America This Week Wave 229

America This Week: A Latino Red Wave? The Blowback on Dynamic Pricing, Craft Beers Cool Off, and Cash-Strapped Healthcare Workers

The latest trends in society and culture from The Harris Poll

From teamsters to tech leaders, The RNC has, so far, platformed a surprisingly wide range of voices. One group that longs to be heard is Latinos. Yesterday, we released a new study with Axios and Noticias Telemundo, indicating that many Hispanics are looking at the GOP with new interest and energy. Is a red wave coming? (80%) of all Latino Americans say they “are often used as pawns by politicians who don’t care about us.”

We’ll delve into that story (below), along with three other new polls from America This Week, fielded July 10th to 12th, among 2,034 Americans:

• How dynamic pricing is frustrating consumers with confusion and lost opportunity.
• Craft beers, while still popular, are beginning to lose their suds.
• And lastly, healthcare workers are burning out on their finances.

Latinos, Focused on Their Own Economy, Are Taking a Fresh Look at Republicans: Axios Vibes By The Harris Poll

Yesterday, Axios Senior Contributor Margaret Talev, American Principles Project director of Hispanic engagement Alfonso Aguilar, and our CEO John Gerzema discussed our latest Axios Vibes By The Harris Poll finding Latino Republicans are much more enthusiastic than Latino Democrats.

• (15%-pt) lead on being extremely likely to vote (GOP 86% v. DEM: 71%, IND: 54%).
• (16%-pt) lead on being enthusiastic to vote in this year’s election (56%, 40%,  29%).
• (16%-pt) lead on to vote for a candidate I believe in (41%, 25%, 26%)

You can watch the full conversation here

• Better economics drive Latino energy: (56%) of Latino voters say their personal finances are poor (v. good: 44%), and their three biggest issues in this election are inflation, jobs/wages, and housing affordability (59%, 39%, 33%).
• In fact, personal economics are 3x higher for Latinos than either reproductive rights or immigration issues (61% v. 22% and 17% v. non-Latino voters: 56%, 23%, 21%).
• Why might GOP populist messaging land? Republican Latinos (especially) see America as aspirational: GOP Latinos are (10%-pts) higher on being very proud to be an American (52% v. DEM-L: 42%) and (12%-pts) higher on being very hopeful they can achieve the life they want through hard work and determination (51% v. DEM-L: 39%).

Takeaway: Currently, Latino voters see the GOP as out of touch with everyday people (49% v. DEMS 34%) and favoring corporations over workers (47% to 33%). But as “Trump remakes the party’s image in his likeness, Latinos are primed to receive that message because it’s a more populist message,” says Gerzema. It’s him improving their economy that drives the newfound enthusiasm. Many believe the former President has the potential to “make a difference in their life” this go around.

Dynamic Pricing Burnout: NerdWallet-Harris Poll

Dynamic pricing, first popularized by ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, refers to businesses adjusting prices up or down to account for supply and demand factors. But our latest survey with NerdWallet reveals growing resistance and frustration driven by consumer frustration with transparency and FOMO of missing lower prices.

• Dynamic Blowback: More than a fifth (22%) of Americans say they wouldn’t spend money at a business that uses dynamic pricing, especially older consumers.
• Dynamic lows aren’t convincing: Just a quarter (25%) say they would spend money only when prices were down – jumping to (39%) of Gen Z.

• Could dynamic pricing help ease burning budgets? A recent Axios Vibes By The Harris Poll found that six in ten Americans felt financially squeezed each month.

Takeaway: Neither dynamic pricing nor its surge pricing variant is the same as price gouging — when businesses raise prices to take advantage of consumers without alternatives, such as artificially inflating gas or food prices during a natural disaster. Unlike the unethical practice of price gouging, consumers can benefit from prices that fluctuate in both directions. Yet, when companies come under fire for dynamic pricing, it may lead to cautious consumers.

Craft Beer Cools Off: Brewers Association-Harris Poll

Gone, it appears, are the days when you had your “beer drinkers,” your “wine drinkers,” or your “spirits drinkers,” etc., according to our new survey with the Brewers Association. Younger drinkers are drinking a bit of everything but fewer craft beers.

• Younger drinkers want to try everything: Younger drinkers Gen Z 21+ are seeking out multiple alcohol categories. This trend diminishes among older consumers who are less likely to consume newer product offerings.
• As for craft beer, beer enthusiasm is cooling: Among those who drink craft beer, they are now more likely to drink spirits on a weekly basis than they are to drink craft beer.

• Among those same craft drinkers, the average frequency of consumption is declining: In 2015, (81%) consumed craft beer several times a month or more often. In 2024, that figure has dropped to (62%) of those who drink craft at that same frequency.
• Yet – Though it may not feel like it at times, there are more craft beer consumers today than at any other point in our lifetimes: By 2024 (48%) of the American population drank craft beer at least several times a year (v. 2014: 32%).

Takeaway: Although craft beer used to be the dominant drink a few years back, the countless new offerings in alcohol have pulled people’s interest and money in different directions – even among craft beer enthusiasts. Simply, everyone is drinking everything today, and with all this variation, alcohol companies may need to evolve their marketing and offerings to grab attention.

Finances Haunt Healthcare Workers: DailyPay-Harris Poll

Inflation has hit virtually all Americans pretty hard, especially those we rely on daily. Our latest research with DailyPay shows that most healthcare workers today struggle with finances.

• Finances are a top stressor: Most (57%) U.S. healthcare workers feel stressed about their finances.
• A third (34%) even say they ran out of money between paychecks in the past year.
• Nearly half (49%) find it challenging to pay bills on time, and a quarter (25%) couldn’t pay a bill in the past year.
• Their long-term financial health is at risk: (37%) of healthcare workers can’t adequately save enough for the future, and (34%) don’t feel like they’ll save enough to live comfortably in retirement.

Takeaway: “Healthcare workers have selflessly served communities all across the country during some of our most difficult times,” said Ed Zaval, Chief Customer Officer at DailyPay. “Amid continued high inflation, they are challenged to make ends meet and pay bills on time.”