Political Consumer Insights

Trend - Tech companies are using artificial intelligence (AI) to create advanced dubbing software to help with translation and localization. AI dubbing goes beyond simple translation and text-to-speech, offering services that use the original actors' voices, dub in real-time, or maintain emotions.

Insight - Pandemic-induced lockdowns led to an influx of content and media consumption around the world. Many consumers began experimenting with international forms of content, having to enjoy this content with subtitles or poor translations, leading to a desire for improved content accessibility. AI solves this issue by providing curated dubbing services for each type of content, such as real-time dubbing for news broadcasts, or emotion-retaining, original-voice dubbing for television media.

Trend - Brands in various sectors, spanning travel and tourism to alcohol and entertainment, are helping consumers cope with "political fatigue" ahead of the upcoming U.S. elections. These solutions range from an escapist hotel stay to a relaxing political coloring book.

Insight - American politics have been a constant source of news for consumers around the world and with the election day close, many consumers are feeling anxious over the impending results. This, compounded by other stressors this year–the pandemic, economic uncertainty, and remote work and learning–has resulted in many consumers feeling overwhelmed and looking for comforting ways to manage these anxieties.

Trend - Businesses are aiming to make the act of partaking in the presidential election easier for consumers. As a result, many companies are transforming their brick-and-mortar locations into registration hubs and offering educational materials to encourage participation.

Insight - Contemporary consumers—especially those who are a part of the Millennial and Gen Z demographics—are placing emphasis on ethics and sustainability, which has resulted in many expecting their favorite brands to take a political stance and support social causes. As a consequence of the growing consumer consciousness, individuals feel more confident and better about their purchasing decisions, knowing that a given brand is using its power to advocate for a better world.

Trend - Since March, mainstream Western media has covered COVID-19 content in high volumes and many have taken to social media to share about the virus, creating a bigger opportunity for misinformation. To remedy this, organizations are going beyond traditional fact-checking platforms and are aiming to engage consumers directly with authentic information through building community, centered around experts and verification.

Insight - In recent years, individuals have become aware of the dangers of fake news and as a result, many are increasingly skeptical about the information they consume, both online and in print. COVID-19 has caused people to do a lot of research, pertaining to the virus itself, its effect on other countries, the political responses to the pandemic, and so on. Because of this desire of wanting to understand and better educate themselves in the pandemic, individuals are looking for trustworthy and verified information.

Trend - Designers—particularly in fashion and in other categories—are imagining the post-pandemic future in a glum and dystopic manner. Mostly shared through photographic imagery in editorials and lookbooks, as well as in some projects and even events, these post-pandemic worlds seek to entertain.

Insight - Individuals are embracing all forms of fiction as a means of entertainment—from books to photography and beyond. Often, many place a strong emphasis on content that is relatable to a degree, and as a result, consumers search for narratives that offer commentary on contemporary issues and events. In this case, individuals do not only succeed in passing their time in pleasurable ways, but they also experience some connection and comfort through the content that they consume.

Trend- During the 2018 US midterm elections, a number of brands pioneered interactive campaigns that encouraged voter participation in a variety of ways through the use of social media, ride hailing apps, and other ad campaigns.

Insight - Today's consumer has more frequent access to political news, and specifically, varied opinions of others via social media. This has created an era where consumers hold brands to a higher standard regarding corporate social responsibility. Many today hold the expectation that brands need to use their platform to encourage individuals to fulfill their civic duties and serve as catalysts in empowering consumers for the greater good.

Implications - While blockchain technology is still in its infancy, its application in voting means that we can almost guarantee security while allowing for increased participation for remote legally registered voters. With electoral fraud being highly scrutinized as of late, blockchain technology has the potential to provide a foundation where institutions can work to restore faith in electoral systems, and could contribute to more accessible voting processes.

Though products related to sexuality and sexual health have always been viewed as somewhat taboo, some brands that offer them are taking it a step further by grounding their campaigns in political and social issues. The dichotomy between these strong "left-leaning" stances, and the seemingly more prominent "conservative" movement in North America is allowing brands to make more definitive statements that will ultimately target the demographics most important to them.

Implications - The Internet has democratized the gathering of information, but it's also granted almost anyone the ability to create content. This creates a lack of trust for all news sources. For the Millennial generation, there is an extra level of mistrust surrounding large news outlets that can only be alleviated by way of alternative outlets that lead with accountability.

Implications - As the war on fake news rages, media platforms are earning the trust of dubious consumers by changing the game and providing multiple perspectives rather than promoting a single message. Inundated with free access to media, consumers are becoming more open to varying opinions and realizing that there is always more than one side to the story. Through offering multiple angles to the news within one resource, media outlets can engage their readers on a much more authentic level, increasing brand trust through transparency.