As car manufacturer Toyota begins testimony in front of Congress, results of a new Zogby poll suggest that many Americans still view Toyota cars as equally or more safe than most other vehicles.  Our survey found that 64% of the overall public feels Toyotas are, on average, more safe (18%)  or equally safe (47%) as other vehicles.  Among those who currently own or lease a Toyota, the numbers are even higher, with 85% believing Toyota vehicles are more safe (39%) or equally safe (47%) as other vehicles.

However, the poll did contain some bad news for Toyota; neither Americans nor current Toyota owners rate the company’s handling of their recent safety and recall issues highly. Using an Olympic-themed scoring system of gold, silver, bronze, or no medal at all, pluralities of both groups award Toyota “no medal at all”.

In the spirit of the Winter Olympics, would you award Toyota a gold, silver, bronze, or no medal at all for their handling of recent safety and recall issues?

	General public	Currently own/lease Toyota
Gold	6%	10%
Silver	16%	26%
Bronze	18%	23%
No medal at all	47%	34%
Not sure	12%	8%

What are your opinions on Toyota – do you agree with those who feel that their cars are, overall, equally or as safe as other vehicles? What advice would you give Toyota on handling their recalls?

Katy Uncategorized lifestyle

2010 is a week old, so we thought it’s time to check in with our blog readers on their New Year’s resolutions.

In late December, we polled people on some common resolutions. 33% of our survey respondents resolved to lose weight, while 11% said they would either get a job or change jobs, 29% wanted to save more money, 35% planned to exercise more, and a comparatively paltry 17% pledged to be a better person.

Which of these resolutions, if any, would you adopt?  If you made resolutions, are you still keeping them?

Katy health, lifestyles lifestyle

While many areas have enacted laws mandating the display of nutrition information in restaurants, studies measuring the changes (if any) in people’s behavior when they are exposed to restaurants’ nutrition information  are just starting to be published. The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and USA Today recently reported on two of these studies, both studying the effect of nutrition postings in New York City. In one study, professors looked at calorie consumption at fast-food restaurants in low income areas both before and after the calorie labeling laws went into effect. The researchers in this study found that customers  with access to calorie displays actually ordered more calories than the typical customer before the displays were posted. The difference was small – 846 calories per order with the nutrition info posted vs 825 before it was posted- and some were critical of the study’s exclusive focus on low-income areas. The New York Times quotes Michael F. Jacobson, the executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, as saying that “nutrition is not the top concern of low-income people, who are probably the least amenable to calorie labeling.” Meanwhile, the New York City Department of Mental Health and Hygiene conducted their own study of nine chain restaurants, which found that while only 15% of consumers said they used the nutrition information, those that used the information purchased an average of 754 calories while those who did not see or use the information bought and average of 860 calories. This study, too, had critics; while some pointed to the calorie reduction among the group that used nutrition information, others pointed to the fact that only 15% of consumers said they consulted calorie information in the first place as evidence that most of the population is indifferent to calorie labeling.

We’ve been asking our own questions about the importance of nutrition labeling. In September of this year, we asked respondents how much attention they paid to nutrition labels when choosing what foods to buy. Respondents could answer that they always checked nutrition labels, that they frequently checked nutrition labels, that they sometimes checked nutrition labels, that they rarely checked nutrition labels, or that they never checked nutrition labels. Overall, 27% of our sample claimed to always check, while 36% claimed to frequently check, 25% sometimes checked, 9% rarely checked, and 3% never checked. Groups that were more likely than average to always check included those 18-29 (31%), those in large cities (31%), progressives (37%), liberals (40%), and females (34%). And although the NYU/Yale study was criticized for a presumed focus on low-income consumers, those who were in the lowest income brackets in our survey were also more likely than average to say they always checked nutrition labels; 39% of those in households making $25,000/year or less said they always checked, as well as 40% of those in households making between $25,000 and $35,000/year.

How do you reconcile surveys where people claim to be very likely to consult nutrition labels with the (so far) mixed results from the municipalities that have imposed nutrition labeling laws? Are people likely to say that they consult nutrition labels because they feel it is the “correct” thing to say or that they feel like they should consult nutrition labels? And what is your personal feeling about these laws – do you (or would you) like to have calorie information available in your area?

