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:

FROM BACKLASH TO BOYCOTTS

Americans are continuing to change their consumption and spending habits based on brands’ political alignment, according to our Harris Poll survey with The Guardian.

• 20% of Americans support boycotting firms aligning themselves with President Trump’s agenda.
• 36% of Americans say they are or will be participating in boycotts.
• 53% of Gen Z and 46% of Millennials are participating in boycotts (compared with 30% of Gen X and 22% of Boomers).
• 53% of Black Americans and 51% of Hispanic Americans are boycotting, compared with 29% of white Americans.
• Democrats (49%) are far more likely to boycott than Independents (32%) and Republicans (29%).
• The top reasons Americans cite for boycotting are to show companies that consumers have economic power and influence (53%) and to express their dissatisfaction with current government policies (49%).
• 20% say they are changing their consumption habits permanently.

GROWING UP IN 2025

The prevalence of technology in today’s society means young kids are growing up in a world drastically different from the one of their parents’ childhood, according to a new report by Stagwell’s NRG and Young Storytellers.

• Kids and teens interact the most with their friends by hanging out at school (62%), followed by sending text messages (43%), chatting through social media (35%) and sending links to online content (33%).
• The average age at which Gen Alpha is allowed to own a mobile phone is 11.5 (versus 12 for Gen Z and 14.1 for Millennials).
• 64% of kids and teens think technology makes the world better.
• 45% of kids and teens still enjoy talking to friends in-person more than digitally.
• 58% of parents agree it’s harder to raise kids today than in the world they grew up in.
• 58% of parents say they spend “a lot” of time thinking about how to ensure their kids are watching age-appropriate content on social video platforms.
• 49% of parents with kids under 12 strictly enforce a screentime limit for their kids.

SUMMER TRAVEL SURGES

Despite economic concerns, Americans are still planning to travel this summer, according to a Harris Poll survey with The Points Guy.

• 76% of Americans plan to travel this summer.
• 35% plan to travel more in 2025 than last year.
• 71% plan to travel domestically (29% internationally).
• The top international destination are Europe (53%) and Canada or the Caribbean (30%).
• More than half (51%) say they will spend more on travel in 2025 than in previous years.

ALL IN ON MARCH MADNESS

As March Madness kicks into full gear, a new Harris Poll survey explores American’s viewing habits of the tournament and sports as a unifying force.

• 50% of Americans believe watching and playing sports helps them connect with people from different backgrounds.
• 54% plan to follow either the men’s or women’s tournaments this year.
• 18% will follow both the men’s and women’s tournaments.
• 68% of adults aged 18-34 plan to follow at least one tournament.
• 84%  of those following the men’s tournament are excited to see at least one of the top 16 teams succeed.

FUTURE OF NEWS BREAKFAST

Will you be in Washington, D.C. during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner? Please join us on Friday, April 25 from 8:00-10:00am for breakfast and a discussion on the business of news. Email futureofnews@stagwellglobal.com for additional details and to RSVP.

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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:

TARIFF STRESS GROWS

Americans continue to worry about tariffs, based on our new Harris Poll research with The Guardian.

• 72% of Americans say they are concerned about tariffs (compared with 61% in January).
• 66% believe the U.S. economy will take years to recover from the tariff wars.
• 89% of Democrats, 57% of Republicans and 69% of Independents worry tariffs will cause a recession.
• 59% believe the tariffs won’t last long (61% of Republicans, 60% of Democrats and 55% of independents).

NOT HIRING

A relatively low unemployment rate and lack of mobility means many employees are staying in their current jobs, according to our Harris Poll research with Bloomberg.

• 70% of Americans think it’s difficult to find a better job than their current one.
• 76% say employers have more leverage in the job market than employees do.
• Nearly half of Americans feel “stuck” (39%) or “falling behind” (8%) at work, while 53% say they’re moving ahead.

CRYPTO = LUXURY

High-net-worth Americans are more likely to own crypto than average Americans, according to our Harris Poll research with Grayscale Investments.

• 20% of Americans own cryptocurrency.
• 26% of high-net-worth Americans (with investible assets of $1 million or more) own crypto.
• Of high-net-worth Americans who own crypto, 42% say it is because a financial advisor recommended it.
• 36% are paying closer attention to Bitcoin and other crypto assets due to geopolitical tensions, inflation and a weakening U.S. dollar.

GEN Z DELAYS WORK FOR STREAMING

Many Gen Z employees are prioritizing streaming over work, based on a new report by the Harris Poll and Tubi.

