b-m global issues index
DESCRIPTION
Burson-Marsteller’s Global Issues Index: • Identifies emerging issues • Better connects business leader concern to those that affect the general public• Differentiates “media and political” issues from issues of day-to-day concern to stakeholders• Refocus resources on those areas that can help businesses establish strongholds with customers, employees, influencers and the world at-largeTRANSCRIPT
Global Issues Index
December 4, 2006
• Burson-Marsteller’s Global Issues Index – Identifies emerging issues – Better connects business leader concern to those that affect the
general public – Differentiates “media and political” issues from issues of day-to-day
concern to stakeholders – Refocus resources on those areas that can help businesses establish
strongholds with customers, employees, influencers and the world at-large
• Opinions expressed by almost 4,500 people in 9 countries about more than 150 issues in 9 categories
*Consumers only **Business Elites only 2
• Burson-Marsteller and polling partner Penn, Schoen-Berland surveyed – 2,745 general public – 1,627 business elites
• Public respondents were evenly split between men and women
• Majority of public were between ages 18-44 with income levels below $75K (USD)
• Two-thirds of business elite responders were men and under the age of 44 with almost half reporting income levels of $100K+ (USD)
• Participating countries include: Brazil, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Sweden*, UK and US
• Categories explored: – Corporate Governance – Demographics – Energy – Environment – Food, Beverage & Nutrition – Geopolitical – Healthcare – Privacy – Technology
The Results
• Current “World-focused” corporate initiatives primarily focused on: – Education – Energy – Environment – Healthcare in underdeveloped countries – Disease research
• “World-focused” initiatives tied very tightly to sustainability objectives, CSR objectives – Little separation between business objectives and issues taken on by
corporations
• Gaping areas of need = real opportunities
The public is concerned with healthcare, identity theft and food costs
1. Healthcare costs
2. Identity theft
3. Cost of foods 4. Alternative fuel sources
5. Hackers
6. New Automotive Technologies
7. Healthcare Benefits
8. Advanced Medical Care & Technology
9. Clean Water
10. Infectious Disease Treatments
69. Labor Issues in food/ alcohol industry
70. Radio emissions from electronics 70. Right Wing Politics
72. Food Safety on airplanes/ trains
73. Population Shrinkage
74. Emigration for jobs
75. Foreign Student Education 76. Left Wing Politics
77. Immigrant workers in food industry
78. Moving to avoid natural disasters
6
Top 10 Bottom 10
Globally, the most vulnerable care the most
Women, seniors and low income earners rate every issue category higher than their
counterparts
84% 77%
Ability to pay for healthcare or medications
85% 84%
75%
83%
Cost of foods
81% 76%
82%
Identity theft
women lower income general population
88% 83% 82% 75% 77% 75%
Alternative fuel sources
Ability to pay for healthcare or medications
Cost of foods
65+ Total Pop
Percentage Scale: 0-100
Business Leaders
1. Cost of technology 2. Affordability of technology to
remain competitive 3. Hackers 4. Cost of Energy 5. Using technology to reach
customers 6. Solutions to storing company
data 7. Technology solutions to
improve workplace 8. Technology solutions to
enhance reputation 9. Appropriate employee behavior 10. Increasing healthcare costs
Top 10
80. Government legislation of underage drinking
81. Rise of left wing politics 82. Labor issues in food/alcohol
industry 83. Retailers selling
environmentally friendly packaged foods
84. Rise of right wing politics 85. Mass organic food retailers 86. Restrictions on marketing
practices 87. Job losses due to immigrant
workers 88. Layoffs due to natural disaster 89. Immigrant workers in the food
industry
Bottom 10
11
Public Top 10 Business Top 10
12
1. Healthcare costs
2. Identity theft
3. Cost of foods
4. Alternative fuel sources
5. Hackers
6. New Automotive Technologies
7. Healthcare Benefits
8. Advanced Medical Care & Technology
9. Clean Water
10. Infectious Disease Treatments
1. Cost of technology
2. Affordability of technology to stay competitive
3. Hackers
4. Cost of Energy
5. Using technology to reach customers
6. Solutions to storing company data
7. Technology solutions to improve workplace
8. Technology solutions to enhance reputation
9. Appropriate employee behavior
10. Increasing healthcare costs
Industry Sector
Percentage Scale: 0-100
55% 64% 58% 60% 62% 62% 60%
Hackers Breaking into Company Networks
56% 58% 51% 53%
Data Storage Solutions
Issue is #1 for industry
Affordability of Technology to Remain Competitive
57% 61% 56% 54% 60% 52%
56% 61% 62% 57% 50% 68%
56%
Cost of Technology
Percentage Scale: 0-100 Issue is #1 for industry
Percentage Scale: 0-100
61% 58% 72%
57% 60% 63%
Construction/ Real Estate
Fashion/ Textile
Food/ Beverage
Manufacturing Media/ Publishing
Travel/ Tourism
Issue is #1 for industry
Government regulations are most likely to be of concern to Healthcare/Pharmaceutical and Food/Beverage industries
Percentage Scale: 0-100
61 58
Government passing healthcare costs to
employees
Government health and safety regulations
