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 and Allison Worldwide. Among the highlights of our weekly consumer sentiment tracking:

PARENTS ARE STILL PAYING THE BILLS

Many Americans still depend on family support, and 1 in 5 doubt they ever will become financially independent, according to the 2026 Planning & Progress Study by Harris Poll and Northwestern Mutual. 

• 42% of U.S. adults still rely on previous generations for financial support.
• Reliance is especially high among younger adults, with more than half of Millennials and about 1 in 4 Gen Zers reporting it.
• On average, Americans say they have achieved or expect to achieve financial independence at age 37.
• Fewer than 1 in 3 Americans plan to leave an inheritance behind. Among those who do expect to leave one, the average inheritance is below $50,000.
• See also: Young Americans say parenthood now feels like a choice between family and financial security

HALF WATCHING THE WORLD CUP

Half of Americans plan to watch at least one World Cup match on TV, streaming or social media during the next several weeks, according to our Harris Poll research.

• 52% say hosting major international sporting events in North America is making them more interested in sports they would not normally follow.
• 51% say they have noticed brands sponsoring or advertising around the World Cup.
• 50% hope their favorite brands are involved with the tournament in some way.
• See also: How “beyond the broadcast” engagement strengthens sports fandom
• See also: America’s Surge in Soccer Fandom

MEN ARE GOING FOR A GLOW-UP

Men’s grooming routines have become the next frontier in beauty, as more men view skincare as part of their overall wellness journey, based on our Harris Poll data.

• Nearly a fifth of men (18%) say beauty/skincare spending would be the hardest to cut back this summer.
• Half of Gen Z and Millennials (48%) would still buy a favorite skincare product even with a price tag of $100.
• With an annual estimated 8% growth, forecasts predict men’s skincare will hit $16 billion by 2032 and men’s grooming products as a whole $276 billion by 2030.

SUMMER JOB GHOSTING SEASON

Job applications have a new worry this summer: In addition to a rising number of job seekers who say they never hear back from applications, a growing trend is a “ghost position” – an online listing from companies with no immediate intention to fill it or for a job that does not exist at all, based on our Harris Poll and other research.

• 53% of applicants assume they will not receive any response from a company after applying.
• Up to one third of all job postings are assumed to be fake.
• Ghost postings are said to be phantom listings to collect resumes in reserve, create an illusion to their workforce that help is on the way and even portray an appearance of company growth.
• Several lawmakers are pushing for legislation to crack down on phantom postings.
• See also: 4 in 5 believe careers in creative fields are undervalued

LGBTQ+ SEE BRANDS PULLING BACK

LGBTQ+ consumers are paying close attention to whether brands stand by their values when support gets tested, according to new Inclusive Insights research from Harris Poll.

• 81% of LGBTQ+ consumers say brands have pulled back support in the last two years.
• 84%  lose trust in brands that back away from causes or communities.
• 89% of LGBTQ+ consumers say they trust brands more when support is consistent over time.
• 90% say brands should treat LGBTQ+ consumers as a valuable audience, not just a social issue.

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

• Sport Beach reveals final athlete line-up and schedule for Cannes Lions 2026 (Stagwell)
• Crypto becomes hot-button election issue (Harris Poll)
• Unreliable childcare is a mental health issue (Harris Poll)
• Summer is the season that breaks working parents (Harris Poll)
• How should you meaningfully incorporate AI into your daily workflow? (Allison and Ray Day)
• Jamie Dowd named Allison’s new Global President, Health + Wellness (Allison)

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 and Allison Worldwide. Among the highlights of our weekly consumer sentiment tracking:

TRAVELERS ARE GOING SOLO THIS SUMMER

As summer vacation season ramps up, expect to see more of us flying and traveling solo, based on our Harris Poll research with Mastercard.

• 39% of international travelers already have flown solo on a trip.
• 20% of all travelers say their last trip was alone.
• 35% say they are considering a solo trip in the future.
• January 2026 had 1.6 million online searches for “solo travel” – jumping 230% during the last decade.
• Going solo doesn’t mean going alone: 7 in 10 international leisure travelers are interested in solo experiences designed to connect them with like-minded people.
• Solo travelers also skew more adventurous: 84% express interest in off-the-beaten-path or emerging destinations, compared with 78% of those traveling with others.
• THE NEW BUSINESS TRIP: 81% of business travelers have extended an international business trip for non-work purposes.
• GEN ALPHA CALLS THE SHOTS: 76% of parents of Gen Alpha kids (children born between 2010 and 2024) say their children have significant input on international destination choices, compared with 59% of parents of other generations.
  

TRAVELERS WANT ONE-STOP BOOKING

Global travelers increasingly want to plan more of their trips in one place, driven by both convenience and savings, based on a new Harris Poll survey with Expedia Group.

