ABOUT THE AGENCIES BEHIND THE WORK

Goodstuff is the UK’s leading media planning and buying agency. Our combination of entrepreneurial ownership, a comms planning heritage and an unrestrained, transparent trading approach gives us the ability to deliver inventive media solutions that no one else can.

Assembly Global is a modern agency delivering a market-leading global omnichannel media offering, powered by data, technology and business consulting solutions to find the change that fuels growth for the best brands in the world.

Frontiers in Focus

Want to explore more of the frontiers of marketing? View more of our work on the cutting edge of AI and immersive brand experiences here. 

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With the constant rise in the cost of living, people are pinching pennies and struggling to find ways to sustainably meet their personal demands. But what if you didn’t have to decide between saving money and helping the environment?

Goodstuff and Assembly Global partnered with OVO Energy, the UK’s second largest energy supplier, to encourage users to shift their energy use out of peak energy times. Powered by a proprietary green bidding technology built by Assembly and Goodstuff, the “Greener Grid,” serves ads in greener moments, letting passerby’s know when to cut carbon emissions and contribute to a better energy system.

Our Approach to Transformation

To better understand when to “plug in,” Greener Grid, a dynamic out-of-home campaign, displays the perfect opportunities to engage in sustainable moments and reduce carbon impact. Powered by generative AI and real-time API data from the National Grid, the campaign rewards customers for shifting energy usage out of peak energy times (4-7pm, weekdays), to times when the grid is greener, cleaner and powered by renewable energy. Sustainable messaging — “If you’re seeing this, it’s a greener time to use energy” — only appears when the grid is running on renewable energy, letting users know now’s the time to make a greener decision.

Through Assembly and Goodstuff’s AI-powered STAGE technology, we created a custom algorithm to fuel programmatic buying and automatically bid when the grid is greener, updated every 30 minutes, with more spend made available when the grid is at its greenest. Millions of energy choices are made every single day, and OVO Energy Forecast empowers customers to make those choices, leveraging data and technology to help them use less energy.

Our Impact

The industry-first digital billboards empower “greener moments” on a seemingly ordinary platform in a uniquely creative way. OVO’s ads were featured on more than 2,600 screens across the UK, from digital six-sheets to large formats across roadside, rail, and shopping centers, as part of the brands broader Power Move campaign.

• Nearly 17,000 people signed up to OVO’s Power Move during the two-month campaign period, bringing a 3x increase in traffic to the product page.
• As for the planet, 681,521 kWh of electricity was shifted, which is enough to power 252 houses for an entire year.
• 1 metric tonnes of carbon were avoided.

Wondering where to begin with AI implementation in your organization?

Email Beth Sidhu, Chief Brand and Communications Officer at Stagwell, to discuss how we can support your organization’s digital goals. 

Originally Released On

PRNewswire

Media Contact

U.S. Press:
Sarah Arvizo
pr@stagwellglobal.com

Originally Released On

PR Newswire

CONTACT:

Sarah Arvizo
pr@stagwellglobal.com

Originally Released On

PRNewswire

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 (fielded Mar. 24-26):

WORRIES ABOUT ECONOMY DECLINE

Today, 83% of Americans are concerned about the economy and inflation – down 2 points from last week and back near December’s 82% rate.

• 79% worry about a potential U.S. recession (no change)
• 78% about U.S. crime rates (down 3 points)
• 73% about political divisiveness (up 1 point)
• 71% about the War on Ukraine (down 1 point)
• 68% about affording their living expenses (down 2 points)
• 67% about a banking crisis (new)
• 66% about the solvency of U.S. banks (new)
• 59% about the security of deposits in banks (new)
• 55% about a new COVID-19 variant (down 3 points)
• 46% about losing their jobs (down 7 points)

INFLATION STILL TOP CONCERN; BANKING CRISIS IS NOT

While Americans remain concerned about inflation, they’re not worried about the recent banking crisis and are divided on the TikTok debate. That’s according to our latest poll with the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard University.

