By: Ray Day
CONTACT:
We wanted to share our latest consumer and business insights, based on research from Stagwell. Among the highlights of our weekly consumer sentiment tracking (fielded Feb. 17-19):
WORRIES ABOUT ECONOMY MODERATE:
Today, 87% of Americans are concerned about the economy and inflation – down 3 points from last week and up from 82% in December.
- 80% worry about U.S. crime rates (down 4 points)
- 80% about a potential U.S. recession (down 2 points)
- 73% about political divisiveness (down 2 points)
- 72% about the War on Ukraine (no change)
- 68% about affording their living expenses (down 7 points)
- 55% about a new COVID-19 variant (no change)
- 46% about losing their jobs (down 1 point)
WORK FROM HOME BUT INTERVIEW IRL
A recent Harris Poll found that 41% of Americans are likely to consider pursuing a new job within the next six months. In our latest survey with American Staffing Association, remote employees like working from home, yet they want to meet their new boss face-to-face first.
- 70% of job seekers say they want to interview in person for a new job rather than a video (17%) or phone call (9%).
- 67% say they feel the need to modify their usual appearances in some way before a job interview.
- Before an interview, more Black Americans feel the need to shave their facial hair (33% versus 22% for White Americans), while both Hispanic (19%) and Black Americans (17%) also feel the need to cover tattoos (White 10%) and remove facial piercings (18% for Hispanic, 14% for Black and 9% for White).
COMMUNICATING MORE BUT NOT BETTER:
Today’s hybrid workplace is a whirlwind of communication – with employees spending more than 70% of their work week communicating on various channels. That’s up from last year – yet poor communications also is causing a steep decline in productivity and effectiveness, according to our “State of Business Communication: The Path to Productivity, Performance, and Profit” report with Grammarly.
- Employees are spending 9% more time communicating – 28.8 hours a week – compared with last year.
- Leaders report a 12% drop in the effectiveness of written communication over the same period and a 15% decline in productivity.
- This is causing employee stress – with workers reporting a 7% increase in stress due to poor communications compared with a year ago.
- 84% of business leaders are feeling the downsides of poor communication, with lower productivity, missed deadlines and increased costs ranking as the top three.
- Most leaders (60%) and nearly half (45%) of workers say personal connections have suffered in the hybrid workplace.
- 68% of leaders say they lost at least $10,000 or more in business in the past year due to poor communications. One in five also say poor communications eroded their brand credibility or reputation.
DOCTORS DON’T HAVE TIME FOR YOUR DATA
As patient portals become more common and telehealth data pours in from apps and wearables, doctors have more data than time, according to our survey with ZS.
- 71% of primary care physicians say they have more data than they can handle.
- The patient data problem is compounded by the fact that 57% of doctors report that technology flaws are a barrier to having better-connected health care.
- 86% of primary care physicians say that a lack of reimbursement for connecting health care is a hurdle.
ICYMI:
In case you missed it, check out some of the thought-leadership and happenings around Stagwell making news:
- February Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll: Perception of economy is improving but only a third believe it is on the right track
- All Generations Find Telehealth Beneficial, New CVS Health Data Shows
- Almost Two-Thirds of U.S. Doctors, Nurses Feel Burnt Out at Work
- Streamer ads performed well during the Super Bowl
As always, if helpful, we would be happy to provide more info on any of these data or insights. Please do not hesitate to reach out.
Thank you.
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MAJORITY OF VOTERS THINK BIDEN ACTED TOO SLOWLY ON CHINESE SPY BALLOON 69% OF VOTERS NOW THINK CHINA IS PLANNING TO INVADE TAIWAN WITHIN 3 YEARS
NEW YORK and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) today released the results of the February Harvard CAPS / Harris Poll, a monthly collaboration between the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard (CAPS) and the Harris Poll and HarrisX.
President Biden’s approval rating remains at 42% after a dramatic State of the Union that voters wanted to focus more on the economy. A majority of Americans want more answers on the Chinese surveillance balloon and are increasingly concerned about Chinese spying and a potential invasion of Taiwan. Download key results from the poll here.
“President Biden didn’t get a bump from the State of the Union because it was designed to keep moderate Democrats in the fold, not reach outside the base,” said Mark Penn, Co-Director of the Harvard-CAPS Harris Poll and Stagwell Chairman and CEO. “China and Taiwan may become the biggest foreign policy issue in the next election cycle as Americans put a premium on a president who can deter growing Chinese aggression. The presidential race is still in early stages but we already see the theme will be the old guard fighting to keep their power against a new guard wondering if it’s their time.”
BIDEN HASN’T RECEIVED A BUMP FROM THE STATE OF THE UNION
- Biden’s State of the Union was received in a partisan manner: voters were split 50-50 on whether they found the speech favorable, and his approval rating remains at 42%.
- 35% of voters said they did not watch any of the speech.
- Voters said they wanted Biden to focus his speech more on inflation, the economy, and immigration.
- On Biden’s back-and-forth with Republicans on entitlements: 56% of voters believe Republican members of Congress are trying to cut Social Security and Medicare.
VOTERS CONTINUE TO WANT SPENDING CURBS INCLUDING SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM
- Most voters continue to side with the Republicans on the looming debt ceiling fight: 62% want Congress to raise the limit only with spending constraints, and 63% think Democrats should negotiate.
