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. Get in touch to learn more.

1. Homeschooling stands out among non-traditional schooling options, far outpacing other forms of remote education.

Homeschooling is rising as the fastest-growing form of education. According to a report from The Washington Post, thousands of school districts reported increased rates of homeschooling for the 2022-2023 school year, defying earlier predictions of more students returning to districts that have lifted COVID-19 restrictions. CivicScience data show that 12% of U.S. parents with school-aged children (under 18) homeschool their children – more than twice that of other forms of semi/fully remote education. This figure increases to 15% among families who live in the U.S. West, the region with the highest reported homeschooling rate.

Join the Discussion: In your opinion, has homeschooling become a better option or a worse option in current times?

2. Close to two-thirds of Americans are keeping tabs on Former President Trump’s civil fraud trial.

The Iowa Caucuses are now just over two months away, and it’s been a busy last week, in particular in the political realm. Consequential state-level elections, the third Republican presidential primary debate, along with former president Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial in New York – a trial which featured Ivanka Trump testifying.  Despite the busy political news cycle,  nearly 2-in-3 U.S. adults say they are still following news of the former president’s trial at least ‘somewhat closely’ – similar to the numbers reported when the trial began last month. 

For additional political insights, be sure to check out the Election Consumer Mindset Tracker – a new product from CivicScience analyzing and predicting how developments in the 2024 presidential race will affect people, markets, and the economy.

3. Price leads the way for American flyers in deciding who to fly with, but don’t overlook the value of comfort.

As holiday travel is soon to shift into gear, CivicScience has previously shown nearly a third of those planning to travel for the holidays will do so by plane. With the impending ramp-up of flying for the holidays, what are consumers who typically fly looking for most as they decide which airline to help them get from point A to point B?

The latest CivicScience data show the majority (51%) prefer to focus on price, while more frequent or direct flight options and on-time flights round out the top three considerations for flyers. One particular factor of note that ranks ahead of baggage allowance and flight change flexibility? One-quarter of those who travel by plane say better in-flight comfort and services are most important to them when choosing which airline to fly with. 

While most airlines already offer first-class seating options, one concept that could gain ground given this desire for better in-flight comfort is business-class-only airlines. The Paris-based airline La Compagnie was ranked the best airline in the world for its first-class fleet, featuring 76 seats with extra legroom and other perks. If this concept were widely adopted in the United States, CivicScience data show that 24% of airline travelers would be ‘very likely’ to fly with a business-class-only airline, with adults under 35 expressing the highest interest.

Take Our Poll: How often do you fly first class?

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