SPONSORED CONTENT
Jeffrey I. Goldstein
President, ACUPOLL Precision Research, Inc.
jgoldstein@acupoll.com
513-943-0020
With so many different non-conscious techniques out there, is there a single overall System 1 measure available?
Market researchers are using increasingly sophisticated methods to pull apart elements of System 1 non-conscious activity. While these can be very useful, when the objective is to screen lots of (often similar) messages or ideas, capturing multiple non-conscious influencers is costly, not sensitive or discriminating enough and at times could yield conflicting indicators. It’s more practical – and proven predictive – to measure overall “gut reaction” with a carefully designed, cognitively advanced technique that captures human impulses in the most natural way possible (like with new Spark MCR™).
Erin Norman
Senior Solutions Consultant, Public Policy, Heart+Mind Strategies
enorman@heartandmindstrategies.com
571-926-8852 x321
How do we decide which social and political issues our brand should focus on?
It is a common assumption in the era of Me Too and MAGA that consumers want brands to take decisive stances on political and social issues. Many experts have predicted brands that sit out of the debate will ultimately hurt their bottom line.
It’s not difficult to see how companies are arriving at that conclusion. A Morning Consult survey in January 2018 found that 50 percent of Americans believe a company’s social or political positions are important when considering a purchase. Fewer than one in seven say it is “not at all important.”
But those figures are misleading because they assume everyone favors the same position. In reality, when accounting for party affiliation, 17 percent of Americans (Democrats) want strong advocacy from brands while 14 percent (Republicans) want those same brands to act in the opposite direction. It’s hardly a slam dunk for companies to identify with political issues, especially considering the same Morning Consult survey found that 61 percent say corporate political stances have not changed their purchase behavior.
That is not to say that all brands and companies should shy away from taking a stance on issues that matter to their mission, values and core customers. But rushing to make a public declaration of support or opposition can cause brands significant pain if they haven’t done the research to know how their customers view things.
At Heart+Mind Strategies, we help brands discover the best way to engage in public policy debates. The right course of action is heavily dependent on the brand, category, customer base and their outlook. Companies don’t assume they know what products or services consumers want without testing and the same theory should be applied to broader corporate values.