• 84% of Gen Z employees watch TV or movies while working.
• 52% say they don’t want to return to the office because they’ll miss streaming during the workday.
• 53% say they’ve put off work to continue a show they’re watching.
• 48% of Gen Z have lied about their streaming habit to coworkers and bosses.
• 38% of Americans stream for three hours or more.

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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:

SLEEPLESS IN AMERICA

Most Americans lost an hour of sleep this past week, and many are struggling to find sleep quality overall, based on our Harris Poll research with Mattress Firm.

• 53% of Americans rate their sleep quality as fair or poor.
• Women (55%) are more prone to sleep quality issues than men (50%).
• 7 in 10 say some kind of noise helps them sleep, with favorites being nature sounds (45%) and white noise (22%).
• 26% travel with their own pillows for better sleep quality.
• When it comes to daylight saving time, 44% love the longer daylight and adjust easily.
• 40% say changing the time is outdated.
• 42% have had their sleep affected in some way by daylight saving time – women (46%) more than men (37%).

FEAR OF FLYING

Recent air travel incidents have Americans on edge, based on our Harris Poll survey with The Points Guy.

• 72% believe airline travel is safe overall.
• Yet 65% are more nervous about flying in light of the recent safety incidents.
• 51% always are nervous when flying, and 20% are “very nervous.”
• 36% admit their fear has led them to change their travel plans.
• 43% use distractions like music, movies, games or books to overcome their fears.
• 22% use medication to combat flying stress.
• 14% consume alcohol to cope – with men (17%) more likely than women (11%).

MONEY ON WOMEN’S MINDS

Women feel confident about managing their personal finances, yet money remains a top stressor, according to our HarrisX research with Laurel Road.

• 65% of women rank personal finances as a top source of stress and anxiety.
• 78% say concerns about the economy make them uneasy about staying on track with their financial goals, including retirement savings (36%), credit card debt repayment (30%) and salary (22%).
• 76% of Gen Z women and 58% of Millennials look to their parents for financial guidance.
• 30% of women use social media to learn about financial trends and practices.

CRYPTO CONFUSION

While Americans are familiar with cryptocurrencies, skepticism in the investment remains high, according to Harris Poll’s QuestBrand.

• 58% of U.S. adults say they are familiar with cryptocurrency.
• 1 in 4 are currently invested in or trading crypto.
• 58% consider crypto to be a fad.
• 45% say they know how crypto works.
• 46% think crypto will be a mainstream payment method in the future.

CEOs FEAR FOR THEIR JOBS OVER AI

With AI reshaping the business landscape, global CEOs are feeling the pressure to successfully adopt AI or risk losing their jobs, based on our Harris Poll research with Dataiku.

• 74% of global CEOs said they risk losing their jobs if they fail to deliver measurable AI-driven business gains within 24 months.
• 70% predict at least one of their peers will be ousted due to a failed AI strategy.
• 54% say their competitors have deployed a better AI strategy than their company.
• 63% say their boards demand measurable AI-driven results.
• As a result, 35% say many AI initiatives are designed more for optics than real business impact.

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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:

WORK FRIENDS = BETTER EMPLOYEES

Employees are happier, more productive and more likely to stay at a job when they have friends at work, based on our Harris Poll research with Express Employment Professionals.

• 97% of U.S. hiring managers agree there are benefits to employees forming friendships in the workplace.
• Improving employee and company productivity is the most common benefit (67%), followed by increasing morale (55%), strengthening company culture (51%), improving mental health (50%), reducing turnover (44%) and reducing burnout (40%).
• 76% of job seekers would stick with a company if they had friends at their workplace.
• 65% of employees have stayed at a job longer than they intended because of their friendships at a job.
• 59% say they couldn’t get through a workday without the friendships they’ve formed at work.
• 87% of companies use methods to encourage and help employees form friendships.

WE LOVE E-CHECKING OUT

Consumers globally rank shopping as the online activity that gives them the most joy, according to our Harris Poll research with Rokt.

• Global consumers say shopping gives them the most joy online (53%), followed by streaming content (47%) and social media (42%).
• 70% say they look forward to online shopping.
• 72% of Gen Z and Millennials say online shopping is a more enjoyable experience than shopping in physical stores.
• 51% of younger consumers say they dread going to a store to shop.

WHO SHOULD LEAD CONTENT MODERATION?

With the rise of AI-generated misinformation, Americans believe content moderation is the responsibility of social media platforms, not the government, according to our research by Stagwell’s NRG.  

