Ipsos Update – March 2021

Ipsos’ Shaping the Future report provides a lens for those looking to plan for the future, describing the possible pathways towards the world of 2025 and beyond. Our experts map future impacts of long-term trends such as climate emergency and AI as well as factors that remain more uncertain, such as the post-pandemic economic recovery. The report identifies some of the next challenges facing the world and explores how they might be addressed.

One year on from Covid-19, our latest surveys explore how perceptions and expectations around the virus have changed, the impact of the crisis on mental health and community spirit, and where concern about the virus stands compared with other social and political concerns. Our US ask whether how and where we live will be affected by the pandemic. Meanwhile, the latest insights from our vaccines research are presented in a recent webinar.

In Service with a Smile? we tackle the challenge that many businesses are facing today: how to deliver great customer experience when customers and staff are wearing masks. Our research finds that communication and comfort can be adversely affected by facemasks, but within these constraints there are things that can be done to enhance the customer experience.

First Impressions Matter: the decision to purchase or disregard a product is directly impacted by the first impressions consumers form of it. We tested spontaneous responses to packaging and brand names to find out more about how to create these successful first impressions.

Mixed Mode research design has not yet been readily embraced by all, but this looks likely to change. The disruptions of 2020 showed how Mixed Mode can allow research programmes to continue. But it is not only a plan B and can offer additional benefits of increased representativity and response rates as well as cost savings.

Regret is a key driver of how people make decisions. Our new research shows that measuring regret (or anticipated regret) can tell us more about how people deal with conflicting preferences, how fixed people are in their choices, and whether intentions are driven by more automatic or considered thinking.

This month we feature recent polling from Canada, where the second lockdown appears to be taking its toll on the mental wellbeing of many. The public are frustrated about the progress of Canada’s Covid-19 vaccination programme and, looking forward, a majority do not expect to travel abroad until 2022.

Finally, new additions to Ipsos’ global mobility research programme include reports on electric vehicles in Thailand and the US as well as a webinar from our Mexico team about local and global mobility trends.