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WNYC’s ‘The Eights’: Harris Polls On Gun Control, Gay Rights and...

This Is America’s Favorite Burger Brand

National Grocers Association Report Shows Shifts in Consumer Purchase of Seafood...

Cambridge Analytica Files For Bankruptcy in the US Amid America’s Fears...

What Marketers Can Learn From The Brands That Consumers Love (And...

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WNYC’s ‘The Eights’: Harris Polls On Gun Control, Gay Rights and America’s Greatness Capture...

Yesterday's (May 23) episode of "The Eights," a new series launched by WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show in partnership with The Harris Poll, tackled America's culture wars in 1978 as measured by sur Yesterday's (May 23) episode of "The Eights," a new series launched by WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show in partnership with The Harris Poll, tackled America's culture wars in 1978 as measured by surveys conducted by The Harris Poll during that decade on the qualities that impact America’s exceptionalism, LGBT rights and gun control.

One key study from that era was the Make America Great survey, which was launched in 1973. Conducted in 1973, 1975, 1978 and 1980, the poll asked Americans what attributes would make the country great at that time and in the future. In the 1973 survey, Americans defined the country’s greatness by its industrial know-how and scientific progress, hard-working people, rich natural resources and our system of private property. They were also convinced that factors such as equal opportunity for racial minorities, our ability to get along with other nations, expanded free education, and a higher standard of living for all would make America great in the future.

Nonetheless, some of those factors were prioritized differently over time. In 1978, scientific research moved to the top of the list of factors that would make America great in the future and by 1980, with the country’s sagging productivity and Ronald Regan’s introduction of the Welfare Queen trope into public discourse, Americans’ sentiments shifted as they believed that "a highly motivated workforce" would become a major factor in making America great during the next 25 years.

Beyond sentiments on America’s greatness during that decade, 1978 was also a pivotal moment for gay rights. It was the first time the rainbow gay pride flag was flown during the Gay Freedom Day Parade in San Francisco. It was also the year that California’s first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk, was assassinated. The year prior, 1977, helped set the stage for the 1978’s events. Gay Rights became a more central issue in America following the repeal of an ordinance in Miami-Dade County, Florida, prohibiting discrimination against homosexuals thanks to the efforts of celebrity singer, Anita Bryant, and her political coalition of Christian fundamentalists, Save Our Children, Inc. Shortly after the vote, the Harris Poll conducted a study on Americans’ attitudes toward homosexuals at the time. According to the study, although the public felt that discrimination against homosexuals was not justified, most Americans were opposed to hiring them for jobs that might bring them in contact with the young. 63% and 58% did not think that admitted homosexuals should be counselors in a camp for young people and a school principal, respectively. But Americans had less opposition to gay individuals serving as artists (86%), factory workers (85%), store clerks (80%) and TV news commentators (72%).

1978 was also the year that America’s support for a gun control law reached a record high. 80% of Americans favored federal laws “requiring that all handguns people own be registered by federal authorities.” A number that seems unfathomable today. Those numbers were just as high for people favoring federal laws controlling gun sales (73%) and permits for purchasing rifles (73%). These views could be explained as a backlash following rising crime rates in that era with the arrest of serial killer, Ted Bundy, and the Hillside Strangler’s murders. By 1981, pessimism set in. Almost defeated, majority of Americans (52%) began to see gun laws as futile, agreeing that "even if laws were passed making it harder for people to get guns, control of guns doesn't really get at the heart of the violence problem."

https://twitter.com/BrianLehrer/status/999310819677614080

“The Eights” offers a brief decade-by-decade history of America’s culture wars in years ending in eight from 1948 to 2008. The Harris Poll is currently working on a new poll with The Brian Lehrer Show, a 2018 version of the Make America Great poll.

For more Harris insights on subsequent decades, tune in to “The Eights,” on The Brian Lehrer Show airing weekdays from 10am-noon on WNYC 93.9 FM, AM 820 and www.wnyc.org.

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This Is America’s Favorite Burger Brand

Five Guys is America’s favorite burger chain, according to Harris Poll’s 30th annual EquiTrend study. For the second year in a row, the fast casual burger chain won Harris’s “Burger brand

1 min Read

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National Grocers Association Report Shows Shifts in Consumer Purchase of Seafood and Produce But...

