Hope: Is Momentum Building?

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There's a lot of doom and gloom in the world and in the news right now, every headline seems to pull us towards conflict, tension, uncertainty, division, and if you see enough of that, you might begin to feel that that's the whole story.

Well, in today's chart of the week, we're going to talk about the counter trend of hope. And is hope making a comeback while we're not completely there yet, there are four signals in the data that indicate a shift into a more hopeful mindset. And the reason that matters, it's not only good for our soul to be hopeful, it's actually good for the economy as well.

Let's dig in.

Number one, 42% of consumers expect their personal finances to improve this coming year. That is actually up significantly, seven points, versus just six months ago, when consumers feel more financially optimistic and confident it actually can unlock spending.

Number two, 28% of Americans believe that people with opposing political parties can have good intentions for the country. While the number in absolute is still pretty low, it's plus six points versus six months ago, so that could indicate a softening of the political divide.

Number three, 40% of Americans are hopeful about the direction of the country. That is up three points versus six months ago. Hope and joy are leading emotional indicators. It tends to be a leading indicator of economic behaviors.

Number four, 73% of Americans believe that if the political parties could listen and work together more, the country would be better off, and so it really signals this hunger for collaboration in a hopeful way.

So What? Now What?

First hope is definitely having a comeback, but we have to remember that hope is not just a soft emotional metric. It actually is a leading indicator of economic behavior and economic confidence. When consumers feel confident, they're more willing to take risks, more willing to try new brands and experiences, and they tend to lean forward versus pulling back.

Historically, in my data, fear and division freeze decision making, while Joy and Hope unlock it.

I hope you enjoyed this one, and remember that joy is a choice we make and a business we build, and we have to keep investing in joy until next time.