Thoughts and prayers aren’t enough. Time and time again, the US has been racked by gun violence and there has been no major policy action to enact laws that could curtail this gruesome trend.

“In the last five years, there have been at least 29 shootings with four or more fatalities, according to a database compiled by the Violence Project.” –The New York TImes

Here is a list of grassroots organizations that are pushing our legislators to enact laws for public safety in the face of gun violence:

• Everytown for Gun Safety
• The Brady Campaign
• Giffords
• Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
• States United to Prevent Gun Violence

Consumer Trends

What Wins Customers in 2021

Source: GWI

• Potential customers look for these indicators before buying from a brand, with the top reason shoppers don’t choose to make a purchase being bad customer service reported by 60% of respondents.
• Consider instituting a chatbot to your site to handle common queries as it’ll ultimately save your team time and money while also meeting the needs of your customers. “25% of consumers are open to talking to a human or a chatbot, as long as it leads them to their desired outcome.”

Digital Overload

Source: Microsoft

• According to Microsoft’s data, digital strain on people in work environments has nearly doubled based on the volume of time spent in meetings, emails delivered, chats per person, and documents being worked on.
• Even before the pandemic, digital burnout was an issue as a small study of just over 1,000 office workers saw that nearly 90% of participants spent 7+ hours in front of a screen and over half reported experiencing some fatigue or depression, now that strain has been multiplied.

 

The COVID 15

Source: American Psychological Association

• In the US the pandemic is taking a massive toll on the health of people both mentally and physically as over 61% report undesired weight change, 42% of whom report an average weight gain of 29 lbs.
• The world after the pandemic will be a new landscape where health has to be a focus since being locked down for over a year has had varying impacts on large swaths of the population.

Business Trends

The Ad Economy

Source: MediaPost

• After 5 consecutive months of growth to close out 2020, the US ad economy contracted 7.3% in February 2021. However, digital advertising has bucked this trend with 18% growth YoY for February. 
• Nearly 356 billion U.S. dollars were spent on digital advertising in 2020 and competition is only expected to increase as businesses continue to pour their ad dollars into digital platforms. The focus for brands moving forward should be on ad efficiency and getting the most out of their budget. 

Offline Advertising

• With US ad dollars increasingly going to digital platforms, that inherently means that there will be less competition in the print and broadcast space. This is especially helpful if your target audience is in the 50+ category as that age group spends almost twice as much time consuming traditional media than younger cohorts. -GlobeNewswire
• Hawke Media recently acquired MediaBuyers.com to offer our clients a full spectrum service offering that covers digital and traditional media with the same highly effective and targeted approach.

The New B2B Buyer

Source: GWI

• Termed “BETAs” by The B2B Institute, this cohort of 21-40-year-olds is changing the landscape of how and who makes purchasing decisions for businesses.
• As the workforce changes and a new generation of workers moves into leadership roles, the implications of how to reach buyers has shifted focus to Millennials and early Gen Z who overwhelmingly interact with the digital landscape.

The State of Brick-and-Mortar

• US retailers are planning to open 3,344 new locations this year, outpacing closures by over 20% as it stands this year. –Retail Dive
• 2021 will be a telling year for the long-term efficacy of some brick-and-mortar retailers as the shift toward eCommerce grows.