- Voters acknowledge Medicare and Social Security can’t continue without change: 57% think Medicare and Social Security do need reforms to remain solvent.
NIKKI HALEY GETS SOME MOMENTUM IN AN OPEN REPUBLICAN FIELD
- Nikki Haley rises after her presidential campaign announcement although most voters are still not familiar with her: among GOP voters she rose to third place in a potential GOP primary that does not feature Trump.
- Ron DeSantis is slipping slightly: among GOP voters he dropped 10 points in a potential GOP primary without Trump although he is still the frontrunner.
- The GOP field is wide open: only 54% of Republican and Independent voters think Trump will win the GOP primary if he runs.
AMERICANS ARE CHINA HAWKS ON SURVEILLANCE BALLOON AND ARE WORRIED ABOUT TAIWAN
- The shot-down surveillance balloon is a major concern to Americans: 66% of voters think it represented a challenge to US sovereignty by China.
- Americans thought Biden did too little in response: 63% think the Biden administration acted too slowly in shooting down the balloon.
- Americans also want more answers on the balloon and subsequent shot-down aerial objects: 82% support Congress investigating, and 75% want Biden to disclose what the administration knows.
- Americans are concerned about China’s aggression in other areas: 69% of voters think China is planning to invade Taiwan in the next 3 years.
AMERICANS DOUBT BIDEN ON FOREIGN POLICY ACROSS THE WORLD
- Biden’s foreign policy approval is low: 40% of voters think Biden has not done a good job on foreign policy including Afghanistan, Ukraine, and China – compared to 27% who think he has done a good job.
- 56% of voters think Biden is not up to handling challenges from China, Russia, and Iran.
AMERICANS STILL SUPPORT BIG TECH BUT ARE SUSPICIOUS OF TIKTOK
- 60-70% of voters do not want Big Tech companies (Google, Facebook, Amazon, or Microsoft) to be broken up.
- TikTok faces more suspicion: 59% of voters think TikTok spies on its US users.
- Voters are split on a full TikTok ban: 46% think TikTok should be allowed to operate in the US only if the app undergoes regular security reviews of its code base; 42% support a total ban.
- The FTC is seen as partisan: 48% of voters think it acts as a Democratic agency.
The February Harvard CAPS / Harris Poll survey was conducted online within the United States from February 15-16, 2023, among 1,838 registered voters by The Harris Poll and HarrisX. Follow the Harvard CAPS Harris Poll podcast at https://www.markpennpolls.com/ or on iHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.
About The Harris Poll
The Harris Poll is a global consulting and market research firm that strives to reveal the authentic values of modern society to inspire leaders to create a better tomorrow. It works with clients in three primary areas: building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. One of the longest-running surveys in the U.S., The Harris Poll has tracked public opinion, motivations, and social sentiment since 1963, and is now part of Stagwell, the challenger holding company built to transform marketing.
About the Harvard Center for American Political Studies
The Center for American Political Studies (CAPS) is committed to and fosters the interdisciplinary study of U.S. politics. Governed by a group of political scientists, sociologists, historians, and economists within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, CAPS drives discussion, research, public outreach, and pedagogy about all aspects of U.S. politics. CAPS encourages cutting-edge research using a variety of methodologies, including historical analysis, social surveys, and formal mathematical modeling, and it often cooperates with other Harvard centers to support research training and encourage cross-national research about the United States in comparative and global contexts. More information at https://caps.gov.harvard.edu/.
Media Contact:
Sarah Arvizo
pr@stagwellglobal.com
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Former CCO of the Virgin Group brings decades of communications experience and expertise to lead Stagwell’s Risk & Reputation practice; joins Sloane as Senior Managing Director –
NEW YORK – Feb. 3, 2023 – Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW), the challenger network built to transform marketing, and Sloane & Company (“Sloane”), a Stagwell company and an industry leader at the forefront of corporate and financial communications, have appointed Nick Fox as Stagwell’s new head of the company’s recently launched Risk and Reputation Unit. In his combined role at both companies, Fox will serve as senior managing director for Sloane.
Fox assumes his new role after a 14-year tenure at The Virgin Group, where he served as the company’s director of external relations, and, later, chief communications officer—overseeing the growth and protection of Virgin’s brand around the world. In addition to advising CEOs across Virgin’s partnerships in mobile, travel, health, space, and other sectors, Fox also managed the rollout of Virgin Galactic’s initial public offering in 2019 and that of Virgin Orbit in 2021. Following his departure from Virgin in December 2021, Fox has continued to provide strategic communications counsel for a range of clientele, with a primary focus on brand building, risk management and corporate reputation.
“Nick is an incredible addition to the Stagwell team,” said Stagwell Chairman and CEO Mark Penn. “He brings a wealth of global communications knowledge – working at the senior-most levels of international business. Our Risk and Reputation business unit has already curated an impressive slate of experts to tackle the most sensitive issues facing business leaders today. I am confident that with Nick at the helm, this practice will continue to drive immense value and top-notch guidance for our clients and their stakeholders.”
As head of the Risk and Reputation Unit, Nick will advise clients on how to manage some of the most complex business issues facing companies now, from increasing geopolitical tensions to financial system pressure to political and social polarization.
