This group of swing voters think the country is in trouble but don’t lay the blame on President Trump. Read this month’s findings to see what they had to say.

Here’s a couple of interesting things this group told us:

President Trump still has their vote — at least 7 of the 9 of them. Only 2 in the group say they would vote for Biden over Trump if the election was held “tomorrow.”

They feel life between now and election day will be chaotic, divided and emotional.

They feel that the demand to “Defund the police” is going too far and could have a negative impact on Biden’s chances.

And they largely want schools to re-open in the fall

View the highlights for yourself: 

Couple of direct takes from this group:

On the pandemic and re-opening the country…

“I believe [scientific experts] should be part of the guidance, but… if we listen to nothing but scientific guidance, we’d be shutting down every business in the country.”

On social unrest and the ramping up of protests in some cities… 

“They (protestors) are still burning buildings. They’re rioting. They’re doing things that aren’t going to bring us together. They’re doing more things that are going to bring us apart.”

➜ Check out all the key findings in our July summary report

Should We Wait To Do Research “Until this is Over?”

We have been fielding these questions since March. We can now say definitively that yes, now is not only a good time, but a great time.

Back when this all started we did not know (nobody knew) how the coronavirus economy and lockdown would impact qualitative research. Will people fixate on the short-term? Will their mindset impede insights?

Back then, we were advising our clients to push the PAUSE button until things changed, stabilized or we got a better read. 

But here’s what we have found, and why we have so much confidence in the quality of online qual research being done right now:

5 Reasons Why Now is a Great Time to
Do Online Market Research

➤People are bored with the same-old quarantine-based conversations. They are very eager to participate in research right now, if for no other reason than to communicate with a different human being than their quarantine buddies. (It is not an over statement to say that many respondents are down right thrilled to have a chat!)

➤People are living thru a most unusual (arduous? painful? frightening?) time. Their emotions are raw, and their walls are down. This vulnerability means they are opening up much quicker than usual during online focus groups.

➤People have had a lot of downtime to dissect their angst. This new level of self-awareness is leading to super candid conversations in our online IDI’s.

➤People have had to forfeit so many of their simple pleasures: dining out, retail therapy, family events. This deprivation has given them a fresh take on what your products and services really mean to them. 

➤The silver lining to this slow-moving tsunami we are living through: people have never been more connected with the world around them. That leads to great insights.

Have a research project you’ve been thinking about doing? Now might be the right time!

Reach out and we can talk it through.

Concern is on the rise, especially as COVID-19 cases spike throughout the U.S. “Is it safe to go to (fill in name of business)? Are they following proper cleaning protocols?” (What ARE the proper cleaning protocols? A lack of federal mandates around reopening businesses has further complicated the issue.)

This means that, as a business owner, the onus is on you. 

➜Need help putting these messages into action?  

We can help.

Our study revealed that hearing from a company directly can greatly greatly impact a customer’s comfort level. In short- they need to hear from YOU.

But keep in mind you are talking to 2 distinctly different groups:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Those who can’t wait to come back (ready-to-go)
                     2. Those who need some reassurances before they will spend at your establishment (assurance seekers)

                   

From our research with returning customers, we have created a messaging cheatsheet.

Here’s some guidance to help you home-in on the right Welcome Back message for your audience.

Assurance seekers want to see directive signs: what should you do after trying on a pair of shoes? Put them back on the rack? Give them to an associate to be properly cleaned first? They want to see that you are taking customer’s safety seriously and guiding them.

On the other hand, people deemed “ready-to-go” do not need as detailed messages. They want to hear that unlike many businesses, you are open again and further that you’ve got their back, all they have to do is enjoy.

At an unprecedented time like this, more communication is always better. Share your plans, procedures, and expectations upfront to address concerns. Surround your customers with “Welcome Back” messages that ease their mind. 

Every business is unique. We can help you fine-tune these messages for your audience. Reach out➜

*Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash – Image from Bali, Indonesia

Have you noticed consistent trends in each month’s SVP report? You’ll want to read this month’s findings—there’s been a shift. 