Katy Uncategorized food, lifestyle

The New York Times recently reported on the results of a US Department of Agriculture study which found that 49 million Americans are now experiencing “food insecurity”. The number, which represents the highest number since the study began tracking fourteen years ago, represents people who are considered either “struggling households with.. very low food security, meaning lack of money forced members to skip meals, cut portions or otherwise forgo food at some point in the year” or those who get enough to eat only by eating cheaper or less varied foods, relying on food stamps, or visiting food pantries and soup kitchens. The Times quotes analysts as saying the unemployment rate, possibly along with higher food prices, is largely responsible for the rise.

We’ve been paying attention to this issue, as well. In September, we asked our survey respondents whether they strongly agreed, somewhat agreed, somewhat disagreed, or strongly disagreed with the statement “I fear I will not be able to provide basic needs such as food or shelter for myself or my family in the future”. Overall, 34% of our sample agreed with this statement, with 9% of our sample strongly agreeing and 25% somewhat agreeing. 25% somewhat disagreed and 38% strongly disagreed. Not surprisingly, those in the lowest income brackets were much more likely to strongly or somewhat agree that they feared they would be unable to provide basic needs for themselves or their family. For those in households earning less than $25,000/year, 22% strongly agreed and 34% somewhat agreed that they feared their ability to provide basic needs. For those in households earning between $25,000 and $35,000/year, 15% strongly agreed and 28% somewhat agreed that they feared their ability to provide basic needs. Those with only a high school education were also more likely to fear their ability to provide, with 12% strongly agreeing and 27% somewhat agreeing.

Within other demographics – gender, age group, ideology, party ID, and whether one lives in a large city, small city, suburb or rural area – the responses largely mirrored the responses of the overall group.

What do you make of the rise in hunger and food insecurity in the U.S? Do you believe the number of those in need of food or food-related assistance is likely to stay high in the next few years? Do you fear your own ability to put food on the table for yourself or your family?

Katy Uncategorized hunger, lifestyle, polls

We recently included several winning Top Question Tuesday selections on an interactive poll. Stay tuned to this blog as we’ll be releasing the results over the next several weeks! And don’t forget to submit your own nominations for Top Question Tuesday using the box on the right of this blog.

One question we asked concerned respondents’ feelings about a potential link between cell phones and cancer.  The question noted that “some scientists suggest there is no link between cell phone usage and cancer, while other scientists argue there is a link. How concerned are you that long-term cell phone usage can cause cancer?”.

Overall, 42% of the sample was concerned (10% very concerned, 32% somewhat concerned), and 56% of the sample was not concerned (36% not very concerned, 20% not at all concerned).  Young people were slightly more average than likely to not be concerned, with 62% of those 18-29 saying they were not very or not at all  that long-term cellphone usage can cause cancer. Those who described themselves as very cosnservative were also more likely than average to not be concerned, with 63% of this group saying they were not very or not at all concerned.

Liberals (46% ) and  females (45%) were the  few groups that were more likely than other groups to be concerned about links between cellphones and cancer.  However, even these two groups had the majority of their respondents say they were not concerned.

How concerned are you about a potential link between cell phones and cancer? How about concern for your kids, many of whom may have had cell phones since a young age?  Do you believe the scientific evidence is currently strong enough to either prove or disprove a connection?

Katy health, technology elections, health, lifestyle, technology, Top Question Tuesday

Today’s Zogby blog post comes courtesy of Cheryl Korn, a Writer/Analyst with Zogby International, and an avid hockey fan since she was old enough to follow and understand the game. Thanks Cheryl!

Patrick Kane, a forward with the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL), made history by scoring the first NHL goal in Finland. This is most likely a moment Kane will carry with him for the rest of his life. But what will he remember about pleading guilty to a noncriminal charge of disorderly conduct after being accused of assaulting a cab driver over a fare dispute this past summer?

Kane could have faced up to 15 days in jail and a $250 fine, but the judge in Kane’s case issued him a conditional discharge. This meant he would avoid facing jail time as long as he does not run into problems with the law for a year. Kane was also ordered to make a statement of apology to the cab driver.

