INSIGHTS TO ACTIVATE
UNITED IN INDIVIDUALITY
9 opportunities for U.S. brands and policymakers in Ipsos Global Trends
Key Takeaways
1
Americans feel the world is changing too fast, but deal with it differently: Some embrace new norms, while others try to exert control and revert to old expectations
2
The key value for Americans, and globally, is the commitment to personal autonomy: People can’t control the world, so they work to control their own lives
3
Eight in 10 Americans say they are more likely to trust a new product made by a brand that they already know, so building that trust is paramount to stand out
Americans are overwhelmed. But then again, so are most global citizens, including a majority in 44 out of 50 markets around the world. That’s according to the latest edition of Ipsos Global Trends, the largest public research report in Ipsos history, based on a survey of more than 50,000 people.
It’s just one of the themes that our analysis uncovered in this year’s 10th anniversary edition of the report — some of which show that U.S. is quite unique from other markets, and some of which show how similar our experiences are, like this one. There are so many reasons why we are overwhelmed – and for every person, it might be different.
The geopolitical landscape is full of strife and climate disasters both globally and domestically within a hyper-polarized political culture. Economic strains persist with high prices for housing, fuel and food. The reactions to this feeling and the changes in technology and society underlying it drive the shifting values seen in many of the Trends.
What values unite Americans?
Autonomy is, somewhat paradoxically, the value that unites Americans more than any other. People can’t control the world, so they want to control the thing they can control: themselves and how they show up in their world. Autonomy stands in contrast to the value Americans think most divides them, equity.
This is a challenging landscape for brands to tread, but provides ample opportunity for brands to help take this important value which divides us and make it more universal—while avoiding the backlashes from those who feel excluded by efforts toward inclusivity.
“There are people that are feeling excluded, but that's a very vocal minority. They do not represent the majority of the country. We have to stop appeasing a small minority. And not all backlashes are created equal. We need to be mindful of that as well. This is not just about race/ethnicity, it’s also about looking at who are the underserved in retail, like men and older people.”
Angel Bellon Vice President and Head of Cultural Intelligence