• 67% agree with the Biden administration’s decision to step in and guarantee all customer deposits from Silicon Valley Bank and other failed banks.
• 77% of voters think the government should fully insure deposits at all U.S. banks, not just systematically important firms.
• 71% think the bank failures will affect them “not at all” or “only a little bit.”
• 67% think the deposits in their own banks are safe.
• Americans care more about inflation than the banking crisis: 54% believe the Federal Reserve should prioritize fighting inflation even if it means allowing banks to fail and could lead to a financial crisis in the short term.
• 75% see China as an enemy of the U.S., and 80% think China seeks to replace the U.S. as the key player in global affairs.
• 55% of voters think Biden’s foreign policy is too weak on China.
• At the same time, 75% are split on how to handle TikTok: 45% support a ban in the U.S., while 46% support allowing the app with conditions, such as forcing it to undergo regular security reviews or forcing its Chinese owners to sell their stakes.

MANY AMERICANS STILL FEEL ‘WEALTHY’

Even as the average American household has seen purchasing power and wealth erode, many are still feeling at least somewhat “wealthy,” according to our poll with Fast Company.

• 68% of Americans define wealth as comfort and necessities, as opposed to extravagance and excess.
• 48% say wealth is the ability to comfortably afford necessities like food and shelter with some money left over.
• 20% indicate that being able to afford necessities alone defines wealth.
• 11% define wealth as being able to afford “extravagant purchases.”

40% WORRY AI WILL TAKE THEIR JOB

Generative AI continues to be the headline of 2023 – including in the work place – with 74% of  Americans having used the technology for work-related tasks yet 40% worried that the technology is going to replace them.

• The C-suite debate about ChatGPT is intense, with 56% of workers reporting their companies already have implemented discussions or restrictions about using ChatGPT.
• 38% say that the technology will make them more useful in the workplace.
• 42%, however, believe the new tool will make it harder for them to find a new job – with more than 7 in 10 believing AI will replace roles with a heavy focus on data entry and processing, media and communications, coding and even hiring. Roles expected to be replaced the most: data analysis (77%), data entry and processing (75%), media and communication (74%), content creation (73%), PR (72%), coding (71%), customer service (71%), administrative roles (71%) and hiring (71%).

1 IN 2 CAREGIVERS SUFFERING MENTALLY, FINANCIALLY

Caregivers today need support just as much as those they care for, according to our survey with CVS Health.

• 28% of Americans consider themselves to be caregivers – yet 41% say they never wanted to be a caregiver.
• 22% are not compensated for their time, with most taking care of children under the age of 18 (40%), aging parents (35%) or caring for a partner or spouse (21%).
• 47% said that being a caregiver is a financial burden, and 49% report their mental health suffers.
• 37% said they’ve had to quit their job or cut back on work hours due to caregiving responsibilities – especially younger caregivers (57% for Gen Z and young Millennials).
• Caregivers also are making sacrifices in their personal lives: 45% have spent less time participating in their hobbies, have seen their friends less (39%), are falling behind on managing their health (34%), rearranged their home to accommodate people they care for (29%) and have formed unhealthy lifestyle habits (28%).

ICYMI

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

• Physical and mental health, DEI and workplace flexibility revealed as top employee priorities
• Americans don’t assume moms will stay home with their kids, but the gender pay gap, motherhood penalty, and childcare crisis makes it hard for them to keep working
• 27% of Americans think texting while driving is socially acceptable
• Athletes Maria Sharapova, Allyson Felix and Spencer Dinwiddie Join Stagwell, United Airlines, Diageo, Penske Media Corporation and Axios at Cannes Lions 2023

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 (fielded Mar. 17-19):

WORRIES ABOUT ECONOMY STEADY

Today, 85% of Americans are concerned about the economy and inflation – steady with last week and up from 82% rate in December.

• 81% worry about U.S. crime rates (up 1 point)
• 79% about a potential U.S. recession (down 1 point)
• 72% about the War on Ukraine (up 3 points)
• 72% about political divisiveness (down 2 points)
• 70% about affording their living expenses (no change)
• 58% about a new COVID-19 variant (up 3 points)
• 53% about losing their jobs (up 7 points)

62% OF EMPLOYEES WANT FLEXIBLE WORK HOURS; 47% OF COMPANIES OFFER THEM

Flexibility remains king for non-traditional benefits workers feel companies should offer, yet less than half of businesses do so. This is according to our survey with Express Employment Professionals.