“Fox’s extensive communications background in both the U.K. and European markets poises both Stagwell and Sloane to broaden their international reach to attract new business—while also bringing a fresh perspective to existing client work,” added Sloane & Company CEOs Darren Brandt and Whit Clay. “As more companies seek trusted communications partners that will get into the weeds with them and help them navigate the travails of the U.S. market—or perhaps gain access to it for the first time—we are confident that Nick’s unique skillset will position us for impressive growth and client success, both now and in the long-run.”
“The expert roundtable that Stagwell and Sloane are building represents a deep knowledge base that you don’t find in a traditional communications firm,” said Nick Fox. “The opportunity to engage with and draw from the corporate, financial, and political arenas will provide an extremely valuable service for global leaders and companies facing increasingly complex challenges today. I am looking forward to working with such an entrepreneurially minded group.”
Fox began his new position in February, splitting his time between New York City and Washington, D.C.
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By: Mark Penn
Originally Published on: Barron’s
About the author: Mark Penn is chairman and CEO of Stagwell, a technology-based global marketing services firm.
Technology’s Wild West era is coming to an end. For decades, American policy has been hands-off technology to let it grow and innovate. On the eve of the dawn of artificial intelligence and the metaverse, the bad taste consumers have of social media and its divisiveness suggests that more aggressive regulation is just around the corner.
The recent round of layoffs won’t do much to staunch consumers’ fears that technology is enabling the possibility of a surveillance state. Their concerns will accelerate movement on tech privacy, censorship, anticompetitiveness, and national security legislation in the U.S. and abroad in 2023.
Half of consumers in America fear that technology will undermine their personal freedoms over the next decade, and 70% worry that tech will give more power to big corporations. The younger generations are particularly suspicious of Big Tech. Elon Musk gave some journalists access to Twitter’s records after he bought the social company. The reports they produced, known as the Twitter Files, were a damning revelation that government officials were pulling the strings behind the curtain and that the tech companies were willingly obedient much of the time.
In a recent Harvard-Harris Poll, 70% of voters now support a national law to prevent corporate censorship. The saving grace for the tech industry may be that many Democrats believe that they have been benefiting from the censorship and will oppose such a law, not understanding that what goes around comes around. They will regret blocking this legislation when they believe that they are the ones being censored. I expect this to be a significant issue in the 2024 campaign.
If Big Brother colluding with Big Tech keeps consumers up at night, the thought of TikTok being a Trojan horse for Chinese influence and spying is catnip for Congress seeking to look tough on China. Before the close of the year, leaders let loose a rash of state-based restrictions on the use of the platform by government officials. The House banned its members and staff from downloading the app. TikTok has dozens of trends working against it: Democrats and Republicans are largely aligned on the need to curb China’s influence, the Biden administration’s negotiations with TikTok have stalled, and difficult news continues to leak that employees at TikTok have misused the app, most recently to spy on journalists. The company has said it doesn’t share data with Beijing, and it fired staff members that it said were involved in the spying incident.
Voters might be less invested in the diplomatic implications of a TikTok ban than your senator, but rest assured that if the government enacts an outright ban, consumers will be up in arms. TikTok is the fastest-growing social-media platform in the U.S. and has been taking ad-market share from its legacy competitors. Expect a compromise that allows TikTok to operate but puts restrictions on how it can use and distribute information.
Beyond the U.S., data-privacy regulations will mature in 2023, meaning that global businesses will face more severe restrictions as they do business across borders. Countries have moved to enact data-privacy regulations since the implementation of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation in 2018, and now more than 100 have rules in place, according to Forrester. By 2024, an estimated 75% of the world’s population will be covered under modern privacy regulations.
The good news is that businesses have tracked the “will they, won’t they” drama around Google’s plan to phase out user-tracking “cookies” long enough that they’ve found solutions to replace the tool—and have adjusted data-privacy standards. But a more bullish Federal Trade Commission, with a renewed focus on “harmful commercial surveillance and lax data security,” will mean that it isn’t time to rest on laurels. It’s unlikely that the U.S. will get a national standard like the proposed American Data Privacy Protection Act. But expect the FTC to oppose virtually any merger-and-acquisition activities in tech, even if the government loses its cases.
The impulse isn’t uniquely American. The EU is also taking anticompetitive action against tech giants with the adoption of the Digital Markets Act, which aims to curb the market power of dominant digital companies. We have yet to see alignment on comparable federal efforts in the U.S. but the FTC’s recent intervention into Microsoft’s Activision deal hints at more to come. The FTC will take on Google, too, for alleged anticompetitive practices, in September.
Big Tech remains a critical engine of economic opportunity and innovation. But once it began carrying news and political speech, the industry crossed a line that put it in politicians’ crosshairs. This eroded their traditionally loyal Republican free-market supporters as the Democrats were moving further to the left, taking on a more anti–big business flavor. The combination of these trends just may result in the first major year of regulation of the industry.
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DESANTIS WOULD BEAT TRUMP IN A PRIMARY HEAD-TOHEAD THAT INCLUDES GOP-LEANING INDEPENDENTS
TWO-THIRDS OF AMERICANS WANT STRICTER IMMIGRATION CONTROLS WHEN TOLD THE EXTENT OF BORDER CROSSINGS
NEW YORK and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) today released the results of the December Harvard CAPS / Harris Poll, a monthly collaboration between the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard (CAPS) and the Harris Poll and HarrisX.
