Facing Fear
Consumer Anxiety in 2020
By: Rebecca Brooks
This represents the second wave of our ongoing study on consumer fear and anxiety. It provides a fascinating comparison of data from late 2019 to the summer of 2020, showing how consumer sentiment has shifted due to diverse and powerful forces around the globe. Our research reveals how systemic consumer fears have risen and shifted due to the pandemic, increased economic uncertainty and social justice movements, as well as how brands can navigate this new reality
In this paper...
- American consumers feel significantly less optimistic about their future and do not believe that the country is headed in the right direction.
- They feel as though their financial situation has deteriorated.
- They are experiencing the stressors of the pandemic, recession, and fight for social justice differently depending on their ethnicity and gender.
- Their understanding of the serious problems facing the country continues to diverge based on their news consumption and political beliefs.
- A strong majority believes that we are experiencing a fundamentally transformational period of change.
