CivicScience continually tracks current and anticipated consumer trends. Here are three key insights marketers should know this week. All insights are derived from the CivicScience Social | Political | Economic | Cultural (SPEC) Report, a weekly report available to clients covering the latest news and insights. Start here to learn more.
1. The majority of Americans are wary of the dangers of microplastics.
Microplastics are once again making headlines – a new study recently found that bottled water can pose a greater health risk than previously estimated. New CivicScience data show 70% of U.S. adults say they are at least somewhat concerned about the health and environmental effects of nanoplastics, including roughly a third who are ‘very’ concerned. Awareness of these issues is lower among bottled water drinkers, however – 21% say they haven’t heard about the potential dangers of nanoplastics.
Answer Our Poll: Do you drink tap water or bottled water?
2. One in three consumers say they overspent for the 2023 holiday season.
CivicScience polling shows 1-in-3 consumers spent more than they planned to on the 2023 holidays, including 12% who spent ‘a lot more’ – compared to 21% who spent less than expected. Over-budget holiday spending is highly correlated with social media use; consumers who use social media daily were 15 percentage points more likely to report spending more than planned. Among consumers whose purchases are strongly influenced by friends and contacts on social media, an overwhelming 82% reported spending more on the holidays than they expected to.
3. Gen Z leads the way in driving the popularity of Emmy-winning shows.
Some of the big winners at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards were “Succession” (Best Drama Series), “The Bear” (Best Comedy Series), and “Beef” (Best Limited or Anthology Series). According to new CivicScience polling, 18% of respondents say they have watched “Succession,” and two-thirds of them enjoyed it. Slightly fewer (15%) have watched “The Bear,” but another 16% want to watch it.
Gen Z adults are most likely to have watched each of these shows, especially “Succession” and “Beef,” while “The Bear” was equally popular among both Gen Z and Millennials. Fewer than 10% of Baby Boomers say they have seen any of these three shows.
Join the Discussion: Do you think celebrity award shows are overrated, underrated, or properly rated?
Want to see more of the in-depth consumer insights found in this report not covered here? Clients receive the SPEC Report in full, plus access to real-time insights driven by our database of over 500K questions. Contact us now to see it in action.