• 77% of travelers say they are at least somewhat likely to book more than one part of their next trip on the same platform.
• Younger travelers are especially aligned with this, with 83% of Gen Z travelers likely to book multiple trip elements on one platform.
• Cost is a major driver: 81% would be at least somewhat likely to bundle trip elements if it meant additional savings.
• Travel demand is becoming more experiential: 55% saying authentic, immersive travel is more important today than it was five years ago.
• 69% say having a rental car helps them experience destinations like a local.

ECONOMIC ANXIETY RISES

Americans are growing more worried about inflation, their own finances and the long-term impact of global instability on everyday costs, according to our May Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll.

• 56% say the country is on the wrong track, up from 53% the prior month.
• 59% say the economy is on the wrong track, up from 57% the prior month.
• 47% say their personal financial situation is worsening, up 5 points from the prior month.
• Inflation and the economy remain Americans’ top concerns, while concerns about the national debt and federal budget deficits rose 4 points.
• Price hikes are highly visible: 88% have noticed an increase in the price of gasoline, and 85% have noticed grocery and food prices rising.
• 53% say war and geopolitical conflicts are the biggest reason for higher gas prices.

PRIMARY CARE IS VALUED YET OUT OF REACH

Americans overwhelmingly believe in the importance of having a primary care doctor, even as many struggle to access one when they need care, according to new research from The Harris Poll and HealthDay.

• 89% of Americans say it is important to have an ongoing relationship with a primary care doctor who oversees their medical care.
• 84%  say they have a primary care doctor, yet 58% report being unable to access care when needed because of appointment shortages or long wait times.
• Among the 15% of Americans without a family doctor, 45% say they have experienced direct negative health impacts. Specifically, 15% were unable to get a diagnosis, and 14% ended up in the ER due to an untreated illness or injury.
• For those without a family doctor, urgent care (40%) is the top fallback when medical help is needed, followed by the ER (26%).
• Family doctors remain the most trusted first stop for medical questions, with 28% saying they turn there first, ahead of internet search engines (21%) and friends/family (14%).
• Access barriers remain significant: 38% say it’s hard to find a doctor they like, 36% say doctors aren’t taking new patients, 36% say insurance won’t cover the doctor they want, and 25% say there simply aren’t enough primary care providers.

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

• Most Dogs Aren’t Getting Enough Walks (Harris Poll)
• Consumers Can See Through Your AI Marketing Slop (Harris Poll)
• Teams, not players, still drive engagement engines in sports (National Research Group)
• Nearly half of Americans with auto insurance and homeowners insurance are stressed about their premium costs (Harris Poll)
• Three Quarters of Americans Want ‘On/Off’ Switch for AI Surveillance (Harris Poll)
• Join Anthropic and Google DeepMind for PRSA’s next AI Pulse webinar (Ray Day and PRSA)
  

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 and Allison Worldwide. Among the highlights of our weekly consumer sentiment tracking:

WHAT HELPS AND HURTS JOB INTERVIEWS

Candidates point to references as the leading job-interview advantage, while tardiness remains the biggest dealbreaker, according to new research from The Harris Poll and Express Employment Professionals. 

• Top signals that help job candidates stand out include references who can vouch for qualifications (45%), showing passion for the role (42%) and having a personal referral from someone at the company (40%).
• 38% of job seekers say they try to stand out by having a resume optimized for applicant tracking systems and search engine optimization.
• 36% say they keep the resume concise, while one third look to show creativity.
• Job seekers say clear dealbreakers that can kill an opportunity include being late to an interview (54%), being rude during an interview (53%) and dressing unprofessionally (51%).
• Other red flags: Using unprofessional body language during an interview (49%); having multiple jobs in a short period of time (42%); being uninformed about the position during an interview (41%); having large, unexplained gaps between work experiences (38%); being uninformed about the company during an interview (36%); not asking questions during an interview (32%), and having few or no references (31%).
• While being dishonest is never recommended, 22% say they have listed skills on their resume that they did not have. This is most common among Millennials (27%).
• See also: 6 in 10 Workers Say They Have a Toxic Boss

AI-POWERED SMALL BUSINESSES LEAD THE PACK

Small, service-based businesses that adopt AI outearn their peers, based on a new Harris Poll study with Honeybook.

• Small businesses using AI earn five times, or $400,000, more per year than those that don’t.
• Customers walk away from small businesses for non-AI reasons: 36% say businesses are hard to reach, 32% cite lack of professionalism and 30% cite inconsistent quality.
• Meanwhile, customer decisions are most influenced by consistency (51%) and availability when needed (42%).
• 49% of customers expect small businesses to use AI-powered tools to improve quality during the next five years.
• 46% expect AI to accelerate turnaround times.
• See also: Agentic AI is your personal and budget-friendly travel agent

MILLENNIALS ACCELERATE GIVING

Millennials are now the most generous and engaged donor segment, according to the 2026 Giving Signals Report from The Harris Poll and Bloomerang.

