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:

COLLEGE VERSUS TRADE SCHOOLS

A greater percentage of Americans would advise high school graduates to attend a vocational or trade school (33%) rather than a four-year college or university (28%), according to our Harris Poll survey with the American Staffing Association.

• Baby Boomers (41%), Gen X (37%) and Millennials (31%) recommended vocational and trade school career paths.
• Gen Z is the only cohort that recommended a four-year degree (36%) over attending a trade or vocational school (22%).
• A smaller number suggest grads enter the workforce (13%) or find an internship (11%).
• Traditional universities are under the gun: Aside from the campus politics and threatened halt of federal grant money, 80% globally believe that new skills and credentials will be as valued as a traditional university degree by 2035.
• 75% believe AI will disrupt their future career.

THE RISE (AND FALL?) OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES

While interest in electric vehicles has nearly tripled in the past decade, the elimination of tax incentives is affecting purchase consideration, according to our new Harris Poll report.

• 31% of consumers say they are likely to purchase an EV (up from 13% in 2013).
• The top reasons for owning an EV, according to current owners, are having a positive environmental impact (34%), having a 10-year battery warranty (25%) and federal tax credits (21%).
• 24% of consumers who are at least somewhat likely to consider purchasing an EV would strongly reconsider (or no longer consider) making that purchase without the tax incentive.
• 23% of Boomers cite the federal tax credit as a reason for purchasing an EV, compared with 14% of Gen Z/Young Millennials and 18% of total consumers.

TARIFFS HIT RETAIL

The Harris Poll’s Tariff Retail Report highlights Americans’ ongoing economic uncertainty in the wake of months of inflation:

• 72% of Americans are concerned about tariffs (up 11 points since January).
• 66% think the U.S. economy will take years to recover from the tariffs.
• More consumers blame businesses for higher prices (39%) than the government (30%) and personal financial decisions (30%).
• 63% believe companies are taking advantage of the economic climate to boost profits.

SUMMER LIKE IT’S 1999

Americans are nostalgic for ice cream, less screen time and lower prices, according to our Harris Poll survey with Instacart.

• 57% of Americans say the last day of school is among the things they look forward to most during the summer.
• A few of the most appealing elements of the 1990s are the lack of smart phones and social media (53%), the sense of simplicity and nostalgia (39%) and the food and snacks (32%).
• 62% say ice cream reminds them of their childhood summers.
• 64% want their kids to experience the fun summer treats they loved as kids.
• 84% of parents say it’s more important that their kids minimize screen time during the summer.

GAME ON IN CANNES

Stagwell’s SPORT BEACH returns to Cannes next week as the official sport partner of the festival with a powerful lineup of programming at the intersection of sports, creativity and culture. 

• This year’s roster of speakers and panelists include tennis icon and trailblazer Serena Williams, sports broadcaster Erin Andrews, long-distance runner and Olympic Gold Medalist Sir Mo Farah, NBA legend Chris Paul, MLB All-Star Alex Rodriguez and George Russell, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team driver.
• In addition to SPORT BEACH’S daily swim and run clubs, Peloton and select instructors will host engaging fitness experiences throughout the week.
• To register, view the programming calendar, and see the full roster, visit sportbeach.com.

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

• Father’s Day gifts: 10 brands with high brand equity among dads
• Your Drink Tells Your Age: Keurig Dr Pepper-Harris Poll
• Teachers Sound The Alarm On Literacy: Nemours Children’s Health-Harris Poll
• Companies are preparing for a potential rise in employee turnover
• Fashion Forward: Emerging Trends in Apparel Purchases

Originally Released On

PR Newswire

Contact:

Kara Gelber

pr@stagwellglobal.com

NEW YORK, June 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW), the challenger network built to transform marketing, today announced the addition of tennis icon and trailblazer Serena Williams to its SPORT BEACH 2025 roster. On the heels of announcing her and her sister Venus’ new podcast with X, Williams will join X CEO Linda Yaccarino on Thursday, June 19 for a fireside chat at SPORT BEACH to discuss her vision for a new model of athlete-entrepreneur.