• From an employee perspective, it is important that a company offers flexible work hours (62%), flexible work locations (51%), paid leave (48%) and shortened work weeks (36%).
• Yet less than half of hiring decision-makers report their companies do so: 47% say they offer flexible work hours, 40% flexible work locations, 48% paid leave and 23% shortened work weeks.
• Regarding traditional benefits, 54% of U.S. hiring managers say offerings will remain the same as they were in 2022, and 37% expect traditional benefits will increase this year – a significant drop since the first half of 2022, when 50% were talking about traditional benefit increases.

WOMEN KEEP CANNABIS USE QUIET

Many American women are using cannabis but are keeping it quiet, according to our survey with MedMen.

• 37% of American women 21+  use cannabis regularly, with 28% using it at least once a month.
• Younger women are more than twice as likely to use cannabis (ages 21-44: 57%)  than older women (ages 45+: 22%).
• Women say they primarily use cannabis for therapeutic reasons, such as relieving anxiety (60%), helping to sleep (58%) and relieving pain (53%).
• Nearly two thirds of women who use cannabis (65%) say there are people in their life who still do not know, including their parents (26%), children (22%) and coworkers (21%).

WOMEN ALSO DEMAND MORE RESPECT

Women believe society expects too much from them and does not respect them enough, according to further insights from our State of Women Report 2023 with theSkimm.

• Released during Women’s History Month, the report investigates and surfaces how women see the work they do, both in their careers and in the home, and how society perceives that work.
• 74% say that “society treats women like second-class citizens” and the “deck is stacked against women.”
• 79% say “I am concerned with the social expectations around unpaid labor/mental load that women are responsible for.”
• 65% say “new legislation and policies that are being passed do not advance women’s rights.”
• 89% are planning to redesign their lives the way they want to.
• 87% have or want to create more sources of financial stability, with 60% adding a side hustle, shifting to a higher-earning career or advocating for a promotion.
• 65% (74% among Black women) have become involved, or plan to, in national politics.

ICYMI

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

• Americans want weight loss drugs like Ozempic to be covered by insurance. Most of the time, they aren’t.
• More Than 1 in 5 U.S. Adults Have Considered Leaving Their Job In the Last Year to be Self-Employed
• More American women are single than ever before—and it’s costing them big money
• What’s on the Easter table and in the basket? Instacart reveals the most popular ‘eats and treats’

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:

WORRIES ABOUT ECONOMY DECLINE AGAIN: 

Today, 85% of Americans are concerned about the economy and inflation – down 2 points from last week and up from 82% in December.

• 82% worry about U.S. crime rates (up 2 points)
• 81% a potential U.S. recession (up 1 point)
• 73% political divisiveness (no change)
• 72% the War on Ukraine (no change)
• 69% affording their living expenses (up 1 point)
• 55% a new COVID-19 variant (no change)
• 43% about losing their jobs (down 3 points)

AI-GENERATED BUZZ: WHAT DO CONSUMERS THINK?:

With all the buzz about generative AI, AI-powered search engines and ChatGPT, what do consumers have to say? Stagwell’s National Research Group took the pulse of public opinion in a new report. 

• 17% of those surveyed said they had heard a “great deal” about AI-powered search recently, and 53% had heard at least “some.”
• 92% of consumers who have heard about AI-powered search say they think it will change the way people use the internet.
• 71% say they’re excited about using the technology.
  
• 59% of those who have heard about AI-powered search say Google is best positioned to successfully deliver the technology to market versus 13% who would vote for Microsoft.
• Also see Stagwell’s whitepaper: “Can Picasso Live in the Machine? AI get smart: What to know, what to watch and what to play with”

BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO SECURELY: 

Our latest survey with Norton finds many Americans – especially younger ones – are reckless online after breakups, including sharing passwords with their exes and not treating online stalking with concern.

• 25% of Americans admitted to being the victim of an online dating or romance scam.
• Gen Z (34%) and Millennials (35%) have “concerningly relaxed” attitudes about online stalking. One third say they don’t care if they’re being stalked online by a current or former partner as long as they’re not tracked in person – three times higher than older adults (10%).
• More than a third of Gen Z say they have shared passwords with an ex.
• Among those who have been in romantic relationships, 16% say that they’ve checked a current or former significant other’s phone to view texts, calls, direct messages, emails or photos, 12% have reviewed their former partner’s device search history, and 11% have tracked a current or former partner’s location using a location sharing app.