Luckily for Kane, everything seems to be neatly swept under the rug. The NHL has not chosen to punish him for his actions off the ice this past summer. However, how well does this lack of punishment sit with hockey fans and the general public?

According to a recent Zogby Interactive survey, 65% of adults nationwide agree that regardless of Kane’s guilty plea, he should face some sort of disciplinary action from the NHL. Respondents age 65 and older (70%) and parents of children under the age of 17 (69%) are among the most likely to agree. Eighteen percent of those surveyed do not agree and believe Kane should not face any disciplinary action from the NHL.

Electronic Arts Sports’ (EA Sports) NHL 10 was released on September 15. This release featured Kane’s image, and the software company has not said anything about replacing Kane’s image on the cover because of the off-ice incident this past summer. Clearly, this lack of action does not sit well with some. Our survey shows that 42% believe EA Sports should change the cover of the game and remove Kane’s image. Respondents ages 50-64 (48%) and 65 and older (47%) and parents of children under the age of 17 (44%) are among the most likely to agree that the cover should be changed. Three in ten (31%) do not agree that Kane’s image should be removed, with First Globals™ (18-29 year olds) (44%) among the most likely to say that Kane’s image should remain on the cover.

What is your opinion about this? How does this situation compare to the incident a few years ago where former Vancouver Canuck Todd Bertuzzi issued former Colorado Av Steve Moore a check into the boards? The play would end Moore’s hockey playing career. As you may recall, the referee during the game did not call a penalty as the check was deemed legal. However, Bertuzzi was later suspended by the NHL due to the severity of Moore’s injuries. Clearly, Kane could have seriously injured the cab driver during the incident, so why is the NHL continuing to look the other way? Did the NHL “miss the call” by not issuing Kane a suspension or some type of disciplinary action for his conduct off the ice this past summer?

ZogbyFeaturedContributor culture, lifestyles crime, entertainment, first globals, history, international, lifestyle, sports, summer, war, zogby

I am sitting in my living room. Immediately to my right is my dining room. In my dining room are, variously, a box holding my wedding gown…from 1988, a box of stuffed animals and a 3 foot tall Tigger, a remote control car still in the box (these even though my youngest son is a senior in high school), the cat carrier, two rolling footstools and two Cannondale road bikes. Of course I also have a dining room table, china cabinet, and 6 chairs. There are also 3 stacks of boxes, a bookcase and a settee that belonged to my grandmother.  Although I’ve rarely been accused of being neat, I’m not usually living in such chaos. It’s just that I’ve recently moved, downsized to be precise, and I’m trying to fit more than 20 years of family stuff into a house no bigger than the one I moved to just after wearing that wedding dress all those years ago. 

I am among those who are reducing their lifestyle. Why? Well, it’s a cost savings obviously; a smaller place will cost me less money monthly to light and heat. My monthly payment is lower and the maintenance is significantly less on a smaller home, so it’s less work. I’m headed for an empty nest as my youngest son graduates from high school so we no longer need as much room as we used to come the fall, so there’s that as well.

It feels like there’s more to it though. After a lifetime of always feeling as though I needed to have just a little more than enough-just in case, everything from extra towels and sheets to a back up bottle of laundry detergent and a pound of butter in the freezer, I’m now running leaner. We have very little storage space now, no extra closets, no garage and so we’re operating on just having what’s necessary, I’m letting go.

Is it part of the new economy? Yes, that’s some of it, and I’m not alone. On a recent Zogby Interactive survey 29% of Americans report they are driving less as a result of the recession, 5% have downsized their home, 19% are bringing their lunch, 38% have reduced or eliminated going out to dinner, 19% are renting movies, and 34% have changed their travel plans.

So, yes, for myself and plenty others, that’s part of it, but there’s something else I’ve found, it’s freeing to have less. I have less to be responsible for. I donated, sold or gave away plenty, and threw out a fair amount of just plain junk that we’ve carried from house to house over the years. And the result is that I feel better. There’s less to be responsible for, fewer things to maintain, fewer moving parts, and fewer broken ones.