To register, view the full programming calendar, and see the full roster of leaders, innovators, and cultural influencers joining SPORT BEACH 2025, visit sportbeach.com.

Stagwell invites brands, athletes, sports leagues, media platforms and other interested parties to reach out to sportbeach@stagwellglobal.com to get involved.

About Stagwell
Stagwell is the challenger holding company built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our specialists in 45+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for our clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.

Contact
Kara Gelber
PR@stagwellglobal.com

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:

IS HOME OWNERSHIP JUST A DREAM?

Financial anxieties and misconceptions make home ownership feel unattainable to Americans, according to our Harris Poll survey with KB Home.

• 83% of Americans believe owning a home is a significant milestone.
• Excitement (47%), pride (43%) and motivation (28%) are the top emotions associated with homebuying.
• However, 89% feel anxious about affordability and the homebuying process (93% for current renters).
• 74% are willing to make lifestyle sacrifices to afford the home they want.
• 54% believe they are in a worse position to buy a home than previous generations.
• 28% are anxious about whether now is a good time to buy.
• Americans’ top financial anxieties are affording a down payment (45%), knowing how much they can afford (43%), making monthly payments (42%) and finding the best mortgage rate (42%).
• 69% falsely believe mortgage rates are at an all-time high.
• Nearly half don’t know key homebuying terms such as APR (44%) and PMI (49%).
• Gen Z (25%) and Millennials (23%) feel anxious about not knowing where to start in the homebuying process.

FREE WIFI, PLEASE

New York City residents rely on tech companies for accessible Wi-Fi according to our HarrisX research with LinkNYC.

• 55% of New York City residents use free public Wi-Fi monthly.
• 30% rely on it weekly.
• 35% don’t have unlimited cellular data plans.
• 51% run out of data at least one month per year.
• 76% approve of New York City’s use of technology to deliver public services.
• 78% say tech companies have positively impacted the city.
• 71% express interest in expanded, city-wide technology and AI programs.

WOMEN WANT DOULAS

Lack of access to doulas is a critical issue in the maternal health care crisis, according to our Harris Poll research.

• 73% of women believe that insurance companies should provide coverage to employ a doula (81% for women aged 18-34).
• 21% of women who have given birth have used a doula, and 90% found it helpful.
• 19% of women who have given birth wanted to employ a doula but couldn’t.
• 23% say a doula would have improved their pregnancy and birth experience.
• 30% felt they did not have control over their labor and delivery.
• Women ages 18-34 are more likely (51%) to engage a doula than older women ages 35+ (15%).
• Reasons for not employing a doula include lack of education and resources (65%) and financial constraints/lack of insurance coverage (35%).

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

• PRSA Member Monday Session on Building Reputation Today
• 20 brands catching Baby Boomers’ attention
• Gen Z’s fascination with secondhand apparel: Depop sees large brand equity gains among younger consumers, according to Ad Age – Harris Poll brand tracker
• Organic posts and brand-voice tests: how advertisers are approaching Threads
• From hype to human impact: expanding the role of UX research in the age of AI

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:

PRICING OVER POLITICS

Americans want businesses to work harder on pricing and less on politics to improve reputations, based the Axios Harris Poll 100 annual reputation study.

• 8 in 10 consumers say they care more about lower prices than politics.
• Two thirds say they aren’t interested in supporting companies that have become too political.
• No. 1 ranked Trader Joe’s, known for affordable specialty foods, registers an excellent reputation score of 82.1 (82.9 among Democrats and 81.1 among Republicans).
• Arizona Beverage Co., known for its giant 99-cent cans of tea, also is among the top 10 in reputation among both political parties.
• The most politically polarizing brands are near the bottom of the top 100 list (SpaceX at rank 86, Tesla at 95, X at 98 and the Trump Organization at 99).
• LEARN MORE: If you and your company/team would like a briefing on this year’s corporate reputation results – including data on many companies that did not make the 100 most visible list – please contact us.
• See also: Companies that kept DEI commitments saw higher reputation scores in 2025

WHAT CONSUMERS WANT

Consumers expect affordable pricing, quality and innovation from brands today, based on our QuestDIY by the Harris Poll survey.