• 38% of social media users say the platforms should prioritize protecting freedom of speech.
• Americans are split on what’s happening today: 36% say social media platforms are doing enough in their approach to content moderation, 32% say they are too lenient, and 31% say they are too strict.
• 39% say the government should be less involved in influencing how social media platforms moderate their content – versus 25% who say the government should be more involved.
• 44% think social media platforms should use fact-checking for content moderation.
• Only 12% of users say platforms should not use any forms of content moderation.

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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:

ANTI-DEI SHOPPING BACKLASH

A quarter of Americans are walking away from brands that are shifting with the current political landscape – including on DEI – based on Harris Poll research with The Guardian.

• 43% have shifted expenditures during the last few months to align with their morals.
• 24% have stopped shopping at their favorite stores because of their politics – increasing to 35% for Black Americans, 32% for Gen Z and 31% for Democrats.
• Overall, 45% of Democrats and 34% of Republicans say they have stopped shopping at companies that have opposing political views to their own.
• See also: Shoppers are avoiding certain brands over politics: poll

DEMAND FOR REMOTE JOBS

The demand for remote jobs is increasing alongside return-to-office mandates, according to our Harris Poll survey with Indeed.

• 42% of employees have applied for a job specifically because it was remote.
• Most work-from-home roles are in tech (34%), banking and finance (23%) and marketing (26%).
• Nearly 6 in 10 women ages 35 to 44 actively search for remote roles.
• At the same time, less than 9% of all job listings on Indeed offer remote working options.

SNACKING FOR STRESS RELIEF

Two thirds of consumers cannot go a day without having a snack – often as a way cope with stress – according to the Harris Poll and Mondelez State of Snacking Report.

• 91% eat at least one snack each day, with 63% munching two snacks and 31% consuming at least three daily.
• 66% couldn’t live without snacks.
• 62% prefer to eat many small meals throughout the day instead of a few large ones.
• 53% snack more today versus a year ago.
• Younger consumers tend to be the biggest snackers: 65% of Gen Z and Millennials snack more today than a year ago (versus 36% for Gen X and Boomers).

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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:

NOT A CHEAP DATE

60% of Americans see pressure on single people to have a date for Valentine’s Day, and those celebrating will spend an average of $188, according to our Harris Poll survey with NerdWallet.

• Gen Z plans to spend the most on the holiday at an average of $274, followed by Millennials at $197, Gen X at $144 and Boomers at $96 on average.
• Men (78%) are more likely to say the man should pay on the first date than women (68%).
• 65% of Americans believe that, if someone asked them out, they would expect that person to pay for the date.
• 57% of Americans agree that the person who makes more money should pay for dates more often than the person who makes less.
• 68% agree that couples should talk about their finances within six months of dating.

ONLINE TO IRL

While younger professionals have a reputation for supporting remote working, our new Harris Poll survey with Freeman shows that Gen Z wants to get back to the office.

• 91% of Gen Z workers want a balance between virtual and in-person opportunities.
• 89% agree that relationships built during in-person events are critical to building professional confidence.
• 86% say that attending in-person events is critical to career development.
• Other reasons for working in person include wanting to feel more comfortable expressing themselves and being with others in person (82%) and being able to interact with people more in the real world (79%).

REALITY OF RETIRMENT

American investors are concerned about being able to retire where they currently live, based on our Harris Poll survey with Nationwide.

• A third (32%) of investors don’t believe it makes financial sense to retire where they currently live, especially those in the Northeast (41%) and West (37%).
• 16% will be forced to relocate to a more affordable region due to the high cost of living in their area.
• 41% of non-retired investors expect to retire at 66 or later, with Northeasterners (47%) slightly more likely to share this view.
• Inflation concerns are highest in the Northeast and Midwest (36% each), followed by the South (34%) and West (29%).

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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:

SUPER BOWL FLU

22.6 million U.S. employees will miss work the day after Super Bowl LIX, up from the previous record of 18.8 million last year, according to our research from the Harris Poll and UKG.

• 14% of U.S. employees plan to miss at least some work on Monday.
• 28% say they’ll be less productive than usual.
• 46% of U.S. employees would feel more comfortable asking to take off the Monday after Super Bowl if they knew their manager was also taking the day off.
• 7% of U.S. employees say they’d be reprimanded by management if they asked to miss work on the Monday after the big game.
• 40% say they’ll be distracted by Super Bowl media coverage when they work the Monday after the game – up from 28% last year.
• See also: Humorous ads of course are in, but certain messaging isn’t wanted on Super Bowl night, a recent Harris Poll found

DEBT IS A DEALBREAKER

1 in 10 Americans wouldn’t date someone with credit card debt, based on our Harris Poll survey with NerdWallet.

