Milieu’s Top Insights of 2025: What People Read, Explored, and Acted On

Written on :

December 26, 2025

10 min read

A Look Back at Milieu’s Top Insights of 2025

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What people chose to read, spend time on, and request the most throughout the year

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As we move into 2026, many people may find themselves questioning their lives, their work, or the direction of their businesses.

Not because there is a lack of information, but because there is simply too much of it.

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Looking back, 2025 was a year where multiple shifts happened at once.

From the growing role of AI, to changing spending behaviors, to deeper questions around the future and quality of life.

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This article is not meant to recap what Milieu did last year. Instead, it looks back through what was actually read the most, spent the most time on, and requested the most in terms of data.

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All to better understand one simple question: In a year filled with uncertainty, what were people really searching for answers to?

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The Most Read Insights

As the world grows more complex, people look for patterns rather than ready-made answers

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The most-read articles of 2025 were largely those that helped explain human behavior at a broader level.

From how people shop to how culture shapes consumption, these insights served as shared reference points, helping readers grasp the bigger picture more quickly.

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#1 Segmenting Shoppers in Southeast Asia

This article became one of the most-read insights of the year because it brought structure to the diversity of consumer behavior in a region often treated as a single market. Rather than creating labels, the framework explains the different motivations and life contexts that drive purchasing decisions, making it a shared lens for understanding both the market and oneself as a consumer.

#2 Pop Mart and a Culture-Driven Consumer Economy

Articles on Pop Mart were widely read in both Thailand and Singapore, not simply for explaining the brand’s popularity, but for showing how art toy collecting has become a space for self-expression and cultural belonging. Consumption here is not just about buying products, but about social signaling that transcends borders.

#3 Double Day and Competing When Every Brand Shows Up

Insights on Double Day, especially 11.11, continue to attract strong readership each year. Readers are less interested in discount figures and more focused on understanding the playbooks brands use when competition peaks and communication happens all at once. As a result, these articles serve as strategic reference points rather than seasonal content.

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The Insights People Spent the Most Time Reading

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When people spend time, they’re not just reading. They’re thinking.

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In a year where content moves faster than ever, choosing to spend more time on a single article is not accidental.

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These insights show significantly higher engagement per session, not because they simply report what happened, but because they help readers think, analyze, and connect what they read to real-life decisions and personal contexts.

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#1 VRIO Framework and Structured Strategic Thinking

The article explaining the VRIO Framework recorded the longest average reading time per session. Rather than prescribing actions, it provides a structured way to evaluate competitive advantage. Readers engage with it as a thinking tool, not just an information source, leading to consistently high engagement.

#2 Disaster Preparedness and Risks Close to Home

The article on earthquake preparedness among Thais saw strong engagement because it addresses risks people can genuinely relate to. Instead of creating fear, it invites readers to think rationally about one question: “How prepared are we?” when facing unexpected events.

#3 Longevity, Health, and Long-Term Life Planning

Insights on attitudes toward longevity attracted long reading times as they reflect long-term questions many are beginning to consider seriously. Topics like health, quality of life, and future security are read not for trends, but for self-understanding.

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The Most Requested Datasets

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When data is requested, a decision is usually close behind

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If highly read articles reflect interest, the most requested datasets reflect imminent action.

In 2025, most dataset requests were not driven by curiosity alone, but by the need for data to plan, decide, and respond to specific real-world situations.

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#1 Webinar: Beyond the Ballot – Real-Time Sentiment & Public Policy

The dataset from Milieu’s mid-year webinar on real-time sentiment and public policy was the most requested of the year. It reflects growing interest in using public opinion data to interpret policy direction. For these users, data is not just statistics, but a tool for understanding social context and informing decision-making.

Access the dataset here

#2 Thai Consumer Behavior During Songkran

The Songkran consumer behavior dataset was highly requested due to its relevance to spending, travel, and brand communication. It is frequently used for strategic planning during peak seasons when consumer behavior shifts most visibly.

Access the dataset here

#3 Lunar New Year 2025 in Singapore

Datasets related to Lunar New Year in Singapore continue to be requested as key planning references for major festive periods. They help users understand spending behavior, expectations, and consumption dynamics during culturally significant moments.

Access the dataset here

#4 Tourism Report 2025

The 2025 tourism dataset was requested to assess recovery trends and changes in traveler behavior. It is commonly used for mid- to long-term planning across economic, marketing, and policy contexts.

Access the dataset here

#5 AI Trustworthiness

Although requested less frequently than other datasets, AI trustworthiness reflects an emerging question gaining clarity. Users seek to understand public trust in AI to inform future technology design, policy development, and communication strategies.

Access the dataset here

From Insight to Decision

Looking across what was read the most, read the longest, and requested the most in 2025, one signal becomes increasingly clear.

People are no longer looking for insights simply to stay informed. They are looking for tools that help them make sense of growing complexity.The articles we choose organize our thinking. The articles we read deeply refine the questions that matter. And the datasets we request are the ones that inform real-world decisions.

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In the years ahead, competitive advantage will not come from having more data, but from having systems that connect data, people, and context with clarity and continuity.

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Milieu will continue to play that role, as a research services provider and proprietary panel platform that helps turn insight into confident, meaningful decisions.

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And if 2025 was a year of asking better questions, the year ahead will be about turning insight into clearer decisions and more deliberate action.

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Author

Milieu Team

At Milieu, we’re a team of curious minds who love digging into data and uncovering what drives people. Together, we turn insights into stories—and stories into action. We also run on coffee, deadlines, and the occasional meme.

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