• Affordable pricing (78%) and product quality (72%) are the most important decision factors when choosing a brand.
• 30% of consumers say innovation is an important factor when choosing a brand.
• 54% say it’s important for brands to consistently innovate.
• Consumers expect the newest products from food and beverage brands (36%), followed by restaurants (32%), entertainment products (27%), clothing products (26%) and beauty products (25%).
• 61% would switch to a competitor that offers more innovative products.

TARIFF CONCERNS CONTINUE

Consumers continue to be skeptical of the impact of tariffs on their personal finances and the economy, according to our Harris Poll survey with Bloomberg.

• 56% say their finances would be better if Trump’s tariffs had not been implemented.
• 69% expect higher costs for everyday goods as a result of the tariffs.
• 49% expect the tariffs to be bad for the economy.
• 30% say the levies will be an economic boon.
• Half say the economy is worse than in 2024 (66% of Democrats, 25% of Republicans).
• 3 in 5 report cutting back due to concerns about a recession, including eating out less (70%) and spending less on entertainment (57%).

SUMMER VACATION, AT HOME?

Summer travel sentiments are high, yet financial concerns and foreign policy shifts have affected Americans’ plans, according to our Harris Poll survey with The Points Guy.

• 77% of Americans plan to travel this year (consistent with 76% in February).
• 70% plan to travel domestically, and 28% plan to travel internationally.
• 32% plan to travel more than last year (yet down from 35% in February).
• 34% plan to spend more on travel this year.
• Men (41%) are planning to spend more on travel this year than women (27%).
• 52% say the current economy has affected their travel plans this year.
• 14% have postponed or cancelled travel plans due to the current economy.
• 30% say changing U.S. foreign policy has affected their international travel plans this year.
• See also: Preferred Hotels & Resorts Launches the Luxury Travel Report 2025

GEN Z VS. RETIREMENT

Retiring at age 65 seems like an unattainable goal for Gen Z, based on our Harris Poll survey with Nationwide.

• 44% of Gen Z investors (ages 18-28) feel behind in their retirement savings.
• 38% believe the retirement age of 65 is not relevant in today’s economic environment.
• 48% plan to work longer than age 65.
• 40% are worried about their ability to pay monthly bills over the next year.
• While 77% are concerned about a financial recession in the next year, 40% do not have a strategy in place to protect their assets against market risk.
• 17% are spending more on leisure at this age because they might never be able to retire.
• 62% of financial advisors believe Gen Z is more financially literate than previous generations.

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

• As Agencies Move Behind the Scenes in Cannes, Sport Beach Continues to Flex 
• 20 brands catching Gen Z’s attention right now
• Public attitudes toward mental health in the United States
• Americans to business: Take AI slow and do it right

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:

REPUTATION IN DECLINE

Businesses are being blamed for higher prices, and it’s affecting their reputations, according to our 2025 Axios Harris Poll 100 reputation survey.

• 46% of all U.S. corporate reputations declined.
• 40% of Americans say their overall opinion of companies is declining, with most pointing to inflation as the top reason.
• Tesla, SpaceX, UnitedHealth Group and JCPenney saw the sharpest declines.
• Trader Joe’s, Patagonia, Microsoft, Toyota and Costco were among the top five.
• New names to the list include Arizona Beverage Company (#7), Ulta Beauty (#27), SoFi (#41), DeepSeek (#46) and UFC (#82).
• 3M, Subaru and Mattel fell off the list this year.
• 79% of Americans say brands with the best reputation prioritize consumer wallets.
• 77% Americans say companies often sell lower-quality products and services while charging higher prices.
• 70% believe they are taking further advantage of inflation to increase their profit margins.
• 60% feel companies will use tariffs to raise prices more than needed to boost profits.