At its annual trade show in February 2018, the National Grocers Association unveiled a landmark study showing distinct changes in consumers’ purchasing behaviors and outlining growth opportunities f At its annual trade show in February 2018, the National Grocers Association unveiled a landmark study showing distinct changes in consumers’ purchasing behaviors and outlining growth opportunities for its members. Conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of NGA, the survey revealed that although buying habits stayed consistent across the board, the purchase of food items such as beef, seafood, deli, and baked goods declined in 2017. Key reasons for the slump vary by food item. According to the report, fewer people purchased seafood because of price; while dietary changes influenced consumers to buy less beef and baked goods.

3,008 shoppers, aged 18 and older, who self-identified as spending 50% or more of their grocery shopping at an independent grocery store were surveyed for the report from November 13 to December 8, 2017. For these “independent shoppers,” convenience, followed by price, keeps them loyal to their local supermarkets. Although shoppers said location and price were main reasons for switching stores, a majority (2 in 3) were very satisfied with their local grocers and, in the past year, only 14% have changed supermarkets.

NGA members also observed these changes. “25 years ago, people didn’t care if things were organic,” says Jennifer Doherty, owner of the Manhattan Fruit Market in Chelsea, New York. Doherty has been in the grocery business for over two decades. In the early days of her retail career, Doherty says shoppers were more “price-conscious.” “Now more people are asking for organic food and are willing to pay more for it,” she says. Most shoppers who frequent Doherty’s supermarket are neighbors living and working in the area.

“With their strong ties to their communities and agility to quickly respond to consumer shifts in the marketplace, independents are well positioned to stay ahead of the consumer trend curve,” said Laura Strange, Vice President of Industry Relations, Communications and Marketing for National Grocers Association.

Online grocery shopping is slowly becoming a supplement to in-store purchases. About 3 in 10 independent shoppers anticipate an uptick in their online grocery shopping over the next five years. According to the report, in order to realize the potential of the online market, grocers should boost e-commerce investment by focusing on relevant target markets and keeping fees low and consistent.

The study also found that consumers want independent grocery chains to support healthy eating. 39% of those surveyed ranked using shelf tags with easily visible nutritional information as the top way a primary independent store can help them maintain a healthy diet. Furthermore, consumers recommended that primary stores should instruct them on how to cook certain foods.

To offset changes in consumer purchasing behavior, the NGA advises local grocers to avoid price increases on deli and bakery items, and running deals on seafood. Additionally, grocers can recommend healthier options within the category for consumers who have moved away from beef for health reasons. Grocers taking proactive such as these can go a long way as over half of the survey respondents say they want their local supermarket to show them what items are fresh and in season.

Findings from the NGA report also echo observations gleaned from the 2018 Harris Poll Reputation Quotient survey, which found that Americans value brands in their backyard that have become part of the community. Convenience goes a long way in fostering loyalty. Supermarkets scored high on the RQ survey. For the first time in the poll’s 19-year history, five grocery chains were featured among the top 10 companies on the list of 100 most visible companies identified and ranked by the U.S. public based on their reputation.

3 min Read

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Cambridge Analytica Files For Bankruptcy in the US Amid America’s Fears Over Data Privacy

Cambridge Analytica, the voter-profiling firm responsible for harvesting the data of 87 million Facebook users, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the U.S. on May 17. The company experienced a huge dro

2 min Read

Brand

What Marketers Can Learn From The Brands That Consumers Love (And Don’t)

By John Gerzema | Forbes Quick: Which browser do you use? What’s your go-to place for coffee? Which apps do you tap almost on reflex? Over the past two decades, the rapid digitization of our lives

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WNYC’s ‘The Eights’: Harris Polls On Gun Control, Gay Rights and...

This Is America’s Favorite Burger Brand

National Grocers Association Report Shows Shifts in Consumer Purchase of Seafood...

Cambridge Analytica Files For Bankruptcy in the US Amid America’s Fears...

What Marketers Can Learn From The Brands That Consumers Love (And...

THP Archives

WNYC’s ‘The Eights’: Harris Polls On Gun Control, Gay Rights and America’s Greatness Capture...

This Is America’s Favorite Burger Brand

National Grocers Association Report Shows Shifts in Consumer Purchase of Seafood and Produce But...

Cambridge Analytica Files For Bankruptcy in the US Amid America’s Fears Over Data Privacy

What Marketers Can Learn From The Brands That Consumers Love (And Don’t)

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