WHAT THE DATA SAY: Americans spend 10.5 hours a week in workplace meetings and more time communicating than ever

By: Ray Day

CONTACT:

Ray Day
ray.day@stagwellglobal.com 

We wanted to share our latest consumer and business insights, based on research from Stagwell. Among the highlights of our weekly consumer sentiment tracking:

BOEING SAFETY ISSUES WORRY TRAVELERS

Boeing’s safety issues are creating nervous travelers, according to our Harris Poll research with Fast Company.

• 64% are aware of the Boeing safety issue on Alaska Airlines.
• Among those aware, 43% say they are less comfortable with flying – highest among Boomers (49%), followed by Gen X (41%), Millennials (39%) and Gen Z (37%).
• Those who plan to travel by air in the next 12 months say the safety incidents have prompted them to shift their behaviors: 47% are more likely to wear a seatbelt when not required, 30% are more likely to pick a seat in sections of the plane that they perceive as safer, and nearly half are paying more attention to safety materials.
• 40% are more likely to consider the model of the airplane they’re flying on.
• 36% are more likely to consider which airline they’re using for upcoming flights.

BUSINESSES SEE AI AS $1.6 TRILLION BOOST

Generative AI could save $1.6 trillion in U.S. business productivity each year by improving communication, based on our Harris Poll survey with Grammarly.

• Business leaders and workers are communicating more and in more channels, causing more stress than ever (16% higher stress from communication this year versus last year).
• Workers today spend nearly half of their workweek on writing tasks (19.08 hours).
• They also spend 10.5 hours in meetings, 6 hours on email and nearly 4 hours on text-based chat functions.
• Time spent reviewing and editing all these communications increased 11% from last year.
• Business communications are not hitting the mark, however: a 24% gap exists between workers’ (63%) and leaders’ (87%) perceived effectiveness of their organization’s communications.
• 64% of employees (down 8 points from last year) say their senior leadership communicates effectively.
• 90% of leaders believe they communicate effectively.
• Workers using generative AI say that it makes them better at their job (77%), has transformed how they communicate at work (71%), and they ultimately believe AI will enhance their work versus replace them (66%).
• 58% wish their companies were more open to implementing AI.
• Yet 52% admit they don’t know how to use AI.

YOUNG PEOPLE SEE MORE REWARD THAN RISK WITH AI

Gen Z is the most bullish on generative AI for school and work, based on our Harris Poll research with MITRE.

• While most U.S. adults (54%) say AI’s risks outweigh its benefits, Gen Z and Millennials are more excited about the potential benefits (57%) than risks.
• Gen Z (54%) and Millennials (58%) are most willing to use AI to perform everyday tasks (compared with Gen X at 39% and Boomers at 30%).
• Gen Z and Millennials also say using AI tools in their personal life reduces the mental load they have to carry (73%) and has given them time back to do other things (73%).

PET LOVE = INSURANCE GROWTH

America’s love for pets runs deep – with most willing to spend $1,000 or more on lifesaving medical care, and 1 in 4 now have pet insurance, based on our Harris Poll research with NerdWallet.

• 64% say they consider pets a member of their family.
• 34% budget their pet’s care costs.
• 25% would go into debt to pay for lifesaving medical care.
• 42% with pet insurance say they have it because their pets often need care covered by their policy.
• 57% of pet owners with pet insurance say they have it for “peace of mind.”

ICYMI

In case you missed it, check out some of the thought-leadership and happenings around Stagwell making news:

• Almost All U.S. Physicians Surveyed Feel Burned Out on a Regular Basis, with Many Having Considered Career Change
• How Americans keep fit, and why they fall short, reveal opportunities for marketers
• Mirroring their favorite A-list celebrities, Gen Zers don Polo Ralph Lauren