OPTIMISM GROWS

Americans are feeling more positive about the economy and their personal finances after tariff rollbacks, based on our May Harvard CAPS / Harris Poll.

• 42% say the country is on the right track – up from 39% in April.
• 39% say the economy is on the right track – up from 37% in April and 38% in March.
• 51% say the U.S. economy is strong today (highest since July 2021).
• 39% say their personal finances are getting worse, down from 45% in April.
• Price increases/inflation and the economy/jobs remain the country’s two major issues (34% and 31%).
• 63% support cutting the size of the government.
• 55% say DOGE has been effective.
• 67% (steady with April) support the goal of cutting $1 trillion in expenditures.

DOWNFALL OF TECH INDUSTRY

National Research Group’s new technology report, the Tech Policy Tightrope, examines today’s fragmented tech landscape and predictions for the next few years. Key findings:

• Increased visibility of tech leaders and CEOs carries significant business and reputational risk.
• “Responsible AI” and “competitive AI” are not mutually exclusive as the U.S. explores how to balance ethical development and implementation with complex regulations.
• As policymaking shifts to the states, California, Texas and New York are emerging as key battleground states for AI, privacy and crypto.
• The explosive growth of AI and its impact on the energy grid have made tech policy and energy policy converge.

ANIME ATTRACTING AUDIENCE

Teenage anime fans outnumber Kendrick Lamar fans today,  according to our National Research Group report with Crunchyroll.

• 59% of teenagers identify as anime fans, higher than those who identify as Kendrick Lamar fans (48%).
• Teenage fans consider anime to be “meaningful” to who they are (40%) and say it has influenced their outlook on life (30%).
• 78% say anime has strengthened their personal relationships.

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

• Summer vacation travel: United Airlines boosts purchase intent with a better in-flight experience
• Empowering women in maternity care: Challenging the status quo
• Revisiting ‘Future of News’ one year later: Stagwell investigates news advertising
• Google Marketing Live POV: Reengineering Search for an AI-First World

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:

ANXIOUS AMERICANS

Americans are feeling the strain of rising costs, with financial concerns delaying life goals, according to our Harris Poll with The Guardian.

• 65% of Americans think the cost of living has worsened since the start of the year.
• While 33% of Republicans believe the U.S. economy is worsening, 64% of Independents today believe it is worse, more in line with Democrats (73%).
• 29% of Americans – including 39% of Democrats, 28% of Independents and 21% of Republicans – say tariffs will do the most economic harm.
• 78% have noticed higher grocery prices during the last few months.
• 6 in 10 say the economy has affected/delayed at least one major life goal – especially buying a new home (75%), making a large purchase (66%) and switching jobs (63%).
• Of those who planned to have a child in 2025, 32% are unable to afford it, and 33% are uncomfortable having a child in the current economy.

YOUTH SPORTS = GAME CHANGERS

Parents recognize and prioritize the value of youth sports, according to our Harris Poll research with First Tee.  

• 88% of parents are making room in their budget for youth activities.
• Most parents say playing sports helps children build confidence and social skills (94%), helps build character (92%) and teaches them important life skills (90%).
• 92% of parents say they have seen firsthand how youth sports can shape a child’s future.
• 91% say the impact of sports lasts a lifetime.
• 67% say they wouldn’t be where they are today without the influence of coaches.
• 69% believe there aren’t enough female coaches or mentors in youth sports.
• 84% hope that their child can participate as a mentor or coach in a youth sports program in the future.

FACTS ON FAST FOOD

Frequent QSR diners value limited-time and seasonal menu items over nutritional value, according to the Harris Poll’s 2025 QSR & Fast Casual Industry Snapshot.

