Business world names its 20 hottest topics for 1992
Health care insurance and costs. Home remodeling and home centers. The Americans with Disabilities Act. Fitness and exercise trends. Biotechnology in the food industry. What do these five topics have in common?
They were the five major concerns among American business executives in 1992. Accordingly, they were designated the most popular business topics of the year on FIND/SVP's Business Barometer. Published by the New York City-based consulting and research firm FIND/SVP, the Business Barometer is a monthly ranking of the 20 subjects most on the minds of its 11,000 executive clients.
According to Andrew Garvin, president of FIND/SVP, health care in the United States has been a significant concern for all American businesses, and its appearance at the top of the list came as little surprise. Client companies from all sectors of industry, from small to large, are directly affected by rising health care and insurance costs.
FIND/SVP fielded numerous questions on other firms' health care plans, health care in the United States and abroad, federal policies, statistics on the uninsured, and how to contain health care and insurance costs for their own companies. The topic has been hot for some time now, but interest skyrocketed during the presidential primaries and after the election of Bill Clinton, Garvin says.
Home remodeling/home centers was the second most popular topic in 1992, which was also one of the hottest topics the year before. Its continued popularity is attributed to the recession, since a large percentage of Americans either cannot afford to buy a new home, or in the current economic climate, won't take the risk on this kind of investment. Instead, it's becoming quite common to refurbish, redecorate, repair and maintain existing homes. If the trend continues, markets as varied as furniture, textiles, doors, and carpentry will be affected positively. The trend also invigorates the do-it-yourself market, which has become a growth market in the 1990s. FIND/SVP has examined an array of related issues, primarily products, trends, and leading home centers. Third on the hot-topic list was the Americans with Disabilities Act. This is a federal civil rights law that guarantees unbiased treatment of the disabled in the workplace.
Initial ADA regulations went into effect in July for firms with more than 25 employees; those with fewer workers have until July 1994 to comply. The law affects all companies, and aside from information on specific rules and regulations of the ADA, other key issues include training programs, personnel policies, job descriptions, and safety procedures and practices.
Fitness and exercise trends was another hit of 1992, ranked fourth. The fitness craze that began a few years ago has not yet died down, and FIND/SVP president Garvin expects that trend to continue. In-line skating in particular took off this year, while golf seems to be the rising sport of the '90s. It appears the next wave will include exercise machines, like innovative stair-climbing equipment.
Fifth most popular was biotechnology, especially in the food industry. The continued application of bioengineering techniques, such as gene splicing or cell manipulation, yield higher quality products like leaner pork products and vitamin-enriched fruits and vegetables. Food and Drug Administration approval is not yet necessary for bioengineered foods nor are products required to be labeled as such. This relatively unregulated state has ignited much controversy in both the food and restaurant industries. The big question is, "Will people buy it?" The answer is being seriously considered by food companies, restaurants, advertising agencies and even investment firms.
Other topics on the 1992 Business Barometer were, in order of popularity: women's health issues, Total Quality Management, corporate downsizing, the 1992 election, multinational food marketing, the Clean Air Act, the recession, the North American Free Trade Agreement, frozen foods, warehouse clubs, home equity loans, cellular phones, Eastern Europe, alternate methods of distribution, and children's television.
The Business Barometer is based on a review of approximately 7,000 questions asked of FIND/SVP's consultants each month by 11,000 business executives from more than 1,700 client companies.
Nightmare on Main Street - Americans' biggest fears
Americans are spooked by more than just things that go bump in the night. A lot more, like public speaking, financial problems, heights, and deep water, according to a nationwide survey of 1,000 adults, The survey, conducted by Bruskin-Goldring Research, Inc., of Edison, N.J., asked about the things of which nightmares are made. The results were compared to a similar survey the company conducted in 1973.
Speaking before a group is the top terror, frightening 45% of American adults; financial problems scared us most after that, along with fear of heights, both at 40%. A third get the shivers when they think of deep water. Those are the highest ranking fears, followed by dread of death, sickness, insects, and loneliness. Women showed higher percentages of fear than men in both the 1992 and the 1973 survey.
Over half the women (54%) and slightly more than a third of men (34%) fear speaking before a group. Twenty years ago this was the most common fear of both men and women. It is still the most dreaded among women, but has dropped to second place among men, who now fear financial problems most. More respondents from the North Central regional (55%) than the Northeast (37%) say this is one of their fears.
Financial problems, which worry one in four of the respondents, has jumped from fourth to second since the 1973 survey. The rise reflects the impact of current economic conditions. This is one of the few concerns which is almost equally shared among men (38%) and women (42%). Nearly half of the younger respondents (18 to 34 years old) are likely to have financial worries compared with respondents aged 50 to 65 (33%) or over 65 (16%). Respondents from the lowest and highest income brackets (under $ 15,000 and more than $40,000, respectively) worry less (36%) about money than those with household incomes between $15,000 and $20,000 (51%), while 46% of those with incomes between $20,000 and $40,000 cite this fear. Again, respondents from the North Central region (46%) are more afraid than those from the Northeast.
Towering heights give the creeps to 40% of adults. More women (50%) than men (29%) say they are afraid of heights.