Joe Biden’s approval rating remains steady at 42% as two-thirds of Americans think inflation is still increasing. Ron DeSantis continues his ascent as the poll shows him defeating Biden in a 2024 matchup for the first time.
Strong majorities of voters think Twitter shadowbanned users and engaged in political censorship during the 2020 election. Seventy percent also want new national laws protecting users from corporate censorship. Download key results from the poll, which includes more on free speech, immigration, and inflation, here.
“Americans continue to show they are looking for new leaders. Ron DeSantis strengthens his grip as the Republican alternative to Donald Trump, and Elon Musk is in some ways the new Trump as the outsider taking on the establishment,” said Mark Penn, Co-Director of the Harvard-CAPS Harris Poll and Stagwell Chairman and CEO. “Americans also want more information: they are buying the Musk argument that there is an information chokehold in this country, whether by Big Tech, government, or mainstream media.”
AMERICANS THINK INFLATION IS INCREASING AND WILL LINGER
- 66% of voters think inflation is increasing, and 61% of voters think inflation will continue for at least another year.
- But Americans see economic troubles easing slightly: the percentage of voters who think the economy is heading in the right track and who are optimistic about their lives next year both increased by 3 points.
- Voters are split on whether Biden’s policies caused inflation.
IT’S NOW A TWO-WAY GOP RACE BETWEEN TRUMP AND DESANTIS
- Trump is still the GOP frontrunner in an open field: 48% of GOP voters would choose him in a primary, compared to 25% for DeSantis.
- But in a GOP head-to-head, DeSantis defeats Trump by 4 points if GOP-leaning Independent voters are included; Trump wins the head-to-head by 10 points among only GOP voters.
- For the first time, the poll shows DeSantis defeating Biden in a 2024 matchup, by 4 points; Trump would also defeat Biden by 5 points.
VOTERS BELIEVE TWITTER ENGAGED IN POLITICAL CENSORSHIP AND ARE ROOTING FOR ELON MUSK
- Americans believe in the Twitter Files revelations: 64% think Twitter was secretly shadow banning users, and 64% also think Twitter engaged in political censorship during the 2020 election.
- Americans like Elon Musk: 61% think Musk is trying to clean up Twitter from abuses, and his personal favorability is 8 points above water.
- The Hunter Biden laptop story continues to generate controversy: 61% of voters think Twitter’s decision to ban tweets about the laptop was based on political bias; but 42%, including a majority of Democrats, believe the laptop is Russian disinformation.
- 70% of voters, including strong majorities across the political spectrum, support new national laws protecting internet users from corporate censorship.
AMERICANS THINK ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IS A SERIOUS ISSUE BUT DON’T KNOW THE NUMBERS
- Voters are concerned about the effects of Biden’s immigration policies: 67% think they have encouraged illegal immigration, and 57% think they are increasing the flow of drugs and crime.
- Americans are unfamiliar with the extent of illegal immigration: 64% correctly said the number of illegal border crossings has increased under Biden, but the median voter underestimated that number by a factor of 10 (250-500 thousand vs. 2-3 million).
- Two-thirds of Americans want Biden to issue stricter policies to reduce the flow of illegal immigrants, when told the actual number of illegal crossings in the last year (over 2.75 million).
The December Harvard CAPS / Harris Poll survey was conducted online within the United States from December 14-15, 2022, among 1,851 registered voters by The Harris Poll and HarrisX. Follow the Harvard CAPS Harris Poll podcast at https://www.markpennpolls.com/ or on iHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.
The Harris Poll is a global consulting and market research firm that strives to reveal the authentic values of modern society to inspire leaders to create a better tomorrow. It works with clients in three primary areas: building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. One of the longest-running surveys in the U.S., The Harris Poll has tracked public opinion, motivations, and social sentiment since 1963, and is now part of Stagwell, the challenger holding company built to transform marketing.
About the Harvard Center for American Political Studies
The Center for American Political Studies (CAPS) is committed to and fosters the interdisciplinary study of U.S. politics. Governed by a group of political scientists, sociologists, historians, and economists within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, CAPS drives discussion, research, public outreach, and pedagogy about all aspects of U.S. politics. CAPS encourages cutting-edge research using a variety of methodologies, including historical analysis, social surveys, and formal mathematical modeling, and it often cooperates with other Harvard centers to support research training and encourage cross-national research about the United States in comparative and global contexts. More information at https://caps.gov.harvard.edu/.
Media contact
Brandon Dixon
pr@stagwellglobal.com
SOURCE Stagwell Inc.
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DEMOCRATS BEAT MIDTERM EXPECTATIONS DUE TO STRONG TURNOUT
CONFIDENCE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE COUNTRY REMAINS LOW AND BIDEN’S APPROVAL IS FLAT AT 43 PERCENT
DESANTIS’ 2024 PROSPECTS IMPROVE WITH 20 POINT SHIFT AWAY FROM TRUMP AMONG GOP VOTERS
NEW YORK and CAMBRIDGE, Mass. , Nov. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) today released the results of the November Harvard CAPS / Harris Poll, a monthly collaboration between the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard (CAPS) and the Harris Poll and HarrisX. Download key results from the poll here.
