WHAT THE DATA SAY: 52% plan to give to fewer people or buy fewer holiday gifts this year 

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:

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

Holiday gift recipients increasingly prefer an experience over a traditional gift, based on The Holiday Edit report from Harris Poll.

• The most preferred holiday gifts this season are experiences to be enjoyed together (19%), a gift card for a store or restaurant (17%), cash to use however the recipient wants (17%), experiences to enjoy alone (7%) and donation to a cause (4%).
• 59% expect to enter the season under some form of financial constraint.
• 52% plan to give to fewer people or buy fewer gifts per person.
• 45% rank meaningful time with loved ones among their top three ingredients for a successful holiday.
• As budgets tighten, two-thirds will protect gatherings and shared meals, and 56% will cut gifts or treats for themselves first.
• 59% plan to use rewards or loyalty points to lower spending, and nearly half (47%) will shorten trips, stay closer to home or choose cheaper travel.
• 54% wish their gift-exchange partners would agree to stop buying gifts for one another.
• See also: Gen Z and Millennials will let AI pick the gifts, but they still want the final say

A WORLD OF WORRY

People are struggling to envision a better tomorrow, yet they are looking for ways to spark hope, according to the Vision Void research from Harris Poll.

• 70% feel the world is changing faster than they can keep up with.
• 65% say they are “grieving a version of the world that no longer exists.”
• 84% in the UK and 66% in the U.S. think future geopolitical instability will become worse.
• Most people (89% in the UK and 82% in the U.S.) feel their country is suffering an affordability crisis.
• A majority of Gen Z – 80% in the U.S. and 74% in the UK – feel lonely on the weekends.
• Many (65% in the U.S. and 77% in the UK) rely on their phone for their social life.
• See also: 32% of British consumers say information from brands is less trustworthy than five years ago

SCIENCE HAS A TRUST PROBLEM

Misinformation, political interference and funding worries threaten America’s next health and science breakthroughs, according to new research from The Harris Poll and Bayer.

• 89% of doctors, 91% of scientists and 95% of graduate students are concerned about science and health misinformation spreading online.
• 9 in 10 doctors say false or misleading science and health information can lead people to make decisions that negatively affect their health.
• 81% of doctors and 84% of scientists believe the U.S. risks losing talented science and health professionals to other countries.
• With enough R&D funding and investment, 91% of doctors believe we’re only a few years away from solving some of humanity’s most urgent health challenges.
• See also: Allison’s Jaime Dowd named to PRWeek Health Influencer 30 list

SUCCESSION READINESS IS MAJOR BUSINESS ISSUE

With major CEO successions in the news, a leadership-readiness gap exists as outdated succession practices collide with rising turnover and unclear career paths, based on The State of Succession Planning from Harris Poll and Wharton Executive Education.

• 86% say succession planning is critical to organizational success.
• 48% believe their organization is very prepared for a leadership transition.
• 67% say their organization’s succession planning approach hasn’t changed in a decade.
• 47% report higher senior executive turnover than five years ago, while 69% say their organization underestimates the risk of senior-level departures.
• 69% say executive advancement paths are not clearly defined, and 70% report a lack of transparency in how new leaders are selected.
• 45% have left a company because advancement paths were unclear.

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

• Communications and PR industry need a new playbook for reaching stakeholders (Ray Day, USC) 
• Tomorrow’s PR Pros are AI ready today (Ray Day, PRSA)
• Gen Z would choose their dream home over their dream job – and they’re moving back in with mom and dad to make it happen (Harris Poll)
• 71% of Americans say bottled water is among their most preferred beverages, ahead of soda (58%) and coffee (58%) (Harris Poll)
• 3 in 4 Americans say they recycle, and nearly half are actively looking for ways to recycle more (HarrisX)