A new global study released today reveals a surprising gap between
true consumer concerns vs. what businesses believe are the most
pressing issues of the day. While consumers tend to be most worried
about issues that personally affect them and their families such as
food, safety and health, most businesses are more concerned about what
they can do to apply new technology to their business models,
according to the release of the first-ever Burson-Marsteller Global
Issues Index, which tracks the importance of more than 100 issues on a
worldwide basis.
"Despite the strong interest in international politics and the
global marketplace, this survey shows that what matters most are the
basics: the cost of food, availability of healthcare and growing
threats to privacy," said Mark Penn, President & CEO,
Burson-Marsteller Worldwide. "The signal here may be that people worry
more about things that affect their lives directly than about things
that affect society as a whole."
Although business leaders and the general public did share some
concerns, the top concerns of the average member of the general public
were: costs of healthcare (77%), food (75%) and energy (75%) and
identity theft (76%). Business leaders were most concerned about the
cost of technology (55%), affordability of technology to allow them to
stay ahead of competition (53%), ability of hackers to break into
company computer systems (53%) and the cost of energy and impact on
profit (53%).
"As we look at these issues, we think the opportunity exists for
companies to step up and take on some of the basic issues - world
hunger, accessible healthcare, protecting personal privacy and
security - while also satisfying their core business objectives," said
Ame Wadler, Chief Strategic Officer, Burson-Marsteller.
Among the top 75 issues ranked by the public as being of concern
to them, surprisingly terrorism ranks only at number 14 and is
expressed in the context of "the ability of terrorists to use
technology to gain control of our public infrastructure, such as the
public water or electric system." Amongst business leaders, the issue
of terrorism does not appear until number 33.
Societal and cultural issues are also reflected in the global
survey. The general public in Asia is most worried about their aging
population and healthcare costs. Personal privacy was also important
to the Asian public, for example, the impact of personal photographs
or videos appearing on the internet without their knowledge. Only the
US public is concerned about its aging population, but in the true
context of how Americans would support their aging citizens. And,
despite news coverage of terrorism, only Europe included an issue of
terrorism in their top 10 concerns.
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Top 10 Global Consumer Issues
1. Ability to pay for healthcare for myself or family
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2. Identity theft
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3. Cost of foods
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4. Alternative fuel sources for homes and cars
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5. Ability of hackers to break into a personal computer
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6. Identifying new automotive technologies to reduce dependence on
foreign oil and preserve environment
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7. Ability of the government or employer to provide adequate health
benefits
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8. Ability to access advanced medical care and technology
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9. Ability of countries to provide clean water
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10. Practicing a healthy lifestyle
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Top 10 Global Business Leader Issues
1. The cost of technology
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2. Affordability of staying ahead of competitors using the latest
technology
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3. Ability of hackers to break into company computer systems
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4. Cost of energy and impact on profit
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5. Ability to use technology to reach customers in a fruitful manner
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6. Improved solutions to backing up and storing company data
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7. Leveraging technology effectively to enable a more
satisfying/productive work environment for employees
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8. Leveraging technology to enhance reputation and innovation
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9. Ensuring appropriate employee behavior
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10. Increasing healthcare costs requiring the government or employees
to pass on a greater share of the costs to employees
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About the Burson-Marsteller Global Issues Index
The inaugural Burson-Marsteller Global Issues Index polled more
than 2,700 individuals defined as general public and 1,600 business
executives in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America and
was conducted in August, 2006, by Burson-Marsteller in partnership
with Penn, Schoen, Berland & Associates.
Major areas tracked in the index include specific issues around
energy, the environment, healthcare, and technology. We explore
perspectives from the public and business leaders from nine countries
around the world.
As a leader in issues management and strategic planning,
Burson-Marsteller wants to continue to help business leaders stay
ahead of emerging issues while better connecting businesses to the
concerns of the publics they serve. Burson-Marsteller will be
publishing a "Top 10" list, and will have special briefings, the full
list and demographic information and strategic issues analysis
available to its clients on a subscription basis. Please visit
www.burson-marsteller.com to learn more about the Burson-Marsteller
Global Issues Index or to take part in our monthly issues tracking
survey, which will explore the perceived significance of emerging
issues on a month-by-month basis.
About Burson-Marsteller
Burson-Marsteller (www.burson-marsteller.com), established in
1953, is a leading global public relations and public affairs firm. It
provides clients with strategic thinking and program execution across
a full range of public relations, public affairs, advertising, and
web-related services. The firm's seamless worldwide network consists
of 57 wholly-owned offices and 45 affiliate offices, together
operating in 59 countries across six continents. Burson-Marsteller is
a part of Young & Rubicam Brands, a subsidiary of WPP (NASDQ: WPPGY),
one of the world's leading communications services networks.