Will I continue to live a smaller life? Have less of a footprint here on earth? Yes, I think I will. Will you? Are you now? Did you always live a sparse lifestyle and you’re glad to see so many of us are catching up? Anyone want to buy a “vintage” wedding gown?

Karen Scott is Managing Editor and co-Director of Project Management at Zogby International. She has two sons, one is a sophomore at Pennsylvania State University (We Are-Penn State!) and one, as mentioned above is a senior in high school. Her life has been full of surprises, among them are the fact that her wedding dress (pictured here) lasted longer than the marriage did, and while she knew she was a (young)  Woodstocker, upon further examination, it seems as though she might have become a Secular Spiritualist while no one was looking.

ZogbyFeaturedContributor Uncategorized animals, economy, international, lifestyle, marriage, media, recession, travel, work, zogby

A recent article in Newsweek magazine poses the question: is the mall dead? The article notes that last year was the first year in half a century where a new indoor mall did not open somewhere in the country. Another recent article notes the high retail vacancy rate in regional malls. Others write that fast-growing “lifestyle centers” – open-air developments that contain some mix of shopping, office space, entertainment, outdoor parks, recreational facilities and housing – are replacing regional and local malls as the new shopping destination of choice.

However, the Newsweek article lays some of the blame for traditional malls’ decline on anti-consumption and pro-environment and fair labor sentiments held by the public. They report that 40% of First Globals prefer to purchase items that are “socially conscious” – ie, environmentally safe and produced through fair labor – and that traditional malls have little to offer that fits this description.

What do you think? Is the rise in the anti-consumption and pro-environment attitudes detailed by Newsweek responsible for the waning fortunes of shopping malls, or are factors like the growth of lifestyle centers and Internet shopping more responsible? Does the economic uncertainty of consumers mean that all shopping centers (and not just malls) are likely to close or have economic difficulties of their own? Where do you plan to do most of your shopping – in a mall, or elsewhere?

Katy Uncategorized consumption, economics, entertainment, environment, first globals, internet, leisure, lifestyle, recreation, shopping

Large numbers of U.S. adults have cut back on driving, eating at restaurants, going to the movies and traveling. It’s no surprise that this type of discretionary spending has taken a hit, but these trends are not just the result of a 20-month recession.

To be sure, the recession has added to the count of people who are cutting back. But many Americans had already decided to live with less before the bottom fell out of the economy. That has been an ongoing trend, as more Americans move away from material frivolities and take pleasure in a simpler lifestyle. Now that a recession is forcing many others to also live within limits, how many will discover that they never really needed all those material things to be happy in the first place? That thought should worry consumer-oriented businesses, and encourage those who believe the nation and world are on an unsustainable course.

Read the rest of John Zogby’s column at Forbes.com and more about this survey here.

Paul culture, economics economy, John Zogby, lifestyle, recession, travel, zogby

A few weeks ago, we at Zogby surveyed consumers on the quality of customer service given by a number of major companies or brands. You can read a summary of the results of the ten best companies here  and the ten worst companies here. We also blogged about the fact that four of the companies on the ten worst list are in telecommunications and enjoyed reading your ideas of why this might be.

Another interesting pattern turns up on our list of the ten best companies. Four of these ten companies are grocery stores – Costco, ranked 9th, Whole Foods (7th), Publix (6th) and Trader Joe’s (2nd). Both Costco and Trader Joe’s are known for their low prices, while Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are known for their wide selection – including plenty of organic fare, particularly at Whole Foods. Meanwhile, grocery chain Publix gives all employees the opportunity to buy company stock after working a selected length of time. An MSN article on Publix quotes Publix spokeswoman Maria Brous as attributing their high ranking to being partially employee-owned, and Brous notes that because of this, “our associates have an investment in providing good customer service.”

Do you generally feel that you receive good customer service in your grocery store? Are prices and availability of organic food major factors in where you choose to shop for groceries, or are other factors, such as location or being locally owned, more important to you? If you shop at any of the stores we ranked, how would you rate their customer service?

Katy culture, lifestyles communication, consumption, lifestyle, work, zogby