beckham
of others be SoLVed and author J K Rowling
45 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

46. 7 Country snapshots
7.10 us
nearly two thirds of people surveyed in the Us (63% versus gone are the days of the lone ranger: collaboration is key for
83%
57% globally) disagree that success in life is based on wealth. Americans. eighty eight per cent of Americans believe they
Americans are increasingly valuing community over consumer can achieve more by working together than they can working
goods. owning multiple properties carries little cachet – 19% alone. Us respondents are the least likely to say that it’s up to
versus 27% globally – but owning your own home (23% government to solve social, economic and political problems –
compared to 14%) is important. 52% against a global average of 32%.
Becoming a good parent (53%) means success in life for more
than half our Us sample. Being able to help those around them
succeed (32%) is a driver for nearly a third of Americans: 85%
say that success in life is when they can give back to others.
Between raising successful children and encouraging success
in others, Americans are effectively saying that true success
is the facilitation of success in others.
progress personality traits
Americans are the most likely among our sample to see
early retirement as a reward for their personal success Confident: 68%
(16% compared to 8% globally). smartphones may help Intelligent: 67%
them to get there, as one in five says these devices have Passionate: 58%
made achieving success easier (only 13% feel this is Ambitious: 56%
the case globally). Innovative: 49%
83% of US
respondents feel
it is important
to support the most admired people in the us
community when 27%
solving social 1. Oprah Winfrey
20% 19%
and local issues 16% talk-show host and producer
13%
8% 1. Barack Obama
President of the United States
US versus International
want to SmarT owninG 1. Bill Gates
Key retire early phoneS mULTipLe Entrepreneur and philanthropist
• US haVe made properTieS
• International aChieVinG SiGnifieS Another notable inclusion from
eaSier SUCCeSS the US sample was ‘my mother’
46 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

47. 7 Country snapshots
7.11 vietnam
Patience, hard work and long-term thinking are enablers of The qualities that make up success for the Vietnamese are
96%
personal progress for Vietnamese people. success can be long-termism (72% compared to 37% globally) and patience
rooted in money, but is also reflected in respect from one’s (63% versus 49%). The connections people have (56%
community and getting media coverage. compared to 42% globally) and media coverage (29% versus
15%) are also very important in Vietnam.
For people in Vietnam, the greatest reflection of personal
progress is knowing that their family will be secure in the More than six in 10 (61%) people aspire to financial stability
future (48%). Making lots of money (38%) and having the in the future. After this, to be healthier (48%) and to get
freedom to do what they want (36%) are also important. Fifty promoted (46%) are also very popular aspirations.
eight per cent of respondents feel that success will constitute
them having the means to give back to others.
Vietnamese respondents to our survey also rank their own
progress above that of their family, their country and their
community: for most other countries, the family’s progress
comes above personal progress. progress personality traits
Long-termist: 72%
Intelligent: 72%
Confident: 66%
46% Patient: 63%
96% of those Passionate: 52%
surveyed in
Vietnam say ‘it
is important for 31% 30% 29%
me to continually most admired people in vietnam
improve as
a person’ 16% 1. Bill Gates
15% Entrepreneur and philanthropist
2. `
Hô Chí Minh
Vietnamese Marxist-Leninist
Vietnam versus
International success SUCCeSS iS media revolutionary
Key
is getting when i am CoVeraGe
ahead in my reSpeCTed SiGnifieS ’
3. Ngô Bao Châu
•
•
Vietnam
International
career in my SUCCeSS Mathematician
CommUniTy
47 The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker

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50. The Progress Index — An Independent report for Johnnie Walker