February 2022 Memo - Numbers Driving the Narrative

• Half of social media marketers plan to leverage short-form video for the first time this year, with HubSpot’s Marketing Trends survey naming it as the most effective social media format.
• Nearly half of marketers who don’t use interactive content will use it for the first time in 2022, while 97 percent of those who do will increase their investment.
• Shutterstock found that ads featuring shades of green had the highest click-through rates and conversions.

WHAT IT MEANS: As the advertising and information landscape becomes even more vast and more fragmented, marketers must optimize the content, format, and even style of their advertising to target their audiences most effectively. In a crowded environment, short videos and other engaging content – such as polls, games, and interactive landing pages – show the greatest potential to break through the noise and effectively drive click-throughs and messaging.

47 – Percentage of small businesses passing on rising costs to customers in Q1 2022

• That figure is up from 39 percent in Q4 2021, even though the percentage of small business owners experiencing rising costs held steady at 74 percent.
• As oil prices climb, the Bloomberg Economics Shok model projects that $100 crude oil would lift inflation by half a percentage point in the second half of 2022.
• Rent increases across major markets grew to 13 percent in 2021 from 3.5 percent across 2015-2019, but there are more than 1.5 million new homes currently under construction – the most since 1973.

WHAT IT MEANS: Most economic indicators align with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s January assertion that inflation would likely persist throughout 2022. While the Fed and the Biden Administration have signaled aggressive action to curb inflation, outside forces – such as rising tension between Russia and Ukraine – further complicate the country’s economic outlook. However, there are some positive signs, as an influx of new housing stock could curb rising consumer costs in rent and real estate, which have seen rapid price increases over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

3 – Number of San Francisco Unified School District board members recalled with at least 72% of the vote

• While 64 percent of parents with children under the age of 18 say it’s time to learn to live with COVID-19, 54 percent of adults without young children said stopping the virus should remain the country’s top priority.
• Meanwhile, 77 percent of respondents say they are ready to return to normal from the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Just 39 percent of registered Democrats approve of President Joe Biden’s handling of the pandemic.

WHAT IT MEANS: When it comes to schools and education, pushback against COVID-era restrictions has crossed party lines. The San Francisco school board recall and the bipartisan Virginia law allowing parents to opt their children out of school mask mandates demonstrate a rare shift away from party-line polarization. This dynamic played an important role in the Virginia governor’s race and should serve as a wake-up call that constituents could vote against the party in power if they perceive that officials are failing to respond to their concerns about school closures, mask mandates, and education policy.

74 – Percentage of Americans dissatisfied with the size and influence of major corporations

• This figure marks an increase of 16 points in the last 15 years and an increase of 26 points since Gallup first started tracking the question in 2001.
• As inflation rises, so do profits at many large businesses. S&P 500 companies are on track for earnings growth above 20 percent for a fourth consecutive quarter.
• Democrat-aligned data analytics firm Catalist found that working class, non-white voters shifted 12 points toward President Donald Trump in 2020 compared to 2016.

WHAT IT MEANS: Democrats have spent the opening months of the election year searching for a message that solidifies their base and reverses erosion among independent voters. The widespread dissatisfaction with elite institutions that drove voters toward President Trump in 2016 and 2020 still exists and could be further compounded by the rising cost of living. Large companies should be prepared for attacks on their profits and business practices as Democrats zero in on an election year message.

85 – Percentage of Americans satisfied with their own lives

• Ninety-four percent of individuals with a household income over $100,000 were satisfied with their own lives, the highest of any group measured.
• At the same time, only 17 percent are satisfied with the direction of the country.
• The last time more Americans were satisfied than dissatisfied about the direction of the country was January 2004.

WHAT IT MEANS: The disconnect between personal satisfaction and satisfaction with the direction of the country is near a record high. Americans have been pessimistic about the direction of the country for nearly two decades, likely exacerbating the widening political polarization that has taken place over that time. However, general satisfaction with their own lives could mean that Americans are less likely to support policies that significantly disrupt the status quo – underscored by the difficulty of passing sweeping legislation in Washington, even when one party controls every lever of power.

33 – Percentage of the workforce across 10 major U.S. cities that has returned to office work

• That figure is down from a pre-Omicron pandemic high of 41 percent in December 2021 but rose from 23 percent in January 2022.
• Nearly 80 percent of workers who currently work from home say they would like to continue doing so after the COVID-19 pandemic has ended. However, more than 60 percent of U.S. workers can’t work from home.
• Sixty percent of work-from-home employees say they feel less connected to their coworkers.

WHAT IT MEANS: Workers will continue to return to the office as the Omicron surge subsides, but it’s unlikely that the workplace will fully return to a pre-COVID footing. Workers continue to quit their jobs at near-record rates and businesses will have to meet the demand for hybrid work schedules and work-from-home options. While many employees prefer to work from home, there are also drawbacks that impact productivity. Companies hoping to maintain strong – and satisfied – workforces will have to balance employees’ desire for flexible work options with measures that promote productivity within the workforce.