THE DOCTOR IS IN BUT BURNED OUT: 

America’s healthcare workforce is under unprecedented strain, and doctors and nurses are burning out in record numbers, according to our survey with HealthDay.

• 63% of doctors and nurses said they are experiencing a moderate or great deal of burnout at work.
• 66% of physicians and 75% of nurses cite understaffing as the most significant contributor to burnout, along with a growing amount of daily paperwork (58% for physicians and 51% for nurses).
• Many also cite time communicating with insurance companies on their patients’ behalf as a source of burnout (38% for primary care physicians and 20% for nurses).
• All of this is leading to decreased satisfaction among medical professionals. A year ago, 40% of physicians felt highly satisfied. Today, it’s 22%.
• As a result, only 57% of doctors say they would choose medicine as a profession again, compared with 72% last year.

RECENT HOME SELLERS REVEAL LESSONS LEARNED: 

An overwhelming share (84%) of Americans who sold a home for the first time in the past two years wish they had done something differently, according to our survey with Zillow.

• Regret #1: The most common thing recent first-time home sellers wish they had done differently is set a higher list price (39%). In January, nearly one in four listings had a price cut (22%), which is 10 percentage points higher than last winter. 75% of agents say pricing is the most important thing sellers need to get right in a less frenzied housing market.
• Regret #2: 87% of recent first-time sellers think something they could have done would have attracted a higher sale price. 39% say better listing photos could have boosted their bottom line, while 25% say a virtual tour could have helped sell their home for more. Fact: Listings that include a 3D home virtual tour or an interactive floor plan receive 69% more page views and 80% more saves.
• Regret #3: 25% of recent first-time sellers wish they had listed their home at a different time. If the owner has flexibility, the second half of April is the optimal time to list a home for sale nationwide.
• Regret #4: 25% of recent first-time sellers say they could have received a higher sale price if they had invested in more home improvements and repairs. Landscaping, interior painting and carpet cleaning are the most commonly completed seller projects, as they send a signal to a buyer that a home is well-maintained.

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

• Hiring Remains Strong, But Costly
• Don’t tell Americans the economy is getting better — they’re still worried about a recession
• February Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll: Perception of economy is improving but only a third believe it is on the right track

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 (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.

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 (fielded Feb. 10-12):

WORRIES ABOUT ECONOMY JUMP:

Today, 90% of Americans are concerned about the economy and inflation – up 5 points from last week and up sharply from 82% in December.

• 84% worry about U.S. crime rates (up 6 points)
• 82% about a potential U.S. recession (up 2 points)
• 75% about affording their living expenses (up 5 points)
• 75% about political divisiveness (up 3 points)
• 72% about the War on Ukraine (up 2 points)
• 55% about a new COVID-19 variant (down 2 points)
• 47% about losing their jobs (up 2 points)

WHEN SHOULD COMPANIES SPEAK OUT?:

Following the State of the Union (SOTU) address, we surveyed Americans to pinpoint their views on the buy-American theme as well as to update our past research on companies “speaking out” on social issues. We found strong views on both.

“Made in America”

• Nearly three-quarters (73%) of Americans say they often seek American-made products and brands when shopping (up 1 point from July 2022), especially true among those who watched some or all of the SOTU.
• Regarding intentionally purchasing American-made products and brands, 71% report doing so a little bit or a lot.
• 53% have shopped for an American-made product in the last month.
• 76% of Americans agree that there should be more American-made products and brands available in the U.S.
• 76% agree that brands need to make more products in the U.S. (up 1 point from July 2022).
• 56% would be willing to pay more for a product if they knew it was American made.
• However, 45% believe that American-made products already are too expensive.

