For years, marketing has been built around audiences. The goal was simple: reach as many people as possible. But a growing shift is changing how people connect, discover products and build trust.
At Social Soup’s 2026 Influence Upfronts, we unveiled new research exploring what we’re calling The Community Shift. A movement towards smaller, more meaningful communities that influence everything from identity and belonging to purchasing decisions. The findings reveal a significant opportunity for brands. While consumers are actively seeking out communities, very few feel that brands have successfully built one.
TL;DR
- 43% of Australians are part of more communities today than they were two years ago.
- Mental wellbeing, friendships, life changes and a growing digital backlash are fuelling the rise of communities.
- 91% of Australians have purchased something based on a community recommendation.
- Consumers don’t want to be marketed to, they want to belong.
- The brands winning are creating participation, not just transactions.
About the Research
To better understand the role community plays in modern life, Social Soup surveyed 895 Australians aged 18 and over. The study explored how Australians participate in communities, what drives them to join, how communities influence purchasing behaviour and whether brands are successfully creating genuine connections with consumers.
Australians Are Joining More Communities Than Ever
Community is becoming a bigger part of everyday life. Our research found that 43% of Australians belong to more communities today than they did just two years ago. These communities take many forms, they might be a run club, a parenting group, a book club, a gaming community, a volunteering organisation or a creator-led online space. What they have in common is a shared sense of identity, belonging and participation.
For many Australians, community is filling a gap that traditional institutions, workplaces and social platforms no longer provide.
43% of Australians are part of more communities today than they were two years ago, according to Social Soup’s Community Shift research. As consumers seek connection, belonging and trusted recommendations, communities are playing an increasingly important role in how people discover brands and make purchasing decisions.
Why Are Communities Growing?
When we asked Australians what was driving their participation in communities, the responses painted a clear picture.
The top drivers included:
- Mental health and wellbeing (37%)
- Finding and maintaining adult friendships (35%)
- Major life changes such as moving, becoming a parent or retirement (35%)
- A growing digital backlash (31%)
- Going deeper into hobbies and interests (31%)
In other words, people are looking for connection. As our lives become increasingly digital, communities are helping people find support, purpose, accountability and shared experiences.
One respondent summed it up perfectly:
“I love when I can connect with people in the same season of life, or experiencing the same things.”
Why are Australians joining more communities? Social Soup research found mental wellbeing, adult friendships, life changes and a growing desire for meaningful connection are driving the rise of communities across Australia.
Community Doesn’t Just Live Online
Despite headlines about digital communities, our research found that community is still deeply rooted in the real world.
Only 3% of Australians said their communities exist exclusively online. Meanwhile:
- 46% participate in communities entirely in person
- 51% participate both online and offline
The strongest communities move seamlessly between digital and physical spaces. A WhatsApp group becomes a run club. An online creator community becomes a real-world event. A Facebook group becomes a support network. For marketers, this highlights the importance of thinking beyond social media channels and considering how brands can create meaningful experiences both online and in real life.
Social Soup research found that community is not just a digital phenomenon, with 97% of Australians participating in communities that involve real-world interaction.
Communities Are Becoming the New Recommendation Engine
One of the most powerful findings from the research was the role communities now play in influencing purchasing decisions.
We found that:
- 56% regularly receive product recommendations from their community
- 91% have purchased based on a recommendation from a community
- 31% say community recommendations are simply “how I buy”
For decades, marketers have relied on advertising to influence purchase decisions. Today, trusted recommendations are increasingly coming from peers, creators and communities. People trust people, and they trust communities even more.
Communities have become a powerful recommendation engine. Social Soup research found that 56% of Australians regularly receive product recommendations from their communities, while 91% have purchased based on a community recommendation, reinforcing the growing role of trusted peer influence in consumer decision-making.
Brands Have a Community Problem
Here’s where the story gets interesting. Despite community becoming one of the most talked-about concepts in marketing, very few consumers feel that brands are actually getting it right.
Our research found that:
- Only 14% of women feel part of a brand community
- Only 5% of men feel part of a brand community
That’s a significant gap, many brands talk about community. They mention it in loyalty programs, welcome emails and social media bios, but consumers know the difference between a transaction and a community. Community isn’t something a brand declares, it’s something people experience.
Despite the rise of community-led marketing, most consumers don’t feel part of a brand community. Social Soup research found that only 14% of women and 5% of men feel a genuine sense of belonging with a brand, highlighting the difference between creating customers and creating community.
What Brands Doing It Well Have In Common
When we asked Australians which brands create genuine communities, a handful consistently stood out. Brands such as MECCA, FAYT, Woolworths Bunch, Carman’s and ANZ were recognised for creating experiences that make people feel involved, heard and valued.
What these brands have in common isn’t a particular platform or content strategy.
- It’s participation.
- They invite customers into the conversation.
- They seek feedback.
- They listen.
- They create opportunities for customers to contribute rather than simply consume.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
We’re entering an era where AI is making marketing more efficient than ever before. Content can be generated faster, campaigns can be optimised automatically and media buying is becoming increasingly automated. But efficiency alone won’t create differentiation. At our Influence Upfronts, Social Soup CEO Sharyn Smith shared a simple perspective:
The two biggest competitive advantages in the future will be creativity and community.
Community creates something that algorithms can’t easily replicate:
- Trust
- Advocacy
- Participation
- Belonging
And increasingly, it also creates discoverability. As AI-powered search engines and recommendation systems look for signals of trust, community conversations, reviews and creator content are becoming increasingly important sources of information. Community isn’t just influencing people, it’s influencing machines too.
The Future Belongs to Brands That Create Belonging
The biggest takeaway from the research is simple. Consumers aren’t looking for more content, they’re looking for connection. They’re seeking communities that help them feel understood, supported and part of something bigger than themselves. The brands that succeed won’t be the ones with the biggest audiences, they’ll be the ones that understand what their customers care about, the communities they belong to and how to participate authentically in those spaces. Because the future of marketing isn’t about building an audience, it’s about building belonging.
Research Methodology
Social Soup surveyed 895 Australians aged 18+ in 2026 to understand changing attitudes towards community participation, consumer behaviour, creator influence and brand relationships. The research was presented at the Social Soup Influence Upfronts 2026 and forms part of Social Soup’s ongoing exploration of community-powered influence and consumer behaviour.