• 57% of U.S. adults order items from a quick service restaurant (QSR) at least once a week.
• 26% order from a QSR at least once a month.
• 31% of frequent diners have gone to a QSR to try a limited-time menu item.
• 18% feel like they are missing out if they see a limited-time menu item they haven’t tried.
• 27% like it when QSRs put a twist on a menu item they already enjoy.
• Frequent diners are most excited about holiday-themed releases (76%), seasonal flavors (74%), trendy food items (70%) and specialty ingredients (68%).
• Quality of food (71%) and price of food (70%) are the most important aspects of dining at a QSR.
• Only 19% cited nutritional value as important.

GEN Z WANTS TO DISCONNECT

Consumers’ desire to interact in-person is changing the retail landscape and their online habits, according to our Harris Poll report with Quad.

• 78% of Americans would rather have an in-person social life than a digital one.
• 81% say digital detoxes should be routine.
• 81% of Gen Z wish it was easier to disconnect from digital devices.
• 84% of Gen Z and Millennials value brands that seamlessly blend technology and physical experiences.
• 76% say physical retail experiences help them connect deeper with people and brands.
• 86% of Gen Z and Millennials say touching and feeling products are essential to their purchase decisions.
• 51% of Gen Z and Millennials are likely to make a return visit after a wow-worthy in-store experience.
• 63% of consumers have planned a trip around visiting a store or brand.

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

• Health Coverage Is Holding Back More People From Living Abroad
• The Next AI Revolution Isn’t Technical, It’s Emotional
• Stagwell (STGW) Drafts New Picks for SPORT BEACH 2025: Lauren Betts, Myles Garrett, Billie Jean King, Ilona Maher, Brandon Marshall, Katie McCabe, Alex Morgan, Oscar Piastri, Gerard Piqué, Nigel Sylvester, Ian Wright OBE and More Confirmed to Attend
• “Back is Best” for sleeping babies, but not for birthing moms: The critical need for better education on birthing positions
• The vast majority of CEOs are fearful of losing their jobs due to AI, survey reveals

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:

WHO’S TO BLAME FOR HIGHER PRICES?

Trust between business and customers has frayed and is expected to become even worse, based on new insights from the Milken Institute-Harris Poll Listening Project.

• 50% of consumers today blame corporations for higher prices of goods and services, while 50% blame the government.
• 72% say companies are charging higher prices or using tariffs (60%) as an excuse to boost their profits artificially.
• Cultural issues also are a problem: 78% say companies are getting into trouble by trying to appease both the left and right.
• 56% say it’s a marketing ploy when companies voice opinions on social issues.
• 47% say it’s okay for companies to occasionally speak out on social issues, yet 24% say companies never should.
• To improve trust, companies need to “stop talking and start doing”: Consumers find it essential that companies demonstrate measurable progress on current commitments on local financial investments (86%), the environment (77%), social causes (75%) and DEI (71%).
• Looking ahead, 71% of Americans believe the relationship between corporations and consumers will become more adversarial.
• 73% say companies underestimate how willing consumers are to withdraw support from brands that violate their values.
• 65% say boycotting companies that don’t align with their values is more effective than ever.

STOP BOTHERING ME!

Consumers are tired of digital ads disrupting their online experience, according to our Harris Poll report with eyeo. 

• 73% of desktop users and 79% of mobile users are frustrated by online ads.
• Consumers say ads in mobile gaming apps are the most frustrating (25%), followed by ads in streaming services (21%), video platforms (15%) and mobile search platforms (14%).
• 61% of consumers are less likely to buy products when they are inundated with ads.
• 43% switch browsers for more ad-blocking capabilities.

BEING HONEST ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH

While conversations on mental health are more common today, the lingering stigma affects both older and younger adults, according to our Harris Poll survey with the American Psychological Association. 

• 88% say having a mental health disorder is nothing to be ashamed about.
• Yet 35% say they would view someone differently if they learned they had a mental health condition.
• 84% say the term “mental illness” still carries a stigma.
• 51% feel positive about their mental health.
• 83% are comfortable talking about their mental health.
• 45% have sought mental health care in the past.
• 52% of younger adults say they have withheld information about their mental health from friends or a health care provider (versus 25% for adults 55 and older).
• 52% of younger adults say they would be comfortable discussing mental health with an AI chatbot (26% for older adults).
• 30% of younger adults would rather talk about mental health anonymously than with someone they know.
• 41% of adults say they’re uncomfortable asking others for help.

