Affordability remains a highly sensitive political issue for businesses today. As policymakers and consumers scrutinize corporate pricing, executives face increasing pressure to explain how they are addressing consumer cost-of-living concerns.
To identify which messages foster trust and which pose risks, Narrative Insights conducted dial testing using AI-generated videos of CEOs delivering statements on affordability issues that have drawn significant public attention, including tariffs, grocery prices, and fuel costs. These statements were tested in real time with a national sample of registered voters, capturing their immediate reactions second by second as they viewed each message.
Our research yielded three key communication lessons for leaders addressing affordability issues.
LESSON 1: MAKE IT PERSONAL
When affordability is under scrutiny, voters want to know that corporate leaders understand how rising costs affect their daily lives before hearing about operational decisions or business challenges.
Across all three dial tests, the strongest moments focused on people rather than process: family budgets, shopping trips, commutes, and the difficult decisions consumers face as costs rise. Messages performed best when they acknowledged financial pressure and linked it to experiences voters recognize in their own lives.
The grocery message provided the clearest example. Bipartisan agreement remained strong throughout the discussion of household budget pressures and climbed when the message shifted to a broader commitment to affordability and consumer well-being. The highest-performing segment (77.9% combined partisan score) centered on a simple principle:
"Everyone deserves access to healthy, high-quality, affordable food."
Respondent Feedback: “I appreciate that they recognize grocery costs are frustrating right now and are actively working to reinvest their own savings to keep shelf prices as low as possible for families.”
The Data Shows: Before explaining how your organization is responding, demonstrate that you understand the realities consumers face. Messages grounded in household impact consistently outperformed those highlighting corporate action.
LESSON 2: SHOW THEM WHAT YOU'RE DOING
The most compelling messages emphasized action. In all three dial tests, support grew when CEOs outlined specific measures such as reinvesting savings, strengthening supplier relationships, investing in infrastructure, refining operations, and exploring new price-reduction strategies.
Conversely, support declined when messaging shifted to external factors like tariffs, supply chain issues, global events, or market volatility. Although offering context might seem helpful, voters often saw it as an excuse.
The fuel prices test clearly illustrated this dynamic. Messages that focused on specific actions performed best (73.8% combined partisan score): “New technologies help us produce more fuel from existing facilities, improve reliability, and keep costs lower.”
Respondent Feedback: “Right now we're diversifying our supply sources so we're never too dependent on any one region.” “We're investing in the infrastructure that keeps fuel moving reliably.”
The Data Shows: The more tangible and relatable the example, the stronger the message. Concrete actions outperform abstract explanations.
LESSON 3: DON'T ASK FOR SYMPATHY
The tariffs message revealed a key communication flaw: assuming consumers would care about a detailed account of the challenges businesses face. The more a company highlights its struggles, the less consumers seem to care. After all, they experience their own financial pressures daily and are less sympathetic to the priorities of large businesses.
As the CEO detailed how tariffs increased sourcing, packaging, and delivery costs, reactions grew more divided. The partisan gap expanded to 5.8 points, the widest difference seen across all three tests. While respondents understood tariffs pose real difficulties for businesses, that didn’t mean they wanted to hear about them.
Consumers worried about grocery and gas prices often see the rising costs of obscure inputs as insignificant.
Respondent Feedback: “Nothing. All corporate lies.”
The Data Shows: Consumers recognize that businesses face real pressures, but they don’t want a company asking them to share those burdens. Messages perform best when they acknowledge challenges without dwelling on them.
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