The future of AI may be uncertain, but one thing is clear, it will fundamentally transform how we do business and deliver value to clients. The technology is constantly evolving, pushing boundaries and challenging our preconceived notions. This rapid evolution sparks a sense of anticipation and enthusiasm across industries. But it also raises concerns and uncertainties about how to adapt to these changes effectively and responsibly.

In the insights industry, AI has the potential to revolutionize the process of gathering and analyzing data. AI-powered tools and algorithms can enable researchers to derive valuable insights from data faster. This newfound efficiency allows for quicker and more confident decision-making. Testing and evaluating multiple opportunities in a fraction of the time through AI is another advantage that can lead to new innovative strategies that drive market success.

Despite the advantages that AI brings, there are also legitimate concerns. Some industry professionals worry about AI replacing human panelists and the potential biases embedded within AI systems that may lead to "hallucinations" or false interpretations. The fear of losing the human touch and intuition in favor of automated processes creates uneasiness and resistance to adopting AI solutions, prompting calls for cautious integration to ensure AI technologies are designed to augment human capabilities, not replace them.

In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Rick Kelly, Chief Strategy Officer at Fuel Cycle, discusses the impact of AI on the insights industry and Fuel Cycle’s new partnership with ThinkNow to amplify multicultural audiences.

The past two years have been difficult for the LGBTQ+ community. Despite years of progress, a disturbing resurgence of intolerance threatens to undermine the hard-earned gains toward social acceptance. As part of our commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion, ThinkNow surveyed a nationally representative sample of LGBTQ+ Americans on their views of the current social climate, corporate support for LGBTQ+ causes, personal pronouns, and mental health care. Below are a few noteworthy findings from the study.

Download the full results of the quantitative survey here.

Discrimination Is On The Rise

We asked our sample of 500 LGBTQ+ Americans if they felt that discrimination or prejudice towards the LGBTQ+ community had increased over the past year, and 67% said "yes." This perception appears to be rooted in reality. A recent Gallup Poll found that support for same-sex relations in the U.S. dropped from 71% in 2022 to 64% in 2023. That drop is likely driven by a loss of support among Republicans, dropping from 56% last year to 41% currently. A possible explanation for this drop is the rhetoric surrounding the 2022 "Don’t Say Gay” law in Florida that portrayed education about sexual identity as “grooming” children to adopt gay lifestyles. While politicians appear to be driving the current wave of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, only 29% of our respondents said they “only vote for candidates who support LBGTQ+ rights.” For most (58%), a candidate’s position on LGBTQ+ rights is just one of many key factors when voting.

Corporate Support For LGBTQ+ Community Matters

Although recent controversies have surrounded Bud Light and Target's support for the LGBTQ+ community and their subsequent pullback of that support, LGBTQ+ consumers still believe companies should advocate for their causes. In fact, Target and Bud Light were two brands that respondents felt were doing a good job supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

However, using advertising to show support is not the only way respondents want brands to engage. Sixty-five percent want companies to train their employees in diversity, equity and inclusion, while 59% want companies to include sexual orientation in corporate nondiscrimination policies.

Personal Pronouns Are Age Sensitive

Thirteen percent of our sample used a pronoun other than “he/she.” The most common non-binary pronoun (18%) was “they/them.” Age was the primary factor that determined how important it was for respondents that people use their correct pronouns. Seventy-three percent of respondents between the ages of 18-22 stated that it was at least moderately important to them that people use their correct pronouns vs. 25% of those aged 55+.

Less Than Half Support Boycotts

While conservatives are boycotting Bud Light, Target, Kohl’s and even Chik-fil-A for supporting diversity, equity and inclusion ideals, the LGBTQ+ community is split on boycotts, with 43% saying they’ve boycotted a company because of their stance on LGBTQ+ issues. Interestingly, 59% of respondents in the 55+ age bracket say they’ve boycotted a company for their stance on LBGTQ+ issues, while only 34% of 18–22-year-olds have boycotted for that reason. Income also seems to be a factor, with 52% of those earning $80K or more supporting boycotts vs. 34% of those earning less than $35K a year.

Mental Health Support Needed Young LGBTQ+

“Forty-two percent of LGBTQ+ youth—and 52 percent of trans youth—said they seriously considered suicide in 2021.” One thing that a vast majority of our LGBTQ+ survey respondents (76%) agreed on was the need to “create safe, accepting, and supportive environments for LGBTQ+ youth on school campuses” to support mental health among young people. Most respondents also supported DEI initiatives, connecting youth with supportive peers and providing gender-affirming mental health care.

Moving Forward

The past two years have presented significant challenges for the LGBTQ+ community, with a noticeable increase in discrimination and prejudice. Despite this setback, our survey highlights the unwavering belief among LGBTQ+ Americans that corporate support for their cause is crucial. The controversies surrounding brands like Bud Light and Target have not diminished the community's expectation that companies should actively advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.

