What drives your audience? Passions. And when we understand what fuels them, content marketing becomes more meaningful, more resonant, and more effective. Our Mastercard proprietary research shows that passions follow a clear lifecycle with three stages: 1. Spark- The moment something clicks. For 30% of people, a passion begins because a friend or family member introduces it. 2. Fuel- Interest turns into involvement. Community, progress, and even competition deepen someone’s commitment and keep them coming back. 3. Lapse- Life gets busy. Major shifts, like starting a family, cause 1 in 5 consumers to step away. But that doesn’t mean they’re gone for good. This passion lifecycle is everything. Passions aren’t fixed—they ebb, flow, fade, and return. Brands that understand these rhythms can support people at every stage, turning today’s paused hobbyist into tomorrow’s loyal enthusiast. For marketers, this insight changes everything. This content series breaks down Mastercard's proprietary research, thousands of qualitative interviews, and quantitative surveys across the Americas to uncover the real attitudes and behaviors shaping U.S. consumers. The insights featured here come from our Passionomics research, introducing deep insights into how passions change across people's life stages. Each insight is delivered as a short-form video designed for teams across product, marketing, portfolio, experience, sales/operations, and creative. The goal: help anyone telling stories at scale turn consumer realities into meaningful action. Subscribe here for the latest insights from Tobias Puehse, SVP, Insights & Intelligence, Americas. Stay Curious!

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