on food & alcohol
Healthcare/Pharma Food/Beverage
Issue is #1 for industry
Regional differences exist amongst the public with the public in Latin American rating all issues with a higher degree of
concern
Asians are much less concerned about most issues
1. Cost of foods 2. Healthcare costs 3. New automotive technologies 4. Alternative fuel sources 5. Clean water 6. Hackers 7. Identity theft 8. Infectious disease treatments 9. Nutrition and ingredients in food 10. Terrorists control of public infrastructure
1. Identity theft 2. Healthcare costs 3. Cost of foods 4. Healthcare Benefits 5. Hackers 6. Alternative fuel sources 7. Aging population 8. Clean water 9. Nutrition and ingredients in food 10. Threats to food supply from terrorism
1. Healthcare costs 2. Advanced medical care & technology 3. Health Benefits 4. Cost of foods 5. Identity theft 6. New automotive technologies 7. Clean water 8. Hackers 9. Healthy lifestyle 10. Alternative fuel sources
1. Aging population 2. Healthcare costs 3. Personal videos/pictures posted online 4. Alternative fuel sources 5. New automotive technologies 6. Hackers 7. Healthy lifestyle 8. Health Benefits 9. Natural disaster preparedness 10. Identity theft
ASIA EUROPE
LATAM
USA
Global Importance (4 regions)
Healthcare costs Alternative fuel sources Hackers Identity theft
Global Importance (3 regions)
Cost of foods Health benefits Clean water New automotive technologies
Regional Importance (1 region)
Europe Infectious disease treatments Terrorist control of infrastructure
Asia Personal videos/pictures online Natural disaster preparedness
United States Threats to food supply from terrorism
Latin America Advanced medical care & technology
ASIA 69. Anti-Americanism 70. Competition for jobs 71. Job security 72. Right wing politics 73. Left wing politics 74. Labor issues in food/alcohol industry 75. Emigration 76. Immigrant workers in food industry 77. Foreign student education 78. Moving to avoid natural disaster
69. Labor issues in food/alcohol industry 70. Employers monitoring virtual community sites 71. Counterfeit medications 72. Economic expansion in emerging markets 73. Food safety on airplanes/trains 74. Foreign Student Education 75. Left Wing politics 76. Immigrant workers in food industry 77. Anti-Americanism 78. Moving to avoid natural disaster
EUROPE
69. Population shrinkage 70. Left wing politics 71. Economic expansion in emerging markets 72. Islamic fundamentalism 73. Moving to avoid natural disaster 74. Food safety on airplanes/trains 75. Foreign student education 76. Anti-Americanism 77. Right wing politics 78. Immigrant workers in food industry
LATAM 69. Availability/cost organic foods 70. Dominance of large food retailers 71. Food Safety on airplanes/ trains 72. Right wing politics 73. Immigrant workers in food industry 74. Employers monitoring virtual community sites 75. Emigration 76. Left Wing Politics 77. Mass organic food retailers 78. Population shrinkage
USA
Least important 4 regions
Left wing politics Immigrant workers in food industry
3 Regions
Moving to avoid natural disaster Food safety on airplanes/trains Foreign student education Anti-Americanism Right wing politics
Regional Importance (1 region)
Europe Counterfeit medications
Asia Competition for jobs Job security
United States Availability/cost organic foods Dominance of large food retailers Mass organic food retailers
Latin America Islamic fundamentalism
Business leaders also demonstrate regional
differences
1. Hackers 2. Costs of Energy/Impact Profit 3. Affordability of Technology to Stay Competitive 4. Storing Company Data 5. Technology to Reach Customers 6. Technology Solutions to Improve Workplace 7. Cost of Technology 8. Energy Conservation Technologies 9. Technology to Enhance Reputation 10. Maintaining a Competitive Edge
1. Healthcare Costs 2. Cost of Technology 3. Cost of Energy/Impact Profit 4. Hackers 5. Technology to Reach Customers 6. Affordability of Technology to Stay Competitive 7. Impact of Energy Costs 8. Storing Company Data 9. Appropriate Employee Behavior 10. Health Issues of Aging Workforce
1. Cost of Technology 2. Technology to Enhance Reputation 3. Affordability of Technology to Stay Competitive 4. Technology to Reach Customers 5. Technology Solutions to Improve Workplace 6. Cost of Energy/Impact Profit 7. Hackers 8. Appropriate Employee Behavior 9. Sustaining Innovation 10. Managing Impact of Brownouts/Power Outages
1. Appropriate Employee Behavior 2. Storing Company Data 3. Affordability of Technology to Stay Competitive 4. Cost of Energy/Impact Profit 5. Economic Expansion in Emerging Markets 6. Business Secrets on Internet 7. Technology Solutions to Improve Workplace 8. Inappropriate Internet Behavior 9. Hackers 10. Cost of Technology
ASIA EUROPE
LATAM USA
Global Importance (4 regions)
Affordability of technology to remain competitive Cost of energy/impact profit Hackers Cost of technology
Global Importance (3 Regions)
Storing company data Technology solutions to improve workplace Appropriate employee behavior Technology to reach customers
Regional Importance (1 region)
Europe Energy conservation technology Maintaining a competitive edge
Asia-Pacific Economic expansion in emerging markets Business secrets on internet Inappropriate internet behavior