However, it is important to note that supportive advertising alone falls short. Respondents want companies to go beyond that by providing employee training in diversity, equity, and inclusion and including sexual orientation in corporate nondiscrimination policies. Lastly, the survey underscores the urgent need for mental health support for young LGBTQ+ individuals.

Overall, the findings highlight the persistent challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community and emphasize the role that acceptance, advocacy and allyship play in fostering their well-being and advancement.

Como proveedores de paneles e investigadores en línea, somos responsables de garantizar los mejores resultados posibles. La calidad de los estudios de mercado está directamente relacionada con la motivación de los panelistas para compartir sus experiencias de consumo. Mantener el interés de los panelistas es fundamental y requiere una comunicación eficaz, pensamiento creativo y flexibilidad.

La motivación es importante para la gestión de paneles por varias razones:

Los panelistas entusiastas mejoran los índices de respuesta.

Cuando los panelistas están realmente motivados, dan lo mejor de sí mismos y participan como auténticos rockstars. Es más probable que los panelistas comprometidos completen las encuestas con respuestas más precisas y detalladas, lo que permite a los investigadores obtener datos de calidad y comprender mejor sus opiniones y actitudes. Cuando los panelistas no dan lo mejor de sí mismos, la calidad de los datos es evidente y, por tanto, no son útiles para el estudio.

La motivación impulsa estrategias de retención eficaces.

La motivación de los panelistas es esencial para mantener el compromiso o engagement durante todo el proceso de la encuesta, y hay formas de medir ese compromiso. El seguimiento de las métricas de engagement puede indicar los niveles de motivación de los panelistas y la eficacia del diseño de la encuesta. Realizar encuestas puede parecer una maratón, lo que lleva a algunos panelistas a abandonarlas antes de tiempo. Si los panelistas no se sienten valorados, pueden desinteresarse o dar respuestas sesgadas para complacer al investigador en lugar de la respuesta que realmente desean dar. Sin embargo, con un diseño de encuesta bien pensado y los incentivos adecuados, los panelistas se sienten valorados, es más probable que completen las encuestas con respuestas auténticas y estén dispuestos a participar en futuras encuestas. Es como tener un grupo de fans fieles. Vendrán a verte una y otra vez.

La motivación mejora la experiencia del panelista.

Al igual que las experiencias positivas de los compradores impulsan la repetición de las compras, las experiencias positivas de los panelistas contribuyen a aumentar las tasas de finalización de las encuestas. Para crear un ecosistema de paneles próspero, es imprescindible crear una experiencia de primera clase para los panelistas, desde el reclutamiento hasta la retención. Es fundamental crear un entorno que fomente la participación continua y la lealtad priorizando las necesidades de los panelistas. Esto mejora la calidad de la investigación y establece una base sólida para el compromiso a largo plazo y el beneficio mutuo.

Si desea obtener más información sobre nuestras estrategias para mantener a los panelistas de ThinkNow más contentos que un guitarrista con un solo, póngase en contacto conmigo.

As online panel providers and researchers, we are responsible for ensuring the best outcomes possible. The quality of market research studies directly correlates with how motivated panelists are to share their consumer experiences. Actively engaging panelists to keep them interested is key and requires effective communication, creative thinking, and flexibility.

Motivation is important for panel management for a few reasons:

Enthusiastic panelists improve response rates.

When genuinely motivated panelists bring their A-game and participate like true rockstars. Engaged panelists are more likely to complete surveys with more accurate and thoughtful responses enabling researchers to obtain quality data and gain better insights into their opinions and attitudes. When panelists “phone it in,” meaning they don’t give their best effort, it’s evident in the data quality, thus not helpful to the study.

Motivation drives effective retention strategies.

Motivating panelists is essential to sustaining engagement throughout the survey process, and there are ways to measure that engagement. Tracking engagement metrics can indicate panelists’ motivation levels and the effectiveness of your survey design. Taking surveys can feel like a marathon, leading some panelists to abandon them early. If panelists don’t feel valued, they may disengage or provide biased responses to please the researcher (response bias) instead of the answer they really want to give. However, with thoughtful survey design and the appropriate incentives, panelists feel appreciated, are more likely to complete the surveys with genuine responses and be willing to participate in future surveys. It’s like having a faithful band of fans! They’ll show up for you time and time again.

Motivation improves the panelist experience.

Just as positive shopper experiences drive repeat retail purchases, positive panel experiences contribute to higher survey completion rates. To cultivate a thriving panel ecosystem, crafting a first-class experience for panelists, from recruitment to retention, is imperative. Create an environment that fosters ongoing participation and loyalty by prioritizing panelists’ needs. This enhances the quality of the research and establishes a strong foundation for long-term engagement and mutual benefit.

If you want to learn more about our strategies to keep our ThinkNow panelists happier than a guitar player with a solo, reach out to me.

