Disunited States

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The US presidential election of November 2016 was one of the biggest political events of the 21st century, sending shockwaves through the western world. Donald Trump’s arrival in the White House has laid bare deep divisions in the United States of America, leading policy-makers and the media to question long-held assumptions and address the filter bubble of the coastal elites.

The clouds have parted to reveal clear boundaries between two groups in the country – and a new study has found that this split is not based on race, age, income or geography, but is socially attitudinal. 

An online survey of 4,300 Americans, conducted by Foresight Factory, asked respondents – on a ‘strongly agree’ to ‘strongly disagree’ scale – what they thought of the statement ‘I have a liberal outlook on society’. 

The data analysis focused on social liberals and conservatives, rather than Democrat and Republican voters, because having a conservative or liberal outlook is beyond party affiliation. For example, 37% of black Americans have a conservative outlook, according to the study, but only 8% voted for Trump. 

The results found that conservatives are generally older, whiter, less educated and more rural, while liberals tend to be the opposite. Throughout, the study controlled for the generation and ethnicity gap, so the differences in response are purely socio-political. 

A number of issues that divide conservatives and liberals were uncovered, highlighting potential implications for brands and government. It also underlines the need for greater understanding of how social attitudes can affect seemingly innocuous preferences in purchasing and behaviour.

Filter bubbles

Respondents on the left of the socio-political spectrum more closely align the news they read – and the politics they support – with their identity. Divisions appear between the two groups, with conservatives less likely to agree with the statement that the news they read is important to their identity ( 26%), while almost half of liberals ( 49%) agreed with the statement.

When it comes to personal identity and politics, liberals again feel that the two are strongly linked; 52% agreed that the politics they support is important to their identity, compared with only 32% of conservatives.

Social issues in advertising 

In recent years, there has been an explosion in social-purpose advertising, but this trend provoked the single strongest difference in opinion between the left and the right. More than half ( 57%) of liberals say they like it when a brand addresses current social issues in its advertising, while only 30% of conservatives do.

The problem for marketers who take an issue-based approach is that they risk alienating the right if they do not segment their audience – because very few issues will appeal to all.   

Nathan Stringer, chief account director for the US at Foresight Factory, says this finding leaves marketers with a stark choice when it comes to social issues: “Go hard left (as long as this is consistent with your brand values and your market), go for broadly positive and inclusive values (that is, centre-left) or ignore politics altogether and target people individually. 

“This means getting inside their echo chambers, which are already curated based on political preferences and interests. It’s a tricky space to navigate, and targeting should be nuanced accordingly.”

Early-adopting liberals

Consumer purchasing behaviour is also distinct for liberals and conservatives, with liberals more receptive to new developments such as smart-home technologies. This is strengthened by the finding that 53% of liberals are willing to spend money to save time – a higher proportion than conservatives, at 36%.

When asked about the trend for paid subscriptions, by which consumers are sent a monthly selection of products of a similar type – for instance, coffee, food or beauty products – 49% of liberals said they were currently using, or would be interested in using, a service of this kind. Conservative interest was lower, at a third ( 35%). 

This suggests that liberals are more open to having products curated for them, providing an element of on-demand availability and surprise. It also suggests a preference for convenience, and a willingness to outsource decision-making to algorithms and brands. 

In addition, liberals tend to be more open to emerging technologies, with 59% saying they would be interested in a hypothetical service that used augmented reality to show how products could look in their home. This compares with 43% of conservatives. Despite the many divisions, however, there are some areas of consensus. 

The survey found that the left and right find common ground in their attitudes to two distinct issues: the future jobs market and sustainability – specifically, the issue of food waste. 

Anxiety over jobs seems to be an issue for both groups. They agree that those who are not skilled in technology will find it harder to get a job in the future ( 71% of respondents). 

Additionally, Americans do not have much faith in the government to future-proof jobs and financial stability. Instead, people expect and trust the solution to lie with companies. The two groups found consensus in the belief that businesses have a responsibility to prioritise human jobs over automation – even if it results in higher prices. 

Waste not

Sustainability is an important issue for the majority of Americans, regardless of social affiliation; the research found four in five agreed that people are too wasteful with food. 

While there are some areas of common ground, divisions in American society run deep, and companies should consider segmenting their audiences to take social attitudes into account – or find the less obvious common ground between them. 

Foresight Factory’s Stringer says the research highlights the need for brands to divide along political lines in the US market. “This is a new way of distinguishing between consumer groups that goes beyond age, income or ethnicity,” he says. 

“That this has direct relevance to marketers is clear when you look at the statistics.”