WHAT THE DATA SAY: 3 of 4 workers say vacations improve mental health

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 June 2-4):

WORRIES ABOUT ECONOMY IMPROVE

Today, 85% of Americans are concerned about the economy and inflation – down 2 points from last week and higher than December’s 82% rate.

• 80% worry about a potential U.S. recession (down 2 points)
• 67% about affording living expenses (down 4 points)
• 74% about political divisiveness (down 3 points)
• 81% about U.S. crime rates (down 3 points)
• 66% about the War on Ukraine (down 4 points)
• 54% about a new COVID-19 variant (no change)
• 44% about losing their jobs (down 3 points)

READY FOR A VACATION

With the arrival of warmer weather in North America and Europe, employees are turning their attention to time away. Yet, based on our Harris Poll survey with Ceridian, not everyone can genuinely unplug while they’re away from work.

• 87% of employees in the U.S., UK and Canada reported experiencing some symptoms of burnout during the past year.
• 75% of employees say taking a break improves their mental health, and 49% say it improves their physical health.
• 46% agree that a vacation improves their productivity, and 40% say it improves their job satisfaction once back to work.
• 47% disconnect from work entirely while they’re away.
• That number drops to 41% for U.S. workers compared with 51% for UK workers and 50% for Canadians.

AI TOOL VERSUS HYPE

How do businesses move past the AI hype to actual use cases? Most business leaders are ready to embrace AI and machine learning as a part of their creative arsenal, but many are unsure how to proceed. Our Harris Poll survey with Sprout Social took a look at some answers.

• 94% of business leaders say social media data and insights have a profound impact on their business priorities, such as building reputation and loyalty.
• 97% of business leaders believe AI and machine learning tools will help them analyze social media data more efficiently.
• AI tools, in particular, can be an opportunity for businesses to deliver the personalization that 54% of Americans demand – and that is even higher among Gen Z (66%) and Millennials (71%).
• 86% see AI and machine learnings implementation as critical for long-term business success.
• Yet many leaders see significant barriers to using those tools for marketing. This includes insufficient training and development (39%) for business leaders to effectively implement AI and limited organization experience with AI (37%).

CULTURE IS MORE THAN A LOGO

To create an inclusive workplace, employers must do more than adopt a rainbow logo for June, based on Harris Poll research with Glassdoor.

• 45% of LGBTQ+ employees said “being out” in the workplace could hurt their careers, including losing a job, not getting a promotion or not being selected for a project. This compares with 47% who said the same in 2019.
• 53% of LGBTQ+ employees today are concerned about their losing their jobs – compared with 42% who fear losing their jobs among non-LGBTQ+ survey participants.
• 55% of LGBTQ+ employees say they’ve experienced or witnessed anti-LGBTQ+ comments by co-workers – a slight increase from 53% in 2019.
• As our recent Axios Harris Poll 100 found, companies with the best reputations – Patagonia, Costco and John Deere – also were those with the best company culture and commitment to the employee experience.

YOUNG PEOPLE ENCOURAGE PARENTS TO SPEND THEIR INHERITANCE

Instead of protecting their inheritance, Millennials today want their parents to live and spend well, based on our Harris Poll research with Edward Jones.

• 68% of Millennials worry that their parents might not have enough money to live comfortably in retirement.
• 61% of Millennials worry about their parents becoming financially dependent on them.
• 83% report their parents’ financial security in retirement matters more to them than receiving an inheritance.

WHO’S BEST AT BUILDING BRAND FANS?

Google, Amazon, Apple, YouTube, Dawn, Android, Walmart, Netflix, Samsung and Coca-Cola are the top 10 brands when it comes to cultivating loyal and engaged fans, according to the new Fandom 50 ranking from Stagwell’s National Research Group.

• Tracked against more than 12,000 consumers, the study unpacks how brands can build their fan bases and drive lifetime loyalty.
• Brand fans are 3.5 times more likely to be vocal advocates for a brand.
• Brand fans are three times more likely to stick with a brand even if it does something they don’t like.
• Brand fandom is strongest among Millennials, who are superfans of nearly twice as many brands as Boomers.
• Emerging brand fandom stars: Tesla, National Women’s Soccer League, Bulleit Whiskey, Major League Soccer, SoFi, Mint Mobile, Method, Toyota, Mrs. Meyers, YETI, VRBO and Discord.

ICYMI

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

• What the Axios Harris Poll 100 Can Teach Brands About Reputation
• Increased Flexibility Is Not The Panacea For Working Parents
• 3 questions brands need to ask themselves before speaking up about a social issue