The poll shows that Democrats outperformed expectations in the midterms as they closed the turnout gap by taking advantage of early voting and driving their core issues of protecting democracy and abortion to be most salient after the economy. On the Republican side, Florida governor Ron DeSantis emerged as a big winner – his support in a 2024 GOP primary increased by 11 points among GOP voters while Donald Trump’s fell 9 points. Nevertheless, Trump still leads the Republican primary choice with 46% support among GOP voters.
Looking ahead to the new government, a strong majority of voters want to curb Congressional spending, and support for Ukraine is fracturing as Republicans and Independents increasingly soften on the rising price tag of supporting the war.
“The midterms didn’t change much, but Democrats did better than many expected because they had the better turnout operation, especially in early voting, and because they successfully put Trump on the ballot – everywhere except for Florida,” said Mark Penn, Co-Director of the Harvard-CAPS Harris Poll and Stagwell Chairman and CEO. “The biggest lesson of the midterms is that swing voters do count – the parties have exhausted their bases, and looking ahead to 2024, the country needs someone who, like Ron DeSantis did in Florida, can achieve unity.”
MIDTERM RESULTS
DEMOCRATS MADE UP THE TURNOUT DEFICIT
- Democrats closed the gap from the pre-election poll which had Likely Voters +3 for the GOP and Registered Voters tied 50-50
- Democrats took advantage of the early and absentee vote: 52% of Democrats voted before Election Day, compared to 45% of Republicans.
- One third of Independents which lean Republican in their choices sat out the election.
- Democrats successfully highlighted their core issues: the economy was the most important issue across the board (42%), but protecting democracy (18%) and abortion (16%) were next.
DESANTIS EMERGES AS WINNER WHILE TRUMP TAKES A HIT
-
- Among GOP voters, Trump’s support in a 2024 primary fell 9 points to 46%, while DeSantis rose 11 points to 28%.
- Voters said the biggest winners of the midterm were the Democratic Party (32%) and DeSantis (15%).
- In a hypothetical 2024 presidential race, DeSantis runs even with Biden and beats Harris by 3 points.
UNHAPPINESS WITH THE DIRECTION OF THE COUNTRY REMAINS IN PLACE
-
- President Biden’s approval is flat at 43 percent.
- A majority of American voters continue to say their financial situation is becoming worse.
- 4 in 10 voters believe the country is in a recession, and another 4 in 10 think it will be in a recession next year.
AMERICAN PRIORITIES FOR NEXT CONGRESS
VOTERS WANT MODERATE SENSIBLE POLICIES
- Roughly 80% of voters agree on each of the following: they want to reduce misinformation on the Internet, they want to curb Congressional spending, and they voted out of concern for issues like the economy, crime, and immigration.
- Voters want the parties to moderate themselves: 62% think the Democrats have moved too far to the left, and 56% think the Republicans have moved too far to the right.
VOTERS EXPECT A SLATE OF INVESTIGATIONS FROM THE NEW HOUSE
- Voters want more clarity on possible political bias: Strong majorities think the House should investigate the Hunter Biden laptop (65%), whether technology companies have been censoring political speech (74%), and whether politics have been affecting the FBI’s actions (77%).
- The January 6 committee continues to be unpopular: 62% of voters want the House to end it.
UKRAINE SUPPORT IS SOFTENING
- Support for costly aid packages is decreasing among Republicans and Independents: 61% of Republicans and 59% of Independents oppose providing another $27 billion in aid to Ukraine.
The November Harvard-CAPS Harris Poll survey was conducted online within the United States from November 16-17, 2022, among 2,212 registered voters by The Harris Poll and HarrisX. Follow the Harvard CAPS Harris Poll podcast at https://www.markpennpolls.com/ or on iHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms and sign up to receive the poll monthly at www.harvardharrispoll.com.
About The Harris Poll & HarrisX
The Harris Poll is a global consulting and market research firm that strives to reveal the authentic values of modern society to inspire leaders to create a better tomorrow. It works with clients in three primary areas: building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. One of the longest-running surveys in the U.S., The Harris Poll has tracked public opinion, motivations, and social sentiment since 1963, and is now part of Stagwell, the challenger holding company built to transform marketing.
HarrisX is a technology-driven market research and data analytics company that conducts multi-method research in over 40 countries around the world on behalf of Fortune 100 companies, public policy institutions, global leaders, NGOs and philanthropic organizations. HarrisX was the most accurate pollster of the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
About the Harvard Center for American Political Studies
The Center for American Political Studies (CAPS) is committed to and fosters the interdisciplinary study of U.S. politics. Governed by a group of political scientists, sociologists, historians, and economists within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, CAPS drives discussion, research, public outreach, and pedagogy about all aspects of U.S. politics. CAPS encourages cutting-edge research using a variety of methodologies, including historical analysis, social surveys, and formal mathematical modeling, and it often cooperates with other Harvard centers to support research training and encourage cross-national research about the United States in comparative and global contexts. More information at https://caps.gov.harvard.edu/.
Media Contact:
Sarah Arvizo
pr@stagwellglobal.com
SOURCE Stagwell Inc.
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By: Ray Day
CONTACT:
We wanted to share our latest consumer and business insights, based on research from The Harris Poll, a Stagwell agency.