“Speaking Out in America”

• A third of Americans (38%) think that American companies are speaking out too much on social issues (up 6 points from July 2022).
• 37% believe companies are speaking out the right amount (down 3 points from July 2022), while 25% believe they aren’t speaking out enough (down 3 points).
• 68% of Americans think that, when companies voice their opinion on a social issue, it’s a marketing ploy (up 12 points from July 2022).
• When companies are speaking out on social issues, 71% of Americans agree that a company’s history on social issues is important.
• 60% agree that when a company speaks out on social issues, it must be supported by living their internal company values.
• More Americans believe that there is generally more risk (59%) to a CEO speaking out on social issues (up 5 points from April 2022) than reward (41%).
• Democrats (55%) are more likely to believe there is more reward in a CEO speaking out than Republicans (33%).
• Americans also believe that CEOs expressing their own political views is bad for the company (47%, up 5 points from April 2022), more so than good.

TRAVEL TRENDS FOR THE NEXT DECADE:

During the next three years, nearly 2 billion people will travel at least once a year – making the travel and hospitality industry continually attractive. Yet what does the future hold? Stagwell’s Northstar partnered with travel technology company Amadeus on new research defining four new types of travelers – in a report titled Traveler Tribes 2033 – who will emerge in the next decade along with suggestions on what brands need to do to create relevant travel experiences for them.

• Excited Experientialists:
  • 44% are without children and have a mid- to high-income job with flexible working options, which enables them to readily explore the world. They are more likely than other travelers to act on instinct, making them “anti-planners” and favoring less predictable and more exciting accommodation experiences. They also are open to technology like the use of artificial intelligence in the airport environment.
• Memory Makers:
  • 44% are ages 42 and older and are habitual in their travel behaviors. They put people first and place less value on technology and sustainability, reassured by existing methods. Despite their skepticism about technology, they are excited about virtual reality and augmented reality preview tours before purchasing a trip.
• Travel Tech-fluencers:
  • 48% of the group are under the age of 32, and their perspective is symbolized by how much technology they own. While many want to travel sustainably, they are more conscious about sustainability options around their method of travel, rather than where they’ll be staying.
• Pioneering Pathfinders:
  • 82% are between the ages of 23 and 41. They like to plan but are not afraid of risk and are open to new experiences. This group is more willing than others to let sustainability influence their decisions. They will be very comfortable using all forms of alternative payment methods – whether cryptocurrency or within a virtual reality environment.

EMPLOYEES AND HR DISAGREE ON RACIAL EQUITY PROGRESS:

Our new State of Inequity report with Hue illuminates wide disparities along racial lines in workplace opportunity, compensation and experience in a post-pandemic labor market.

• More than 200,000 Black and Latina women have disappeared from the workforce since the pandemic’s beginning. Many have stopped looking for new jobs, making them invisible to unemployment statistics and ineligible for federal benefits.
• Most BIPOC employees report their employer has not instituted racial awareness training (82%) nor have they increased recruiting efforts toward racially diverse hiring (81%).
• A gap exists between HR and employees: 84% of BIPOC employees report their company has not addressed the mental/emotional impact of discrimination on its employees of color since June 2020. At the same time, 91% of HR professionals surveyed say the various diversity-related initiatives their companies have implemented are effective.
• One in four BIPOC women report not being paid fairly and in a comparable way to other colleagues at their level across their company.
• BIPOC women are twice as likely not to be paid fairly and in a comparable way to other colleagues across their company compared to white men.
• Two in Five BIPOC women reported feeling exhausted or burned out last year because of their workplace.
• BIPOC women are twice more likely to report they have felt fatigued related to racial tension or issues at work in the last six months compared to white men.
• More BIPOC women are not comfortable being fully themselves at work, twice as likely compared to white men.
• Even in the face of workplace hardships, BIPOC women are investing in themselves. Nearly twice as many BIPOC women (45%) report gaining new skills or education to become a more competitive job candidate compared to white Americans (27%).

ICYMI:

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

• Vast Majority of Americans Prefer In-Person Job Interviews vs. Virtual
• Exploring the future of money
• The high price of being single: ‘It’s all on one person’
• Americans With Trouble Sleeping Report Their Sleep Affects Their Relationships

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.

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 (fielded Feb. 3-5):

WORRIES ABOUT JOB LOSSES JUMP:

Today, 85% of Americans are concerned about the economy and inflation – down 2 points from last week and up from 82% in December. Concerns about job losses, however, are on the rise.