• 10% of Americans say they would never date a person with credit card debt.
• Gen Z (15%) and Millennials (13%) are even more likely to say this than Gen X (7%) and Boomers (5%).
• 43% would break it off at because of $5,000 debt or more, and 20% say $20,000 or more is a dealbreaker.
• 67% wouldn’t continue to date someone who lied about how much debt they have.
• 85% say financial responsibility is an essential quality in a romantic partner.
• One exception: 77% would be okay with a partner having student loan debt.

ALL IN ON OPEN BANKING

Consumers and businesses are reaping the benefits from the rise of open banking – financial services that allow consumers to securely share their financial data with third-party providers – according to our Harris Poll report with Mastercard.

• 76% of consumers say they connect financial accounts directly to tools to conduct financial tasks.
• 58% share data for more personalized experiences with trusted organizations.
• 85% of businesses use open banking and are optimistic about its continued growth.
• 91% believe their firm’s use of open banking will grow over time.
• 92% agree that “open banking is essential for future-proofing my organization.”
• Benefits businesses report from open banking are improved profitability (64%) and a positive impact on revenue (63%).

MADE BY AI

AI-generated photos could replace traditional professional headshots, according to our Harris Poll survey with PhotoPacksAI.

• 43% of Americans lack professional headshots.
• 39% of Americans with headshots haven’t updated them in four or more years.
• 44% of Americans would consider using AI-enhanced photos.
• 55% of Millennials would consider AI headshots, followed by Gen X (48%), Gen Z (43%) and Boomers (31%).
• The primary reasons for considering AI-generated headshots are convenience (38%), high-quality results (34%), editing capabilities (33%) and cost savings (32%).

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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:

THE NEW ‘FAST FOOD’

More Americans are turning to meal delivery subscriptions because of convenience, affordability and quality, based on our Harris Poll QuestBrand research.

• 39% of Americans (and 52% of ages 18-34) say they don’t have time to cook meals during the week.
• The biggest decision factors to subscribing are available meal options (65%), quality of ingredients (58%), freshness of ingredients (54%), nutritional value (53%) and reduced time cooking (49%).
• 68% of meal service subscribers report that it takes 30 minutes or less to prepare (prepping, cooking and cleaning up) a meal from a meal delivery service.
• 30% receive meals a few times a week.
• 23% receive meals once a week, and 17% once a day.

NO SUGAR ADDED

How is that New Year’s resolution going to eat healthier? If you’re like most Americans, you’re most likely to have started to reduce your sugar consumption, based on our Harris Poll research.

• 63% made a New Year’s commitment to eat healthier, and 84% say maintaining a healthy diet is very important to them.
• During 2024, healthy lifestyle changes included drinking more water (71%), exercising more (61%), trying to lose weight (41%) and reducing alcohol consumption (24%).
• This year, adults who are making healthier diet decisions say they are: reducing sugar intake (69%), eating more fresh produce (68%), reducing processed food (62%), increasing hydration (58%), reducing soft drink consumption (53%), cooking at home more often (53%) and reducing carbohydrate consumption (47%).
• 60% choose the foods they eat based on their nutritional value (number of calories or vitamins).
• Adults who are making healthier diet decisions say the following claims would convince them that a food is healthier compared to other options: “no added sugar” (55%), “good source of nutrients” (53%), “all-natural” (53%) and “low sodium” (50%).

TICK TOCK FOR TIKTOK?

Social media users say they would most likely flock to YouTube if the TikTok uncertainty continues, according to our NRG research.

• Users say they will spend their time on YouTube if TikTok shuts down (65%), followed by Facebook (56%), Instagram (55%), X (33%), Snapchat (31%) and Reddit (17%).
• More Americans say the decision to delay the TikTok ban is a good thing (39%) than a bad thing (29%).
• 61% believe it’s somewhat likely a U.S. tech company will buy TikTok.
• Consumers are most open to a purchase by Google (27%), followed by Meta (23%), X (18%), Microsoft (18%) and Amazon (18%).

HOMEBUYERS HAVE HOPE

After last year’s slump in home sales, Americans are more optimistic about purchasing a home, according to our Harris Poll survey with NerdWallet.

• 28% Americans who were in the market to buy a house during the last 12 months have done so.
• 15% of Americans say they plan to buy in the next 12 months.
• Nearly all prospective buyers (96%) say they’ve taken at least one step in the planning process.
• 54% of prospective buyers say they’ve begun looking at homes on listing apps, and 35% have started a down payment fund.

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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:

TRUMP ENTERS OFFICE WITH OPTIMISM

Our monthly study with the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard University shows that President Joe Biden left office with his lowest approval rating in two years, while President Trump re-enters the White House with a majority of Americans having optimistic initial views.