Trump’s support among these swing voters has fallen

• • • The country is in chaos, and he’s not bringing order, he’s bringing more conflict.
    • They’re still not crazy about Biden. But they’re more willing to give him a chance.
    • How are they feeling in general? No surprise here—anxious, depressed, frustrated, fearful.

• • • They’re horrified about George Floyd’s death, and they’re supportive of the initial protests; but they think the protests have made their point. And protest violence is causing more division. They want it to stop.
    • They oppose defunding the police, and if Biden supports those efforts, he’ll lose many of their votes.
    • They want a national conversation about race, but they don’t want politicians to lead it.

“Our entire year has been taken away from us,” they said, with the prohibitions on weddings, funerals, and other public gatherings. Meanwhile, thousands are allowed to crowd together for protests. They want consistent pandemic gathering rules.

➜ Like we said, you’re going to want to read the whole thing

Have you noticed consistent trends in each month’s SVP report? You’ll want to read this month’s findings—there’s been a shift. 

Trump’s support among these swing voters has fallen

• • • The country is in chaos, and he’s not bringing order, he’s bringing more conflict.
    • They’re still not crazy about Biden. But they’re more willing to give him a chance.
    • How are they feeling in general? No surprise here—anxious, depressed, frustrated, fearful.

• • • They’re horrified about George Floyd’s death, and they’re supportive of the initial protests; but they think the protests have made their point. And protest violence is causing more division. They want it to stop.
    • They oppose defunding the police, and if Biden supports those efforts, he’ll lose many of their votes.
    • They want a national conversation about race, but they don’t want politicians to lead it.

“Our entire year has been taken away from us,” they said, with the prohibitions on weddings, funerals, and other public gatherings. Meanwhile, thousands are allowed to crowd together for protests. They want consistent pandemic gathering rules.

➜ Like we said, you’re going to want to read the whole thing

Engagious/Focus Pointe Global Swing Voter Project turned to eastern Iowa for May’s research, meeting with swing voters in online focus groups.

︎ For the complete report, go here.   

︎ For video clips, go here.

What’s on their minds? Coronavirus, of course. They say it will be their number one voting issue in November. It’s on our minds, too; and we wanted to know how the pandemic is influencing their thoughts about the presidential race:

• Six of the eight are very likely to vote for Trump again.

• They don’t blame President Trump for the situation we’re in, and for the most part they think he’s doing a decent job in an unprecedented situation. At the same time they are less confident in his leadership, saying they think he’s delegating too much power to the governors.

• Unemployment is high, but they’re not going to hold it against the president. Unless the pandemic intensity recedes, and unemployment doesn’t.

• Trump brought us a great economy once, they said; he can do it again.

• Are they worse off than before COVID-19? Yes. Are they better off than four years ago? Yes. For now, at least, respondents seem to be mentally bracketing the COVID-19 economy.

• That said, they’re more worried about their financial health than their physical health.

• The two respondents who said they are likely to vote for Vice President Biden want him to bring a new outlook to COVID-19. Though the group as a whole is not at all familiar with what Biden plans to do about COVID-19,

• Not one of the respondents feels that Biden’s choice of running mate would affect their vote.

• The six likely to vote for Trump cited Biden negatives: behavior with women, outbursts on the campaign trail, dishonesty, his length of time in government, doubts about his mental acuity.

• Reopening restaurants, bars and theaters? Respondents support a local approach, with slight support for protestors who demand that their governors allow them to reopen their businesses (but please, wear a mask).

• They’re somewhat uncomfortable with Chinese ownership of Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork processor with packing plants in Iowa. (Iowa is America’s top pork producer).

*All Respondents voted for Obama in 2012 and Trump in 2016.

This high-security platform for web conferencing is used by fewer than 1% of all accounts. ZoomGov was specifically designed to serve sensitive areas of the US Government. We use this same technology for all our online qual research: online focus groups, virtual IDIs and online dial groups.

Why we use it – Using the same encryption as the Pentagon gives peace-of-mind to our clients. In addition, the video and audio quality is far superior.