MATERNAL HEALTH OVERLOOKED

An extreme gap exists in maternal postpartum care, according to our Harris Poll.

• 77% of women feel there’s not enough focus on health care for mothers after pregnancy and birth.
• 65% feel mothers become an afterthought once the baby arrives.
• 23% say postpartum care was less than adequate (30% for women ages 18-44).
• Only 24% of women who’ve given birth felt they received enough information or resources on postpartum depression.

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

• 94% say their pet’s mood affects their own
• National Research Group study: Chatting in Movie Theatres Is a No-No. But What About Chatbots?
• The Fate Of Human Work In The Age Of Intelligent Machines
• Ulta Beauty Case Study: Two brands are better than one

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:

BREAKING THE RETURN RULES

U.S. and UK consumers are finding ways to take advantage of retailers that have lenient return policies, according to our Harris Poll survey with Forter.

• 68% of U.S. and UK consumers believe retailers make it easy to abuse flexible return policies.
• 49% admit to abusing retailers’ policies in the last 12 months.
• 29% are turning to policy abuse to avoid paying full price.
• 30% say they exploit flexible return policies most for clothing and expensive items they could not otherwise afford (46% for younger consumers).
• 63% say they rely on retailers’ promotions and free perks more now than in the past.
• 16% say they have stopped shopping with a retailer because they made their return policy stricter.

BUSINESS LEADERS SOUND THE ALARM

US. business leaders’ concerns are growing about America’s global competitiveness and their own companies’ performance, based on our Harris Poll research with the Leadership Now Project.

• 84% of senior business leaders express concern over the current political and legal environment’s impact on their business.
• 45% say recent executive orders and policies have negatively affected their business’s competitiveness, while 33% report a positive impact.
• Business leaders feel more comfortable expressing their views about government policy within their company (83%) or industry (78%) than publicly (75%).
• Among business leaders who feel uncomfortable expressing their views on government policy, 51% worry about reputational risk to their company or themselves (38%).
• Business leaders are split on whether the current business climate under the Trump administration is better (39%) or worse (37%) than they expected.

THIRD OF CONSUMERS ‘JUST GETTING BY’ FINANCIALLY

With economic concerns growing, half of Americans feel that, no matter how hard they try to move ahead financially, something always comes up to set them back, based on our Harris Poll survey with the Wells Fargo Foundation.

• 48% feel like they are constantly treading water financially and that any unexpected expense could pull them under.
• 33% report they are just getting by financially.
• 63% worry that partisanship and volatility in the U.S. government will negatively affect their personal finances in the coming year.
• 57% say current uncertainty in the U.S. economy makes it impossible to achieve their long-term financial goals.

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

• Searching for the perfect gift for Mother’s Day? See the top 10 brands for moms by brand equity.
• Ranking the Movie Stars Who Actually Matter
• Most Parents Teach Their Kids About Saving Money
• 86% of Data Leaders Cite Privacy as Top Concern Amid AI Adoption
• New study proves localized advertising is more effective among key demographics

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:

IS COLLEGE STILL WORTH IT?

Gen Z says AI has made college degrees irrelevant, according to our Harris Poll survey with Indeed.

• 51% of Gen Z today view their degree as a waste of money (41% for Millennials and 20% for Boomers).
• 45% of Gen Z say AI has made their college education irrelevant (versus 30% overall).
• 68% believe they could do their job without a degree (49% for Boomers).
• With tuition fees up 32%-45% during the last 20 years, 52% report graduating with student debt (58% for Millennials).
• 38% believe student debt has hindered their professional growth more than their degree helped.
• See also: Gen Z is interested in blue-collar work – but not necessarily manufacturing

SAVING VERSUS SPENDING

Americans concerned about their financial situation are spending less and saving more, according to our Harris Poll survey with the American Institute of CPAs.

