Brands are being urged to step up to the plate on the back of a new study which shows Brits are grappling with a “crisis hangover”, where the emotional toll of the last four years has left them feeling highly wary of all possible financial and social threats.
So says Leo Burnett’s latest PopPulse nationwide study, which looked at the mood of the nation as we approach 100 days into a new Government and found a delicate population that has been battered and bruised from years of crises.
However, all is not lost and brands now have a crucial role to play during this time of national uncertainty.
The study shows that two-thirds (67%) of Brits are overwhelmed in their daily lives, with 30% feeling anxious, and just 28% hopeful versus 60% of people who felt more optimistic about their circumstances improving, when they were asked in January.
The research suggests that a sense of hope has been overshadowed by mounting stress. Some 55% of respondents stated that people seem angrier than 12 months ago, and one-quarter sensed a rise in fear across the country. Rising living costs (79%) and dissatisfaction with the current political leadership (64%) are the main factors fuelling the public’s emotional overwhelm.
As the Government prepares to unveil its Budget, the public’s confidence in the country’s financial future remains bleak. Some 56% of Brits express little or no confidence in the Government’s ability to handle the issues they care about most.
These concerns are focused on the economy (66%), the cost of living (65%), and the NHS (62%). Even more concerning is the public’s sense of disconnect: just 34% of respondents believe the Government understands the reasons behind their frustration.
However, it is not just the Government under pressure; businesses are also in the spotlight. Nearly three-fifths (57%) of Brits feel that companies have been unnecessarily increasing prices to increase their profits.
As part of Leo Burnett’s focus on populist creativity that speaks to people at a human level and helps brands grow, the PopPulse study aims to pop the marketing bubble and plug brands into how the country is really feeling.
The report captures voices from nationwide, combining quantitative and qualitative data to “listen to the listeners” – the restaurant owners, hairdressers, physiotherapists, tradespeople – people who hear what the nation is really talking about every day.
The agency is talking to clients about five ‘crisis hangover cures’ to ensure their businesses stay in tune with the mood of the nation.
Leo Burnett deputy chief strategy officer Tom Sussman said: “At a time when confusion, vulnerability, and disaffection prevail, brands have a real opportunity to represent a little clarity, transparency, and hope.
“PopPulse shows us that, after four years of stoically coping with a nationwide state of permacrisis, the British public are finally paying the emotional toll with an almighty ‘crisis hangover’. It also demonstrates that brands can play a crucial role in helping consumers recover.
“With people feeling overwhelmed by financial, social, and political pressures, brands can provide relief by simplifying decision-making, offering transparency, acting with integrity, encouraging unity or even just suggesting some everyday reasons for hope and comfort.
“The nation is feeling delicate and brands will have to navigate the situation equally delicately. But, those that do will also no doubt find their own health looking better in no time.”
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