• 56% believe Trump has been trying to unify rather than divide the country after the election (Democrat: 23%, Republican: 88%, Independent: 55%).
• Of the cabinet picks, more favor rather than oppose Marco Rubio (+10), Mike Huckabee (+10) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (+9). Yet Americans are split on Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as leaders.
• Of Trump’s policies, deportations of illegal immigrants who have committed crimes (71%) and ending the Israel-Hamas conflict are most popular (66%). Withdrawing from NATO (24%) and renaming the Gulf of Mexico (28%) are least popular.
• Americans say their greatest hopes for the new Trump administration are that he will end inflation (66%), improve national security (46%), revitalize the American economy (41%) and restore American values (39%).
• Americans’ say top fears are Trump behaving like a dictator (44%), political gridlock (38%), damage to American international reputation and relationships (36%), and damage to federal government and agencies (36%).
• Regarding the LA fires, 54% believe authorities could have been better prepared (Democrat: 38%, Republican: 70%, Independent: 54%).
• 57% believe California Governor Gavin Newsom is guilty of mismanaging resources and making the fires worse, while 60% believe the same of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

MOST AMERICANS STILL SUPPORT DIVERSITY

With all the backlash to DEI, Americans still see the benefits of diversity, according to our new Harris Poll survey with Axios Vibes.

• Most demographic groups say DEI has benefited their career rather than hindered it.
• While 41% support efforts to roll back diversity initiatives, the majority – nearly six in 10 – oppose such efforts or are unsure.
• 61% recognize the positive impact of diverse teams on organizations.
• 75% want to see more work on diversity to ensure everyone is advancing.
• 39% of Democrats have benefited from DEI, compared with 26% of Republicans.
• These findings are consistent with past research, which highlighted the DEI acronym as more of an issue than people walking away from the values themselves.
• See also: Minority groups more pessimistic heading into new Trump era: Axios Vibes poll

AI = FOBO

Two thirds of employees have anxiety about their professional relevance due to technological change, according to Harris Poll’s second annual ETS Human Progress Report launched this week at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos.

• The fear of being obsolete (FOBO) is an issue for 60% of employees today.
• Yet 63% globally feel optimistic about their country’s upskilling/reskilling opportunities to counterbalance FOBO.
• 86% of global employees agree that certifying their skills improves their chances of securing a better or higher-paying job.

CEO’S AND COMMS LEADERS LACK CONFIDENCE

A substantial gap exists today in global confidence in business, based on Harris Poll’s latest Business Confidence Index with the Page Society.

• Only 26% of leaders globally are confident that companies can positively address societal issues.
• A 25-point gap exists between the public ranking of and confidence in addressing the most critical issues (in rank order): 1) economic stability and growth, 2) job creation and workforce skills development, 3) corruption, 4) environment, 5) research and technological innovation, and 6) mental health issues.
• The top 2025 business risks, according to communications leaders, include: 1) anti-woke/resistance to ESG/DEI and activist campaigns; 2) polarization and low trust, including dis/misinformation; 3) declining faith in institutions; 4) Trump policy shifts, including economic, regulatory and foreign policy, and 5) geopolitical challenges of rising populism, instability and international conflicts.

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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:

FOOD INFLATION FORCES MORE COOKING AT HOME

More Americans plan to cook at home this year to save money, based on our Harris Poll research with Flashfood.

• Food prices are predicted to increase 1.9 percent in 2025, according to the USDA.
• 83% of U.S. consumers say saving money is an even bigger priority in 2025 than it has been in other years.
• 81% say saving money on food is a top priority.
• 89% believe cooking meals at home is not only one of the best ways to save money on food, but also a healthier alternative to takeout or dining out.

DRY JANUARY OR CANNABIS 2025?

For many, it’s “dry January,” yet it’s also a cannabis-filled 2025, based on our Harris Poll research.

• 75% of Americans said they considered participating in dry January.
• 75% of those looking to de-stress in 2025 also are considering incorporating THC/CBD products into their routine – with DoorDash adding hemp-derived product delivery in some states.

PARENTS WANT CHILD CARE HELP AT WORK

Parental stress is nearly double that of the general population. Based on our Harris Poll study with Bright Horizons, the workplace is a big part of the problem and the solution.

• 34% of working parents feel they’re working too many hours.
• 58% say they’re not giving 100% of themselves at work, and 63% worry they cannot give their all to their families.
• 46% place “help with paying for child care” at the top of their benefits wish list.
• See also: HR Leaders Say Flexible, Employer-Sponsored Child Care Benefits Are Essential for Employers in Today’s Market

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