Among the highlights of wave 140 (fielded Oct. 28-Oct. 30) in our weekly consumer sentiment tracking:
ECONOMY, INFLATION WORRIES MODERATE; JOB WORRIES JUMP:
Today, 86% of Americans are concerned about the economy, inflation and jobs – down 3 points from last week. At the same time, worries about losing a job jumped significantly.
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- 83% worry about a potential U.S. recession (down 2 points)
- 82% about U.S. crime rates (no change)
- 74% about political divisiveness (down 1 point)
- 72% about the War on Ukraine (down 2 points)
- 72% about affording their living expenses (no change)
- 62% about a new COVID-19 variant (up 1 point)
- 54% about losing their jobs (up 7 points)
- 48% about the Monkeypox outbreak (up 4 points)
INFLATION AT THE NORTH POLE:
Eight in 10 (84%) Americans plan to buy gifts for others this holiday season, and they have set their 2022 gift-giving budget at $823, according to our survey with NerdWallet.
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- Close to a third (31%) of last year’s holiday shoppers are still in debt after using a credit card to pay for gifts they still haven’t paid off.
- 72% of this year’s holiday shoppers will use credit cards, charging $663 on average.
- Inflation is affecting how some shoppers approach gift-giving this year: 83% plan to adjust as a result of inflation, including giving different types of gifts compared to years past (36%) and spending less per person compared to years past (35%).
- 43% say they feel pressure to spend more money on holiday gifts than they’re comfortable spending.
- 68% plan to shop Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales this year.
- 50% say they’ll spend the most on gifts while shopping these sales.
- Still, 30% plan to use Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales to buy necessities for their home or family.
- 67% say they will do their holiday shopping online instead of in-store this year.
OPEN ENROLLMENT BELT-TIGHTENING:
It’s healthcare open-enrollment season, and many workers are considering downgrading their health insurance because of high inflation, according to our survey with the Nationwide Retirement Institute.
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- 17% of respondents in the last 12 months adjusted their family’s budget to pay for health care expenses.
- 12% canceled or changed health insurance.
- 10% withdrew funds from their retirement account to pay for health care expenses.
- 8% downgraded their health insurance plan.
- 14% of Americans say they are considering downgrading their health insurance plan during this year’s open enrollment – rising to 23% for Gen Z and 20% for Millennials.
- Americans also are experiencing high levels of stress around retirement and retirement planning because of inflation: 47% report their top stressor is inflation, 30% worry about Social Security running out of funds, and 29% are concerned about an unexpected decline in their health.
EMPLOYEES’ ADVICE TO HR: LESS IS MORE:
When it comes to HR tech platforms to improve the work experience, less is more, according to our survey with HR Brew.
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- On average, employees report using 3.4 HR platforms and 8.1 total HR and productivity tools in general.
- 69% of employees with one HR platform said they felt confident they could find the information they need.
- Confidence plummeted to 49% among those whose company has more than one HR platform.
- In today’s economic climate, employees have an appetite for financial planning solutions (80% favorability among Millennials and 72% among Gen X) and the lowest need for new social networking tools.
INTEREST IN WOMEN’S SPORTS CLIMBING:
The popularity of women’s sports has grown by leaps and bounds – and consumers want to see the trend continue, according to Stagwell’s National Research Group’s new report, Leveling the Playing Field.
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- In the U.S., 3 in 10 sports fans say they’re watching more women’s sports now than they were five years ago.
- The broadcast market for women’s sports grew significantly worldwide this year, thanks in part to successful events like the UEFA European Women’s Championship and ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.
- Even in the U.S., which didn’t compete in those tournaments, the market grew by 29% compared with 2021.
- 85% of fans – including 79% of men – think that it’s important for women’s sports to continue to grow in popularity.
- The Olympics proved there’s growing demand for women’s sports. During the Tokyo Games, in half of the 10 most widely viewed sports, viewership for women’s events was higher than men’s.
ICYMI:
In case you missed it, check out some of the thought-leadership and happenings around Stagwell making news:
As always, if helpful, we would be happy to provide more info on any of these data or insights. Please do not hesitate to reach out.
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By: Ray Day
CONTACT:
We wanted to share our latest consumer and business insights, based on research from The Harris Poll, a Stagwell agency.
Among the highlights of wave 139 (fielded Oct. 21-Oct. 23) in our weekly consumer sentiment tracking:
ECONOMY, INFLATION WORRIES REMAIN STEADY:
Today, 89% of Americans are concerned about the economy, inflation and jobs – the same high level as last week.
-
- 85% worry about a potential U.S. recession (no change)
- 82% about U.S. crime rates (down 1 point)
- 75% about political divisiveness (up 1 point)
- 74% about the War on Ukraine (no change)
- 72% about affording their living expenses (down 1 point)
- 61% about a new COVID-19 variant (up 1 point)
- 47% about losing their jobs (no change)
- 44% about the Monkeypox outbreak (down 4 points)
INFLATION IS AMERICA’S #1 STRESSOR:
How stressed are Americans, and what’s causing it? The answers are clear in the 2022 Stress in America survey we conducted with the American Psychological Association.
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- 27% of Americans report being so stressed that they cannot function most days.
- Inflation is the #1 stressor for 83% of adults. That is followed by violence and crime (75%), the current political climate (66%) and the racial climate (62%).
- 76% say the future of the nation is a significant source of stress in their lives.