Deep water scares 33% of respondents. Women again lead men, 45% compared with 19%. Regionally, people from the South are most afraid (42%); respondents from the West least concerned (23%).
Fear of sickness and death has increased since 1973, when 19% of respondents cited these fears. Now 31% of adults are afraid of dying and 28% fear sickness. Older respondents (65+) fear death less than 18- to 24-year-olds (37%). Women again take a slight lead (34%) over men (23%). The tables are turned when the subject is sickness. Respondents aged 65+ are more afraid (25%) than 18- to 24-year-olds (13%) of falling ill.
It may only be a bug, but 24% of adults say they are afraid of insects. Again, this concern is more common among women than men, as is loneliness. Over a quarter of the women responding feared being lonely, while 18% of the men said they worried about this. Flying, driving or riding in a car, dogs, darkness, elevators, and escalators are less common fears.
Consumers heed Mom's advice, eat more fresh produce
U.S. consumers are saying Mom was right. They report they are eating some fresh fruits and vegetables more often, notably broccoli, lettuce, carrots, apples, bananas and grapes. Why?
The appetite for lettuce, at least, is being inspired by year-round availability, the appeal of romaine and other leafy varieties, and the convenience of today's packaged salad mixes. Perceived nutritional value and consistent satisfaction with taste and quality in part are also working in favor of all those items.
Additionally, a national nutrition education program underwritten by the federal government's National Cancer Institute appears to be working. That program, also endorsed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is called "Five a Day. . .For Better Health." About 5 million households have moved toward the recommended five daily servings of produce in the past year, a consumer study shows.
The new study, called Fresh Trends 1993, was released by The Packer, a business newspaper serving the fresh produce industry, and Vance Research Services, a unit of Vance Publishing Corp. of Overland Park, Kan. The study reports that while one in five consumers is eating a specific fruit or vegetable more often because of its taste, health and nutrition concerns are driving consumers to buy a particular fresh produce item more frequently.
According to a telephone interview poll of 1,002 U.S. households, more than 40% of respondents volunteered health- or nutrition-related comments, including such answers as "[I eat the item] to get the potassium," and "[I'm using the item because I'm] doing a little more Chinese cooking - it's healthier."
Among those eating produce for a specific health reason - vitamin or mineral intake, calorie control, fiber, cholesterol concerns or cancer prevention - broccoli is the overwhelming food of choice. In all five areas, it is among the top four fruits or vegetables linked to better health. Apples and carrots also made each list.
Previous Fresh Trends studies have determined that perceived quality is the top reason consumers select an item in a store. The new survey finds that 34% of consumer households offer some complaint about quality. These include: the product is under- or overripe; shelf life is too short; and the product is not fresh enough. Thirty-seven percent of consumers offered no complaints.
About one in four overall complaints involves price. When asked specifically what supermarkets could do to encourage produce consumption, 40% of consumers mention price; quality-related comments are next, but only half as important as price.
One in six households believe that growers and producers themselves can help lower prices. Nearly the same per-centage mention improved quality and reduced chemical usage as concerns. Forty-five percent say there's nothing growers can do to help encourage fresh produce consumption, or don't know what such strategies might be.
Other findings from the survey include:
- Taste ranks third, behind quality and price, among general complaint categories;
- 15 million Americans who are aware of the "Five a Day" program have not responded to its call. Americans average 3.5 servings a day of fruits and vegetables (fresh or processed).
- Less than half of all consumers (42%) bought pre-cut or pre-mixed convenience produce in the 12 months preceding the study. Among those who have, however, there is a favorable level of allegiance to those products. Salad mix is the item purchased most often.
- Kiwifruit remains far and away the item tried most for the first time. Mangoes, carambola (star fruit), and green cauliflower follow. Kiwifruit and mangoes also are the top "ethnic or specialty" items purchased at least occasionally by consumers.
Fresh Trends 1993 polled 1,002 U.S. households in the Consumer Mail Panel of Chicago-based Market Facts Inc. The survey involved a 24-question personal interview, with most questions open-ended and unaided. The sample and results were weighted to be nationally representative of the U.S. population for househould size, population density, age, income and geographic region.
Games people play
In light of Americans' concerns about health and physical fitness, people are spending more of their free time participating in sports and recreational activities, according to a recent study.
The study by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association examined "frequent" participation, and found that a few activities are enjoying rising popularity with America's sporting public. Six athletic disciplines or equipment usage registered significant levels of double digit growth from 1989 through 1991. The stair-climbing machine came in first, up by a whopping 240%; next was the cross-country ski machine, up 127%, closely followed by in-line skating, which rose by 124%. Beach volley-ball came in fourth, with growth of 112%. Basketball and treadmill use ran at a distant fifth and sixth, with increases of 62% and 55% respectively. The SGMA , a trade association, defines a frequent sports participant as one who: exercises at least 100 days a year, or; plays individual sports at least 25 times a year, or; is involved in an outdoor/recreational pursuit 15 to 25 days a year, depending on seasonality. The association's Sports Participation Index is derived from a syndicated 15,000-household tracking study conducted by American Sports Data, Inc.