A few weeks back, we ran a reader survey to figure out what’s working, what’s not, and what we should absolutely pretend was intentional all along. Among other things, we asked one very important question: is the word “data” singular or plural?
We’re still knee-deep in your very thoughtful feedback - but we can confirm this: over three-quarters of you say data is singular. Case closed. Data is. You heard it here first.
Scroll down to read about cashless countries, AI breakthroughs, and Garfield’s grip on Turkish kids.
Stats to power your week
📋DEI has been in the spotlight this year, with some companies rolling back their policies and others sticking to their guns. But what do consumers actually think moves the needle? In a recent survey, we found out the DEI measures consumers believe to be most impactful were anti-harassment guidelines (36%), transparent pay scales (30%) and unconscious bias training (24%). GWI Zeitgeist
🖼️ Social media expert Rachel Karten has flagged a possible vibe shift in AI imagery. With tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and Runway getting scarily good, she predicts a “proof of reality” backlash - and the data suggests she might be onto something. Our research shows 38% of people say knowing something was made by AI makes them think less of it. GWI Zeitgeist
👬There’s been a growing spotlight on young men and boys in recent years - with Netflix’s “Adolescence” and the Centre for Social Justice’s “Lost Boys” report adding fuel to the discourse. But beyond headlines and hot takes, what does the data actually tell us? Among other things, 12-15 year old boys’ role models are twice as likely to be people in their life (40%) than famous people (20%). GWI Kids
💳 Covid might feel like a distant memory, but five years on, we’re still detecting its long-term impact on consumer behavior. One lasting shift? Cashless payments. Take Brazil: to reduce physical contact during the pandemic, the central bank launched a fully digital payment system. Fast forward to today, and it’s completely reshaped consumer preferences - pushing Brazil to the #1 spot for wanting to pay without cash, up from 11th in 2020. GWI Core
😇 How does it feel to be one of the beautiful people, the Beatles once asked. According to our beauty and self-confidence survey, one place you’re likely to find someone happy with their appearance is… in a LinkedIn webinar. 47% of attendees strongly agree they’re happy with how they look, so your next meet-cute might just be a breakout room away. We’re accordingly expecting a good-looking crowd at our own upcoming webinar too, so be sure to join us there. GWI Zeitgeist
What’s on our radar
A potential tipping point has arrived in California, where EV chargers now outnumber petrol pumps. The future may not be flying cars, but it is plugged in.
Vegan diets have trended down in recent years, and part of the reason behind that may be concern about use of ultra-processed foods in meat substitutes. In response, food tech company Moving Mountains is rolling out a new “superfood” range aimed at addressing those concerns, though others in the industry say UPFs aren’t currently a priority. Elsewhere in food, Field Doctor has created a new range designed for people taking weight-loss drugs.
We mentioned earlier how consumers tend to think less of content when they learn it’s made by AI, but AI-generated content is still proving popular in some quarters. Fake cinema trailers are getting thousands of YouTube views, while a village in China - which at one point dominated the oil painting market - is experiencing its own disruption.
It’s easy to feel skeptical about the buzz around AI, but the breakthroughs keep stacking up. One of OpenAI’s most advanced models has been used to make a discovery in physics, while another officially passes the Turing test - so well that it’s judged to be human more often than actual humans.
Although, a recent project has indicated there’s still a way to go before AI can generate playable games.
Chart of the week
What comes next after Liberation Day and Trump’s new tariffs? Honestly, your guess is as good as ours. But there's one thing we know for sure - the tariffs are incredibly unpopular. In fact, they might just be the most unpopular thing we’ve asked about in five years of our Zeitgeist studies.
It’s worth putting this into context - the introduction of tariffs is, in fact, less popular than bringing back stay-at-home orders two years into a pandemic, holding the last World Cup in Qatar, or even having the government regulate social media.
So who exactly supports this very unpopular measure? There are some fascinating details here. As you might expect, it’s primarily older men who watch a lot of FOX News. It’s also particularly concentrated among people interested in cars and - more specifically - owners of Ford cars.
But one of the biggest predictors of tariff support shows how much it overlaps with a culture war narrative. They have strong approval among people who want to maintain traditional gender roles, which helps explain why some are calling them “Trump’s manly tariffs”.
Local lowdown
The life of a lasagna-loving loafer
If you’ve spent any time in Istanbul, or looking at the right Instagram accounts, you’ll know how fond Turkish people are of cats. And there’s one rotund orange tabby they have a real affection for - Garfield.
In our GWI Kids research, Turkish kids lead the world in liking Garfield. Helped out by a boost from last year’s movie, he comes 4th in a list of 80+ characters, putting him comfortably above SpongeBob, Pokemon, and Mario. Little surprise that the regal ginger cat overlooking the ruins of Ephesus was named in his honor.
But where exactly does the Turkish love of cats come from? Islamic literature tells of how much the prophet Muhammad valued them, and in the days of the Ottoman Empire, they played a key role in protecting libraries and grain stores from vermin. Even during its initial Covid-19 lockdown, the interior ministry of Turkey ordered councils to ensure stray animals didn’t go hungry - though it’s unclear whether or not lasagna was part of those instructions.