- 68% say this is the lowest point in our nation’s history that they can remember.
- 57% who indicated money was a worry said that having enough money to pay for things like food or rent/mortgage is their main source of stress.
- 43% reported feeling that saving enough money for things in the future is their main source of stress.
- 56% agreed that they and/or their family have had to make different choices due to lack of money in the past month, with Latino/a (66%) and Black Americans (59%) reporting this at a higher level than White (52%) and Asian (45%) American adults.
EMPLOYEES WARMING UP TO BACK-TO-OFFICE:
As we continue tracking return-to-office requirements, a majority of employees still say they will jump jobs if forced back to the office full-time. Yet the numbers of workers resisting return-to-office are much lower than three months ago, based on our survey with USA Today.
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- 57% of employed Americans say companies will lose employees if they require workers to be in-person (down 9 points from June).
- 73% of remote and hybrid workers say they would find another remote or hybrid job if their company forced them to work from the office full-time (down 5 points from June).
- In an earlier study with Bloomberg, 57% of workers said they believe that employers now have more power in the job market (a 5-point increase in favor of employers from January).
INFLUENCERS MATTER:
Nearly half of U.S. consumers consider input from influencers when purchasing a product or service – especially younger people, according to our survey with AdAge.
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- 80% of Gen Z consult user reviews before purchasing, and 75% say that recommendations from influencers affect their decision – nearly double the general population at 43%.
- 40% of Gen Z members have made purchases directly through an influencer’s storefront on sites like Amazon and LTK.
- 73% also report looking to TikTok creators for product input, with Instagram and YouTube influences being similarly popular choices.
BRANDS GETTING GEN Z RIGHT:
Beats by Dre, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Planned Parenthood, Lenovo and New Balance are doing the right things to capture the attention of Gen Z, according to the latest Ad Age-Harris Poll Gen Z brand tracker, a ranking of brands gaining the most attention from Gen Z members ages 18-24 in the third quarter.
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- Also doing better with Gen Z are Kickstarter, Impossible Foods, Coach, Flex Seal, Foot Locker, Pillsbury, Haagen-Dazs, Bose, Nature Valley, North Face, Crocs, NHL, Paramount, Fiji and State Farm.
- See full details here.
ICYMI:
In case you missed it, check out some of the thought-leadership and happenings around Stagwell making news:
As always, if helpful, we would be happy to provide more info on any of these data or insights. Please do not hesitate to reach out.
Thank you.
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By: Ray Day
CONTACT:
We wanted to share our latest consumer and business insights, based on research from The Harris Poll, a Stagwell agency.
Among the highlights of wave 138 (fielded Oct. 14-Oct. 16) in our weekly consumer sentiment tracking:
ECONOMY, INFLATION WORRIES UP AGAIN:
Today, 89% of Americans are concerned about the economy, inflation and jobs – up 3 points from last week.
-
- 85% worry about a potential U.S. recession (up 3 points)
- 83% about U.S. crime rates (up 2 points)
- 74% about political divisiveness (up 1 point)
- 74% about the War on Ukraine (up 1 point)
- 73% about affording their living expenses (no change)
- 60% about a new COVID-19 variant (up 3 points)
- 48% about the Monkeypox outbreak (up 1 point)
- 47% about losing their jobs (down 1 point)
VOTERS SEE ECONOMY ON NOVEMBER BALLOT:
Mid-term elections are less than three weeks away, and inflation and the economy might be casting the deciding votes, according to our latest survey with Harvard’s Center for American Political Studies.
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- When asked to pick the most important issues facing the country today, voters identified inflation (37%), the economy and jobs (29%), immigration (23%) and crime (18%).
- 73% believe inflation is increasing (versus 12% who say it is moderating and 14% who say it is staying the same).
- 65% think the U.S. economy today is weak (versus 35% who say strong), and 57% say their financial situation is worse (up 20 points from a year ago).
- 84% think the U.S. is in a recession now or will be in the next year.
- 65% oppose easing sanctions on countries like Iran and Venezuela to lower gas and oil prices. Instead, they want greater output of American oil and gas.
- 54% think the U.S. should cut military sales and technical aid to the Saudi Arabian government in response to its oil production cut.
NO KIDS = FREEDOM, MILLENNIALS SAY:
Americans are having fewer children than are needed to keep population numbers stable. Yet why are people choosing not to have children? In our survey:
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- Of those without children, 52% do not want to have a child in the future, while 20% remain unsure.
- For those who have decided against having children, 54% want to maintain their personal independence/finances, 40% want work-life balance, 33% say it’s due to housing prices, 31% cite the current political situation, 31% say it’s because of safety concerns, and 28% cite climate change.
- 55% of men and 53% of women reported that their desire to maintain independence influences their decision not to have children.
- 65% agree that the freedom that comes with not having kids brings them happiness – increasing to 73% among Millennials, according to a similar survey with Fortune.
CREDIT SCORES IMMUNE FROM PANDEMIC:
The pandemic disrupted many Americans’ finances, yet that did not translate into lower credit scores, according to our survey with NerdWallet.
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- 27% of Americans say their credit score has gone up since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with just 14% saying it declined.
- 69% with increasing credit scores attribute the gain to paying down debt.
- For those who saw their scores drop, 47% attribute it to taking on or increasing debt.