How is this different from the standard, commercial web conferencing – ZoomGov is built on a different technology platform, GovCloud, which is used by US intelligence agencies, the Department of Defense, the CDC, and many more. ZoomGov is also compliant with FedRAMP, HIPAA, & Dept of Defense security guidelines. 

Why it’s good for our clients – Through us, our clients can confidently and securely conduct any form of online research—including for projects which require a high level of security or confidentiality.

• • • • • Sensitive advocacy and political message testing
        • High-profile litigation and jury research
        • Patient healthcare research interviews
        • Pre-release media research (movies, TV pilots, CEO speeches)
        • Testing of sensitive or copyrighted materials

This robust level of security and encryption is your safeguard. It ensures clients and stakeholders that the important content you are testing will remain under your control.

Do you use the commercial version of Zoom? We have some best practices for you to ensure you are leveraging their security features. Check it out here➤

About FedRAMP

FedRamp is the security standard required across the US government for sensitive information.

It is required by the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, the CDC, intelligence agencies and the Justice Department.

Learn more about FedRAMP security and encryption compliance.

About Amazon GovCloud

AWS GovCloud  https://aws.amazon.com/govcloud-us/?whats-new-ess.sort-by=item.additionalFields.postDateTime&whats-new-ess.sort-order=desc

Learn More:

➠FedRAMP compliance for online research https://blog.zoom.us/wordpress/2019/05/07/zoom-achieves-fedramp-moderate-authorization/

➠HIPAA compliance for online research tools https://zoom.us/docs/doc/Zoom-hipaa.pdf

➠DoD SRG (Security Requirements Guide) https://aws.amazon.com/compliance/dod/

➠Zoom security whitepaper https://zoom.us/docs/doc/Zoom-Security-White-Paper.pdf

Last week, we conducted a virtual focus group made up of 10 swing voters all of whom live in the Canton, Ohio area, and voted for President Obama in 2012 and President Trump in 2016.

Key Takeaways from the Canton, Ohio swing voter group:

• Some advice for the president:  Take some cues from Governor DeWine. They’re happy with how the Ohio governor is handling the crisis, giving him high marks for taking the problem seriously early on, and being decisive, and apolitical. They’d like the president to follow suit.
• Some of the shine has faded but he’s still their pick: they think the president’s initial response to the coronavirus crisis has made it harder to contain the virus, but overall, they still approve of how he has handle the crisis, and plan to stick with him.
• Has their confidence in Trump taken a hit? The short answer is yes. Half of our group has lower confidence in the president as a leader now then they did three months ago.
• What do they worry about the most right now? It was even split between their financial health and their physical health.
• No rush to normalcy: At least half of the group said they’d be willing to wait until August or September to return to more normal activities, with some indicating that they’d need to have several conditions in place before they’d go back.
• WWBD (What would Biden do?) Most of the group were not familiar with the Democratic challenger’s comments on the coronavirus crisis or what he would do different than what Trump is doing.
• Pro or against protesting? Generally against those protesting the stay-at-home restrictions and business closures.
• And what about suspending immigration? Unanimously in support of the president suspending immigration into the US due to the coronavirus crisis.

Next month, we will NOT be heading to Davenport, Iowa, but we will virtually meet with a new set of swing voters who live there. Stay safe and well.

We feel-good stories. And people are awesome.

Not only that, but giving back is a great way to stay connected – with family, with friends, with fans, with customers. Here are some great examples to inspire you.

The owner of a local strip mall slashed his tenants’ April rent in half. Other businesses are going even further: Landlord’s advice to tenants:  ‘pay employees’ instead of rent

On a grander scale, actor John Krasinski has launched his weekly SGN show on YouTube- It stands for “Some Good News”. This week, he brought the cast of Hamilton back together (virtually) to serenade a young fan who missed out due to the corona virus. 

Support small businesses!