United States Healthcare costs Impact of energy costs Health issues of aging workforce
Latin America Sustaining innovation Managing impact of brownouts/power outages
80. Mass Organic Food Retailers 81. Dominance of Large Food Retailers 82. Education System of Developing Nations 83. Labor Issues in Food/Beverage Industry 84. Job Losses to Immigrant Workers 85. Cost of Food 86. Layoffs Due to Natural Disaster 87. Right Wing Politics 88. Immigrant Workers in Food Industry 89. Left Wing Politics
ASIA
80. Retailers Selling Environmentally Friendly packaged foods
81. Layoffs Due to Rising Health Care Costs 82. Pharma Companies Protecting Intellectual
Property Rights 83. Taxes on Food/Alcohol 84. Anti-American Sentiments 85. Mass Organic Food Retailers 86. Labor Issues in Food/Beverage Industry 87. Left Wing Politics 88. Restrictions on Marketing Practices 89. Layoffs due to Natural Disaster
EUROPE
80. Mass Organic Food Retailers 81. Pharmaceutical Companies Protecting
Intellectual Property Rights 82. Job Losses to Immigrant Workers 83. Nuclear Power as Alternative Energy 84. US Military Dominance 85. Right Wing Politics 86. Immigrant Workers in Food Industry 87. Anti-American Sentiments 88. Nuclear Proliferation Treaties 89. Islamic Fundamentalism
LATAM
USA
80. Providing for Growing Populations 81. Conserving Energy while Packaging Food 82. Layoffs due to Natural Disaster 83. Dominance of Large Food Retailers 84. Food Labeling Requirements 85. Job Losses to Immigrants 86. Mass Organic Food Retailers 87. Labor issues in Food/Beverage Industry 88. Retailers Selling Environmentally Friendly
Packaged Foods 89. Restrictions on Marketing Practices
Business leaders can better align their investments to match public interest
…they are missing opportunities to communicate, provide services and grow!
The Public is Concerned with:
• Identity theft (76%)
• Ability for hackers to break into personal computers (74%)
• Terrorists to use technology to gain control of our public infrastructure (66%)
• Videos of consumers or their families being posted on the Internet w/o their knowledge (65%)
Business Leaders are Concerned with:
• Ability for hackers to break into company computer systems (53%)
• Improved solutions for backing up and storing company data (50%)
Public is Concerned with:
• Ability of countries to provide clean water for citizens (70%)
• Greenhouse gas effects on the environment (64%)
Business Leaders are Concerned with:
• Costs of energy and impact on profit (53%)
Business Leaders are Concerned with:
• Costs of energy and its impact on profit (53%)
• Approaches to accommodate increased energy costs and their impact on employees (46%)
• Identifying new technologies to conserve energy and preserve the environment (46%)
• Increasing flexible work opportunities to reduce dependence on oil and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions from cars in the environment (41%)
Public is Concerned with:
• Alternative fuel sources for homes and cars (75%)
• Identifying new automotive technologies to conserve energy, reduce prices, reduce dependency on foreign energy, and preserve the environment (74%)
Business Leaders are Concerned with:
• Increasing healthcare costs requiring the government or employers to pass on a greater share of the healthcare costs to employees (47%)
• Health issues associated with an aging workforce (41%)
Public is Concerned with:
• Affording healthcare and medicine (77%)
• Health benefits (73%)
• Access to advanced medical care and technology (70%)
• Medicines to alleviate or prevent new diseases (64%)
So, what does this mean?
• Big areas of opportunity – Hunger/Cost of food – Privacy/Identity protection – Environment beyond sustainability – Access to affordable healthcare – Access to health-saving technologies
• Gap between public and business elites can be closed through common solutions
– Enhancing privacy protects one’s family and the same solutions can protect a businesses competitive edge
• Businesses and individuals need to do more to influence national agendas
– Government agendas are heavily dominated by security issues and war; not issues of greatest concern to the public and business
• Media is not the only driver of issues awareness among the public
– Personal experience – Word-of-mouth – Imagination
• CSR can go beyond a company’s vertical
– Technology solutions are not the only opportunity open to technology companies
– Think about verticals that customers operate within and the publics care about
• Deep dive into the research – By business – By industry – By topic – By region
• Personalized “gap analysis” – Where does your business focus
match-up with your publics’ concerns
• “What We Say Today” Audit – Evaluate current communications
to see how it resonates in light of stakeholder issues
– Flex communications to let it better “fill the gap”
• Strategic planning and counsel on critical issues
• Ongoing monitoring of issues that you think are important
– Is your focus in the right place?
• Communicating your position on key issues of concern
– Identifying the opportunities – Identifying the critical stakeholders – Shaping the message – Delivering the message through
appropriate channels
• Beyond PR/PA – Training – Recruitment – Community engagement
Global Issues Index
Global Issues Index