9 questions companies should be asking after the midterms

OK, the midterms are over. Democrats have reclaimed control of Congress in a historic electoral shift. What now?

While election outcomes are always uncertain, all along we knew:

• Many states and districts would be close, but up for grabs, including many that had not been in play for years or decades.
• Based on historical patterns, midterms are often bad for the party that holds the current power in Congress and the White House.
• That pattern tends to be more pronounced if the party in charge is not seen as doing well on key issues like the economy.

And the Republican party was, indeed, not seen as doing well on the economy.

In the period when early voting had started in many areas, an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll found that Americans were more likely to trust Democrats than Republicans on the economy (37% trust Democrats, 28% trust Republicans). As recently as July, the two parties polled evenly on the issue, showing just how quickly public opinion eroded on the issue.

While a handful of races are still too close to call, the shape of Congress for the next two years is now clear.

Three things are likely to happen (or not) in the coming months, based on campaign rhetoric and the actions the Democrats took in 2018, when they regained the House during President Trump’s first term. While President Trump said on election night that he accepts the election results and hopes to work with Democrats, the reality is likely to be more confrontational.

• Expect a lot of investigations and Congressional hearings, led by the new Democratic majorities in both the House and the Senate. A lot of people across the Trump administration will likely be called to testify in very public hearings.
• The Democrats will try to rein in the Trump administration’s domestic and global agenda wherever they can. They will pass legislation, attempt to undo executive orders, reinstate policies and regulations, and yes, investigate and hold hearings. There will be continued debate about whether to hold another impeachment hearing. The Trump administration will continue to use executive power and the courts to get things done.
• But lacking a veto-proof majority in either let alone both chambers, don’t expect much to change. That will likely make the equities markets happy. Markets like change even less than people do.

All of which to say: We can expect this prolonged period of political and economic instability to continue.

Will the Trump administration’s tariffs go away quickly, or at all? Will the Iran war escalate and expand? Will interest rates and inflation continue to climb? Will the political temperature go up, or down? What will happen to our AI-driven economy? How will President Trump react to a lame-duck status in his final two years in office?

These answers will play out over time, but various scenarios can be planned for.

One thing that seems fairly certain is that these convincing election results will give way to more political uncertainty as the balance of power plays out. People will continue to be stressed and stretched — just in time for holiday shopping season to kick off.

How will your business prepare?

Here are nine questions corporate and brand leaders should be asking today to prepare for tomorrow:

1. How can I future-proof my strategy, no matter the sociopolitical shifts?

Today will look different from tomorrow, and tomorrow from the day after. Ipsos Strategy3 helps brands futureproof — finding where demand is heading next, then building brand, innovation and portfolio plans that hold up whichever way things unfold around us.

• To learn more, contact your client partner or Philip Ryan, Managing Partner, Ipsos Strategy3, at [email protected].
• For further reading: “How brands can navigate the shifting values of America at 250”

2. How do people feel about my brand today?

Ipsos’ Brand Health Tracking solutions measure brands’ discoverability, desirability, and dynamism over time, helping organizations understand how perceptions are changing and where action is needed.

• To learn more, contact your client partner or Jim Vancho, President, Ipsos Brand Health Tracking, at [email protected].
• For further reading: “Why trust is a competitive advantage for brands”

3. How will the election impact affluent Americans’ spending?

Ipsos Global Influentials (IGI) helps brands understand how these influential audiences in the U.S. and around the world respond to change, and what their evolving expectations signal about the future of consumer behavior, culture and markets.

• To learn more, contact your client partner or Justin Laborde, PhD, VP, Ipsos Syndicated Solutions, at [email protected].
• For further reading: “Why understanding success starts with understanding Global Influentials”

4. How do I protect and strengthen reputation in uncertain times?

Ipsos Corporate Reputation helps brands and organizations understand their public image and harness the power of their reputation.

• To learn more, contact your client partner or Anne Mitchell, SVP, Corporate Reputation, Ipsos, at [email protected].
• For further reading: The Reputation Council Report 2026

5. How do I understand shopper demographics in a fragmented economy?

Ipsos People Segmentation helps brands understand the distinct priorities, motivations and behaviors of different consumer segments and focus on the actions with the greatest impact.

• To learn more, contact your client partner or Natalie Kinney, EVP, Ipsos Market Strategy and Understanding, at [email protected].
• For further reading: “How smarter segmentation inspires real consumer connections”

6. People are looking for answers from AI chatbots. How do I see what they’re telling Americans about my brand?

Ipsos Synthesio AI Visibility is a comprehensive AI search monitoring and reporting solution designed to help enterprise brands track, measure, and optimize their presence across leading AI search engines.

• To learn more, contact your client partner or Joe Colacurcio, SVP, Ipsos Synthesio, at [email protected].
• For further reading: Ipsos Synthesio AI Visibility information page

7. How do I avoid making assumptions about the American consumer?

There is no single American shopper. Ipsos’ Ethnography Center of Excellence research helps brands move beyond stereotypes and surface-level insights to understand the diverse identities, values and experiences that influence different audiences.

• To learn more, contact your client partner or Alexandra Stiver, Senior Director, Ipsos Ethnography Center of Excellence, at [email protected].
• For further reading: “How qualitative research brings clarity to the complexity of U.S. consumers.”

8. How do I know if my marketing strategy will resonate in today's social and political climate?

Ipsos Creative Fuel arms brands with real consumer reactions to potential strategic directions, uncovering opportunities and sensitivities before resources are committed to an advertisement or campaign.

• To learn more, contact your client partner or Lisa Sobilo, VP, Ipsos Creative Excellence, at [email protected].
• For further reading: “Beyond Opinions: 5 Advertising Insight Myths We Put to the Test”

9. How do I understand which commercial investments will drive growth in a volatile market?

Ipsos MMA provides monthly and weekly Unified Marketing Measurement (MMM + Agile Attribution) updates to capture the latest changes in media performance, operations and external factors enabling brands to make smarter decisions as market conditions evolve.

• To learn more, contact your client partner or Joseph Lasala, VP, marketing, Ipsos MMA, at [email protected].
• For further reading: About Ipsos MMA