Yesterday I bought a 5 lb bag of coffee from a local roaster (Pirate Coffee Company- for real!). They were thrilled, as was I! (please pardon any caffeine-induced typos…)

We’ve heard about many people buying gift cards from local small businesses (especially restaurants, salons, and other services) to use later. Restaurants and ad hoc community groups are providing meals for kids who depend on schools for breakfast and lunch.

Did you know that you can now take virtual tours of some of the most famous castles in Europe? Yes, please! And many museums and concert halls are making their art digitally available, for free. 

We can’t visit seniors, but we can check on our senior neighbors, kids are making cards, stores are making special shopping times just for seniors and other vulnerable groups.

At times like this, kindness and connection are key. What else can we be doing?

➤ Want another feel-good story? Why not?! Check out my post on The Power of Civility

For many SMBs, their greatest challenge is hiring and retaining quality employees.

For those that had to immediately close their business and lay off employees, they will be faced with this task when they open up again.

Hiring and retaining quality employees can be a significant challenge for SMBs. In fact, over one-third (36%) of small businesses with 10-25 employees claim that hiring and retention is one of their top 3 greatest business challenges. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many SMBs have recently been forced to lay off employees, particularly in retail and restaurant industries. Larger companies, such as Starbucks and Uber, have generously given their employees up to 30 days of wages to help during this period, while the SMBs haven’t had that advantage. With these employees being hourly, many may have found alternate positions in those industries that are currently booming, namely the larger chain grocery stores. When social distancing measures are lifted, competition for the best employees will be fierce, and SMBs will have to move quickly to capture the workers they desire.

Relief is available though, provided by the CARES Act recently passed. Ironically, this bill does require quick action and navigating through paperwork and applications, and SMB owners rate themselves only a 3.89 on a 5-point scale for being confident with their ability to handle legal business matters, which was the lowest confidence for a variety of talent required to run a SMB.

One of the aspects they appreciate about having a small business is enjoying having close relationships with each employee – they’re not just numbers on payroll. So these closings/lay-offs are more personal for them.

Most SMB owners/managers will tell you one of the greatest joys or rewards in small businesses is the ability really get to know each and every one of their employees on a personal level, which leads to strong, important relationships.

How they talk about these relationships:

“I know who my employees are, a little bit about who they are, what their motivations are, and what’s happening in their life… There’s a lot more connection – I don’t sit in an isolated office as a cog in a giant machine.” (small town manager)

“You can treat your employees like family. One of my favorite parts is that it’s not some huge corporation where people get lost. We know the day-to-days of everyone’s life. If someone’s mom or child is sick, we can always make sure like that can be the priority. We’re a team here, we’re a family here. If you’ve got some stuff going on on the side, we have your back. I have loved that part.” (realtor)

“You get to know people – you get to see them on a daily basis and get to interact on a closer basis on projects. You get to work close with people and get to know them well and it’s more rewarding to work in this type of setting.” (educational institute finance manager)

The COVID-19 pandemic may bring additional stress, concern, and anxiety for SMB owners as they worry about multiple aspects of their employees’ welfare – physical health, mental health, and financial status, and their ability to help is limited. All this while trying to keep their SMB afloat and keep their own family safe and healthy.

Many small businesses struggle with the seasonality of their business.

One gold/diamond shop owner told me there are days when not even one customer walks through his doors. CV closures are this on steroids, especially if they were about to head into busy season.

SMBs tend to feel the impact of seasonal sales harder than their larger counterparts because they are less diversified in their offerings.

“There are certain times of the year where we’re very busy … and other times we’re very slow. We’re not exactly seasonal, but there are certain times when we are very busy and certain times when we can go a couple of weeks and see almost nobody in the door.” (retail jeweler)

For this store owner, imagine if those couple of weeks turned into a couple of months!

For those businesses that were finishing up their slow season and anticipating their busy season in March through May, COVID-19 may be particularly financially devastating. Graduation party vendors, restaurants with outdoor seating, professional organizers/cleaning services are just a few business types that will be hit hard. In a typical year, they can plan for the downtime by budgeting, but when their busy season is unexpectedly and suddenly shut down, it may a fatal blow.