• 37% of Americans say they have become more cautious about their financial situation during the past 12 months.
• 28% are charging less on credit cards.
• 27% have delayed a major purchase.
• 27% have started increasing their savings.

SANDWICH GENERATION SUFFERS

The sandwich generation – those between ages 40 and 59 – are facing the unprecedented financial strain of caring for both elderly relatives and adult children, according to our Harris Poll research with Athene.

• 73% say supporting family has affected their retirement goals.
• Women (53%) report higher levels of financial strain than men (40%).
• 22% are using retirement assets to support their family.
• 34% are planning to delay retirement.
• 30% are concerned about having to rely on children for financial support in retirement.
• 9% are not planning to retire at all.
• See also: ‘Magic number’ for retirement is down to $1.3 million, but Americans are still concerned

CHILDCARE CRISIS

The lack of childcare benefits is a growing crisis for working parents, according to Harris Poll and KinderCare’s 2025 Parent Confidence Index.

• 53% of working parents fear career setbacks due to parenting responsibilities.
• 63% say the return to in-person work has affected childcare needs.
• 53% are worried they will have to step back from their career to take on childcare responsibilities.
• 63% say employee-provided childcare benefits are more difficult to use than health benefits.
• 71% believe today’s gender pay gap directly results from America’s lack of childcare support.

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

• Mark Penn in the WSJ: A New Poll Shows the Peril of Trump’s Tariffs
• Transforming Staple Foods into Brilliant New Brands
• PR’s Next Evolution: AI, GEO, and the Rise of the Communications Engineer
• Behind the rise of agency chief AI officers

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:

AMERICANS GROW MORE NEGATIVE

U.S. consumers are growing more negative about the macro economy and their personal financial situation, based on our April Harvard CAPS / Harris Poll.

• 39% say the country is on the right track overall – down from 41% in March and 42% in February.
• 37% say the economy is on the right track, down from 38% in March and February.
• 45% say their personal financial situation is becoming worse – up sharply from 41% in March and February.
• Price increases and inflation (38%, steady with last month) and the economy/jobs (33%, up 1 point) remain the country’s two major issues.
• 47% oppose President Trump’s tariff program, while 45% support it.
• Americans cite increases in prices of everyday purchases (41%) and their retirement money being at risk (24%) as the top ways tariff policies already have affected them.
• 39% expect the U.S. economy to grow worse in the next 12 months.
• 67% support the goal of cutting $1 trillion of government expenditures.
• 57% do not believe Elon Musk and DOGE will be able to hit the goal by the end of the year.
• 55% say Musk and DOGE have gone about making government spending cuts in the wrong way.
• 58% believe Musk should resign after his six-month special government employee status ends.
• See also: PRSA forum gives education and advice on the economy and tariffs

GROCERY PRICES AFFECT EVERYTHING

The pressures inflation puts on the retail industry is causing a disconnect between shoppers and business operators, according to our Harris Poll study with Rakuten.

• 55% of shoppers are looking for the lowest prices when shopping.
• 77% think prices will continue to increase throughout 2025.
• 19% cannot afford to pay their household bills.
• 17% cannot afford necessities like food and gas.
• 36% say they can afford all their daily expenses in addition to non-essential items.
• 41% plan to shop less than in previous years, and 39% cite inflation as having the most impact on their 2025 shopping plans.
• 57% say rising grocery prices has caused them to cut back on non-essential shopping.
• 41% are spending more at the grocery store to purchase from the same brands they’re accustomed to, while 39% are shifting to cheaper alternatives.
• 13% say they are completely avoiding buying products affected by large price hikes, such as eggs.

RETIREMENT WOES

The burden of retirement is affecting single people more than partnered investors, according to our Harris Poll research with Nationwide.

• 1 in 4 single investors say they did not plan to be alone in retirement.
• 22% are scared to grow old alone.
• 37% say they experience more strain or financial hardship compared to their married or partnered peers.
• 18% of non-retired single investors don’t know if they’ll ever be able to retire.

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