• Three fourths of Millennials plan to give more this year, compared with 49% of Gen X and 36% of Baby Boomers.
• 80% of Millennials plan to give to at least one new nonprofit.
• While most donors (97%) say caring about their community motivates them to give, only 68% cite having money to give as a motivator.
• 94% of donors say they’re motivated to give when an organization tells them exactly where their money will go. 

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

•  The Sport Beach lineup at Cannes is heating up (Stagwell)

• More Americans are putting trust in sportsbooks and prediction markets (Harris Poll)

• Join Allison at the Axios AI Summit in NYC Next Week (Allison)

• Why ‘Just Ask AI’ Isn’t a Research Strategy (Code and Theory)

• Three in four people with bladder cancer say they hide the emotional impact of the disease (Harris Poll)

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 and Allison Worldwide. Among the highlights of our weekly consumer sentiment tracking:

U.S. CORPORATE REPUTATION IMPROVES

U.S. companies with the biggest reputation gains are those previously caught up in culture wars and consumer backlash, based on the seventh annual Axios Harris Poll 100.

• More than half of the 100 most visible U.S. companies have improved reputations this year.
• Back at the top for the first time since 2021 is the online pet brand Chewy.
• Most improved this year are UnitedHealth Group (up 7.6 points), Tesla (up 5.9), Southwest Airlines (up 5.5), SpaceX (up 5.3), Wells Fargo (up 4.8), Anheuser-Busch InBev (up 4.5), Shein (up 4.5), Meta (up 4.1), Airbnb (up 3.6) and Boeing (up 3.5).
• Top decliners include UPS (down 3.5 points), Microsoft (down 2.8), BP (down 2.8) and Temu (down 2.5).
• Americans’ top-ranked brands often are associated with wellness and optimism and perceived as more politically neutral. Top wellness brands include Alo Yoga (#7) and Athletic Brewing (#8).
• The top-ranked auto brands include Toyota Motor Corporation (#2), which is up from #4 last year, and Honda Motor Company (#6), up 7 spots.
• Major media companies and social platforms (including Fox, Comcast, TikTok, X and Meta) drew relatively unfavorable sentiment overall.
• Eli Lilly is the top-ranked pharmaceutical company (#13) and is now more associated with GLP-1 weight-loss drugs than with its COVID treatments.
• See also: Axios Harris Poll 100 shows shift toward politically neutral brands

2 IN 3 PREDICT A RECESSION

Today, 66% of Americans believe the U.S. economy will enter a recession in the next 12 months – up from 59% in February – based on our Harris Poll monthly Consumer Financial Resilience Index with NerdWallet.

• 75% of middle earners (with household incomes from $50,000 to $74,900) are most likely to see a recession – compared with 67% of those making less than $50,000, 61% of those in the $75,000-$99,900 range and 64% of those with household incomes of $100,000 or more.
• 37% will rely on credit to manage at least some of their expenses this month.
• 63% have enough cash on hand to cover an unexpected $1,000 expense, should one arise this month.

HOPE IS TODAY’S CURE

In a polarized country, hope is one of the few values Americans still share, according to new research from The Harris Poll and St. Jude.

• 96% have taken at least one deliberate action in the past year to cultivate hope.
• 68% feel hopeful about their own future and that of their friends and family.
• 84% say nonprofit organizations give them hope, and 77% are more likely to support organizations that inspire hope.
• 72% report that giving more frequently helps them feel they are making a difference.

HISPANIC VOTERS UNDECIDED

Economic pressures, culturally authentic outreach and AI‑related job fears will factor into U.S. voting decisions this year, according to a new poll from Harris Poll and TelevisaUnivision.

• 52% of Hispanic registered voters in 17 battleground congressional districts say they are undecided or open to changing their vote – making this group pivotal in tight races.
• 70% say candidate appearances on Spanish‑language media signal that Hispanic voters matter, 59% say it makes them feel a candidate cares, and 44% say communicating key issues in Spanish is important.
• Nine in 10 report cost of living as their top issue, and 80% are supporting family members outside their home.
• 53% will back the candidate who best understands what they’re going through, which is more important than party or policy details.

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

• The modern traveler has a new itinerary: Smarter, bolder, more personal than ever (Harris Poll and Mastercard)
• 80% of Americans want AI workforce programs now — and Washington hasn’t delivered (Harris Poll)
• Four in five employers say entry-level roles demand more skills than ever before (Harris Poll)
• Gen Z not boycotting U.S. travel, except for these two reasons (Harris Poll)
• Weekly viewership amongst streamers is higher for those who watch news and sports (HarrisX)
• What’s next for the auto industry? (Allison and HarrisX)