- 65% with higher credit scores took financial action as a result, such as applying for a rewards credit card (30%) or a mortgage/home equity line of credit (25%).
- 61% of Americans plan to act during the next year to improve their credit scores, with half (49%) planning to pay off or pay down debt.
- Still, credit misconceptions remain, with 46% of Americans incorrectly believing that closing a credit card you don’t use can help improve a credit score.
1 IN 4 ARE HALLOWEEN CANDY LOYALISTS:
With Halloween around the corner, our survey with Instacart has revealed consumers’ latest candy-buying habits.
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- 72% of Americans say they like Halloween.
- 24% say Halloween is their favorite holiday.
- 84% of people who buy Halloween candy will buy chocolate, while 56% will purchase fruity and chewy candy.
- 23% of Americans are candy loyalists – with 65% buying the same Halloween candy for five or more years, and 40% buying the same types of Halloween candy for 10 or more years.
- 63% of Americans report they now love a type of Halloween candy that they hated as a kid. Of those, 29% say they now love licorice, an 28% have developed an affinity for candy corn.
ICYMI:
In case you missed it, check out some of the thought-leadership and happenings around Stagwell making news:
- From National Research Group’s latest in-depth study: In Nigeria, Big Tech, crypto, and hustle culture come calling
- From a recent study by The Harris Poll: Social media fuels OOH visibility according to OAAA, Harris Poll
As always, if helpful, we would be happy to provide more info on any of these data or insights. Please do not hesitate to reach out.
|
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Thank you.
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Missed Advertising Week New York this week? We distill the biggest brand takeaways on brand fandom, political advertising, and media channel transformations below. Follow Stagwell on LinkedIn to keep up with the insights.
Rise of Brand Fandom – Move over, sports teams and celebrities.
Fifty-seven percent of consumers consider themselves a fan of a brand or product – higher than sports (48%), movies (52%), celebrities (54%), or online influencers/personalities (37%).
The brands that take a holistic stake in consumers’ lives will drive loyalty, affinity, and advocacy–and not just in the moment. Fandom is not a fad or a flash in the pan; 2 in 5 brand fans have been fans for over 10 years. Focus on helping consumers develop their personalities through your brand by delivering marketing, events and experiences, and content that gives them a platform to express that personality.
“Fandom is critical in the luxury space. Luxury is no longer defined as the most expensive thing –it’s defined by insider knowledge. We’re seeing a dispersion of brands being considered ‘wealth’ and ‘luxury,’ and price point alone won’t keep you in that luxury equity space. It’s important to have fan bases that really think of your brand as luxury.” – Neda Whitney, SVP, Head of Marketing, Americas, Christie’s
Political is the Biggest Media Story of 2022 – Get ready for hotter cyclical media environments as political advertisers diversify digital media channels to engage more voters.
Brands will feel the effect of political messaging as political advertisers spend a record $3 billion in the last three weeks of the election alone.
Many ads will tell Americans they’re poorer than ever because of inflation, for example – how will brands push back and get consumers to continue spending? Brands can no longer afford to be apolitical but risk looking too performative if they don’t back up their positions with actions. Lyft decided to foreground its identity as a transportation company when deciding to act, and as a result, it has provided ride services for voting, vaccines, and reproductive rights.
“We saw in 2016 that so many people chose not to vote because they didn’t have access to transportation. So we asked ourselves: how can we make an impact there? We created a voter access program and saw its immediate impact in 2020. It’s about looking at the issues consumers care about and our services. It’s our job to listen – to talk to elected officials and let them know we can come in as a partner to solve some of the issues our consumers care about.” – Heather Foster, Head of Government Affairs, Lyft
Digital Channels and Political Advocacy – Are political advertisers about to have the digital marketing efficacy reckoning?
This cycle will be the first many realize media buys are not driving impact because of mistargeting. Many voters in battleground districts no longer have traditional television – but there’s a disconnect between ad spending and consumption, with most dollars still going to broadcast. Brands need to get more comfortable shifting the media mix and taking risks with bourgeoning digital channels.
“The idea that there’s the TV generation and then there’s the kids – it’s an antiquated view. The fact is cord cutting is mainstream – now the majority of the population – and the idea that we can say we have a TV strategy and a different digital strategy is fraught with disaster. As we iterate, brands need to think about messaging across the full funnel, and know that TV and streaming work really well together because it allows us to do that. The future will be integrated streaming and linear in a really incremental fashion.” – Ashwin Navin, CEO SambaTV
Resurgence of OOH – OOH is resurging because OOH is modern.
When you start treating it like programmatic or digital it becomes a valuable tool in the funnel. Driving consumer engagement and social amplification through use of the OOH medium. (The Harris Poll found TikTok and other social media platforms are a major source of OOH ad visibility: 82% of TikTok users report frequently noticing OOH ads in content in their feeds, with nearly identical impact reported by Facebook and Instagram users.) And don’t sleep on the innovation underway here: location-based insights, shared AR capabilities, and more are all letting advertisers do more at scale. Embrace the underlying technology capabilities of Out of Home as a resilient pillar of your media plan for 2023.
”Out of home isn’t changing – the strategy is. Media is the new experiential and Out of Home is where people are. The technology that sits behind Out of Home is driving a different strategy lens, a different creative lens, and a different content lens.” – Brad Simms, CEO, GALE Partners.
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