• 80% worry about a potential U.S. recession (down 2 points)
• 78% about U.S. crime rates (down 3 points)
• 72% about political divisiveness (down 3 points)
• 70% about affording their living expenses (up 4 points)
• 70% about the War on Ukraine (up 1 point)
• 57% about a new COVID-19 variant (down 1 point)
• 45% about losing their jobs (up 3 points)

18% OF GEN Z WOULD BE HAPPY TO BE LAID OFF:

“Laid off and loving it” is the mood of a small but vocal group of employees caught in the job cuts roiling firms from Wall Street to Silicon Valley, according to our survey with Bloomberg.

• 18% of Gen Z and 15% of Millennial employees say they would be happy being laid off, more so than their older colleagues (Gen X: 8%, Boomers: 6%).
• Overall, one in 10 employees say they would feel thankful (9%), relieved (10%) and happy if laid off today (12%).
• Of those who experienced a layoff in the last year, 42% spent more time with friends and family, on their hobbies (28%) and their physical (26%) and mental health (29%).
• Most employed Americans (43%) say that, if they were laid off today, they would find another job within three months. Yet that changes across generations, with Boomers (28%) less likely to think so than Gen Z (43%), Millennials (48%) or Gen X (47%).

CHILDCARE SPENDING HAS ITS LIMITS:

How much are you willing to spend on childcare before it no longer makes sense to work? Most Americans say an average of $617 a month is fair. Yet, if childcare costs eat away a quarter of their paycheck or more, nearly half of parents with young children under the age of 5 would consider being a stay-at-home parent, according to our survey with Fortune.

• On average, U.S. families spend an average of 17.8% of their income on childcare.
• Younger workers are more willing than older Americans to pay more for childcare. And fathers are willing to spend about $100 more per month than mothers ($668 versus $568).
• More than a third of stay-at-home parents ​​say they left their jobs to care for their children because of financial difficulties in affording childcare (19%) or limited childcare availability (17%).
• Among former and current stay-at-home parents, 36% say they felt forced into leaving the workforce to care for their children.
• 87% of Americans say they would continue working if childcare was more accessible – with high agreement across all age groups.
• 52% of stay-at-home parents with children under the age of 5 believe their careers have been negatively affected by that choice.
• 68% of both men and women believe mothers are penalized more in the workforce after staying home to care for children.

MORE TRUST CONCERNS ABOUT AI:

Americans rely on artificial intelligence to inform everyday consumer choices like movie recommendations and customer service inquiries, yet they draw the line when it comes to trusting AI for high-value applications, such as autonomous vehicles, accessing government benefits and healthcare. Our survey with MITRE also found:

• 48% of Americans believe AI is safe and secure.
• 78% are very or somewhat concerned that AI can be used for malicious intent.
• 82% of Americans and 91% of tech experts support government regulation.
• 70% of Americans and 92% of tech experts agree that there is a need for industry to invest more in AI assurance measures to protect the public.
• Three-quarters of Americans are concerned about deepfakes and other AI-generated content.
• Only 49% would be comfortable having an AI-based online chat for routine medical questions.
• Similarly, only 49% would be comfortable with the federal government using AI to assist benefits processing.

ESG INVESTOR INTEREST GROWS

Most investors are interested in ESG and want their advisors to show them the path forward, based on our survey with Nuveen.

• 75% of investors older than 21 with at least $100,000 in investable assets see their company ownership as a way to get businesses to address ESG-related risks and opportunities.
• 57% would be interested in shifting their portfolios to invest only in companies with net-zero emissions.
• 80% said that companies should be more transparent about ESG issues.
• 73% said they would be more likely to invest in businesses that are open about their plans for addressing those factors.
• Last year’s findings from the 2022 Milken Institute Harris Poll Listening Project found that 68% of executives said their company has as much as a quarter of their portfolio dedicated to ESG investments. Yet 32% said their companies lack ESG investments entirely.

ICYMI:

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

• ‘Funny,’ ‘light-hearted’ and ‘unique’ are top qualities the public wants in Super Bowl ads
• Building brand fandom at the Super Bowl
• Pandemic Pushes Planned Retirement Age by 3 Years
• Gen Z and Millennials Accept Online Creeping and Stalking as Part of Dating Culture
• Stagwell’s Instrument opens applications for 2023 pro bono program supporting black and systemically excluded communities

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.