Mintel’s A Divided America 2023 examines consumers’ outlook on the US political landscape, consumers’ political engagement, and expectations for brands and potential opportunities during the 2024 election year.
A Divided America – Overview
Since 2016, political division in the US has been widening with little sign of improving. More than half of consumers today describe the country as “very divided,” and point to a number of reasons behind the divide. In addition to conflicting political beliefs, Americans believe social values, economic disparity and racial tensions all contribute to the country’s division.
A Divided America – What does this mean for brands?
Brand soapboxing is becoming more expected
Over half of US consumers expect more brands to speak out on election issues in 2024, indicating – whether Americans like it or not – brands’ participation in politics is becoming less taboo.
Brands could become a unifying force
Half of consumers believe that brands can help unify the American people; however, generation, ethnicity and political profile all influence consumers’ faith in brands, emphasising the need for brands to understand their core audiences.
Purchase the full report to learn more about consumers’ changing behaviour and expectations in A Divided America, and discover how your brand can engage with consumers.
Expert Analysis from a Culture and Identity Specialist
This report, written by Lisa Dubina, a leading culture and identity analyst, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis on consumers in a divided America.
Americans are concerned about the country’s continued political divide and are grappling with stress over the upcoming 2024 Presidential election.
Lisa Dubina
Senior Culture and Identity Analyst
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- Key issues covered in this Report
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Executive Summary
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Target Audience
- Americans' political identity
- Graph 1: political profiles, 2023
- Graph 2: political profiles, 2020
- Graph 3: political profiles, by generation, 2023
- Graph 4: political profiles, by gender and LGBTQ+ identity, 2023
- Graph 5: political profiles, by ethnicity and Hispanic origin, 2023
- Political profiles by the numbers
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Market Factors & Context
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Consumer Insights
- Consumer fast facts
- The role of brands in the 2024 Election
- Graph 6: agreement – "I like knowing if the brands I buy from/use support similar political views as my own," by generation, ethnicity and Hispanic origin, and LGBTQ+ identity, 2023
- Graph 7: agreement – "I trust brands to provide unbiased political information/education," by generation, ethnicity and Hispanic origin, and LGBTQ+ identity, 2023
- Graph 8: agreement – "I expect more brands will speak up on social/political issues during the 2024 presidential election than in 2020," by ethnicity and Hispanic origin, 2023
- Graph 9: agreement – "I expect more brands will speak up on social/political issues during the 2024 presidential election than in 2020," by generation, 2023
- Graph 10: agreement – 2024 election concerns, 2023
- Graph 11: agreement – "The outcome of the 2024 elections is a significant source of stress for me," by parental status and by LGBTQ+ identity, 2023
- Graph 12: agreement – "Brands should encourage voter registration and voting," by political profile, 2023
- Graph 13: agreement – "I feel my vote makes a difference in presidential elections," by generation and household income, 2023
- Graph 14: agreement – "I feel my vote makes a difference in presidential elections," by ethnicity and Hispanic origin, 2023
- Political dedication and confidence
- Graph 15: agreement – "It's important I stay up to date on political issues and events," by political profile, 2023
- Graph 16: self-described political knowledge, by political profile, 2023
- Graph 17: self-described political knowledge, by generation, 2023
- Graph 18: agreement – "It's important I stay up to date on political issues and events," by generation, 2023
- Outlook on the US divide
- Graph 19: perceptions of US divide, by generation, 2023
- Graph 20: perceptions of US divide, by political profile, 2023
- Graph 21: causes behind the US divide, among consumers who consider the US to be divided, 2023
- Graph 22: causes behind the US divide, by gender and LGBTQ+ identity, 2023
- Graph 23: causes behind the US divide, by generation, 2023
- Graph 24: agreement – "Brands can help unite the American people," by political profile, 2023
- Graph 25: agreement – "Brands can help unite the American people," by generation and LGBTQ+ identity, 2023
- Graph 26: agreement – "Brands can help unite the American people," by ethnicity and Hispanic origin, 2023
- Political influence/resources
- Graph 27: resources regularly used to stay up to date on political happenings, 2023
- Graph 28: resources regularly used to stay up to date on political happenings, by ethnicity and Hispanic origin, and by LGBTQ+ identity,, 2023
- Graph 29: resources regularly used to stay up to date on political happenings, by generation, 2023
- Graph 30: agreement – "In general I trust the news stories I read on social media sites," by ethnicity and Hispanic origin, 2023
- Graph 31: agreement – "In general I trust the news stories I read on social media sites," by generation, 2023
- Graph 32: agreement – "The people who I socialize with generally have the same political beliefs as me," by generation, 2023
- Graph 33: agreement – "I actively seek out differing perspectives on issues I'm passionate about" by generation, 2023
- Plans for the 2024 election
- Graph 34: likelihood to vote in the upcoming 2024 presidential election, by generation, 2023
- Graph 35: likelihood to vote in the upcoming 2024 presidential election, by ethnicity and Hispanic origin, 2023
- Graph 36: political engagement within the 2024 presidential election, by generation, 2023
- Graph 37: political engagement within the 2024 presidential election, by ethnicity and Hispanic origin, 2023
- Americans’ key issues of concern for 2024 election
- Graph 38: importance of issues for personal voting decision in 2024 presidential election, 2023
- Graph 39: issues of high importance for presidential voting decision in 2024 vs 2020, 2023
- Graph 40: importance of LGBTQ+ rights for personal voting decision in 2024 presidential election, by generation, 2023
- Graph 41: importance of LGBTQ+ rights for personal voting decision in 2024 presidential election, by gender and LGBTQ+ identity, 2023
- Graph 42: importance of climate change for personal voting decision in 2024 presidential election, by ethnicity and Hispanic origin, 2023
- Graph 43: importance of climate change for personal voting decision in 2024 presidential election, by gender and LGBTQ+ identity, 2023
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Competitive strategies
- Marketing and advertising
- Opportunities
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Appendix
Market Intelligence Made Easier With Mintel
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What goes into a Mintel Market Intelligence Report?
Curious about how a Market Intelligence report comes together? We like to think of it as building a detailed puzzle. We start with individual pieces: data from consumers, market statistics, industry trends, and online conversations. Then our expert analysts add world-class human insight and industry knowledge. The pieces are assembled to reveal a clear, comprehensive picture of a market.
The Four Pillars of Our Research
We use a combination of four main research methods when creating our reports, each adding a valuable perspective:
- Consumer Research: Direct surveys with real people, giving us clear, current insights into what people think and do.
- Desk Research: In-depth review of trusted data sources. We use this rich database, plus powerful internal tools that track new products and market sizes, to detect trends and guide forecasts.
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Bringing It All Together
Each of these four pillars provides a different piece of the puzzle. Consumer research tells us what customers think, desk research provides the factual framework, trade research offers an insider’s view, and social media analysis reveals public sentiment.
Our expert analysts are skilled in weaving these diverse data streams together. They apply a range of quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques to uncover the deeper story, connecting the dots to deliver clear, actionable insights. This comprehensive, multi-layered process is how we transform raw data into a market intelligence report you can trust to inform your most important business decisions.
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