June presents organizations with opportunities like Pride and Juneteenth to actively engage with and support diverse communities. But demonstrating a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion requires a consistent and continuous effort at all levels of an organization if it’s to foster an inclusive environment in which people feel valued, seen and heard 365 days a year.

At the heart of that commitment are the individuals within the organization who greatly benefit from a sustained effort to foster inclusivity – employees. Typically, within inclusive cultures, employees are more engaged, which impacts retention and productivity, ultimately benefiting the bottom line. When employees carry the values of diversity and inclusion outside the workplace into the community through volunteerism, for example, they amplify the organization’s commitment, generating positive brand sentiment.

Organizations can also partner with external groups such as nonprofits and civic organizations to develop relationships and implement programming that brings long-term benefits to marginalized groups, not the occasional performative headlines.

Post-2020, there was a rush to quickly onboard DEI programs in fear of public backlash. But many organizations have since learned that doing it right is far better than doing it quickly.

In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Sue Schmidlkofer, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at UPS shares DEI best practices for actively engaging employees in driving sustainable change.

Meet Our Guest:

Sue Schmidlkofer, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, UPS

In this role, she oversees the company’s global strategy centered around its mission statement, ‘You Belong At UPS.’ Monitoring workforce diversity aspirational goals, supporting more than 200 Business Resource Groups, and developing top talent are her key areas of focus in 2023.

Throughout her 28-year career at UPS, Sue has held a variety of roles primarily within Human Resources in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, and currently at the global headquarters in Atlanta. Sue serves on the board of the Georgia Diversity Council, the Atlanta Diversity Management Advocacy Group, and The Drake House, a non-profit organization that supports women and their children experiencing homelessness. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Spanish and a master’s in Business Management and HR. Outside of spending time with her family, her interests include reading, writing, baking, and tennis.

During the Fall League Meeting in 2022, the National Football League announced enhancements to its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across its 32 clubs and the league office. Essential to the success of these initiatives is culture, and people are at the center of culture. Peter Drucker is often credited with saying that "culture eats strategy for lunch" due to the influential role of organizational culture in driving employee engagement, retention, and performance, which ultimately has a profound impact on the bottom line.

Organizations approach culture differently, but those that do it well are open and willing to cultivate psychologically safe spaces that foster trust and transparency and honor vulnerability. Since organizational culture and business operations are interconnected, removing barriers presents opportunities for employees to participate in driving that culture. It empowers them by making them feel part of something bigger than their current job role.

Employee resource groups, led by employee volunteers, are incredible development opportunities to cross-collaborate, create unique business synergies, and foster a sense of belonging. Those synergies, however, cannot exist in a silo and must be diffused throughout the organization. Communication is vital to culture building, particularly when an organization is undergoing change management.

In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Alissa Lieppman, Vice President, Head of Culture & Business Operations for NFL Media at the National Football League (NFL), shares insights on how the league effectively navigated the challenges of an office relocation while also emphasizing the importance of culture on change management.

May is Maternal Mental Health Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about the intersectionality of motherhood and mental health. It serves as a reminder that behind the joy and anticipation of becoming a mother, there may also be hidden struggles and challenges that need to be acknowledged and addressed, like access to quality care, particularly for Black women.

Women of color frequently encounter healthcare providers who hold unconscious biases that impact the quality of care they receive. These biases can lead to misdiagnoses, inadequate pain management, dismissive attitudes, and a lack of culturally sensitive care. Such experiences jeopardize the physical health of women of color and erode their trust in the healthcare system.

In a recent report released by the CDC, 89% more women died from pregnancy-related issues in 2021 than in 2018. Black women are nearly 3 times more likely to die than White women and 2.5 times more likely than Hispanic women. The majority of these deaths were preventable.

In this episode of The New Mainstream podcast, Denise Evans, Principal, CEO & Founder of Consult Me, and Senior Learning & Development Specialist at Corewell Health, discusses the impact of implicit bias on Black maternal health and how to advance health equity in public health.

Meet Our Guest:

Denise Evans is a trained facilitator, public health educator, and Truth Racial Healing Transformation practitioner. She has specialized training in health equity and social justice, cultural intelligence, and unconscious/implicit bias, as well as technologies of participation facilitation. Denise serves as a content expert for the National Healthy Start Association and the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality and served the National Association of County & City Health Officials and state and local health departments on issues of equity, justice, bias, diversity, belonging and inclusion.

For the past 25 years, she has worked diligently to connect community organizers, faith-based organizations and public health professionals from New York City to Los Angeles in a collective effort to disrupt systems of oppression and build a more equitable future for those living in our nation’s most vulnerable communities. Ms. Evans is a two-time past chair of Spectrum Health’s (now Corewell Health) System Inclusion Council and a founding member of the Greater Grand Rapids Racial Equity Network.