financial

Since our original post on March 20 assessing survey response rates immediately after the COVID-19 travel ban, we've been closely following response rates and data impacts on several of our trackers, in both the utility and financial services spaces. Now, in Week 6 of the quarantine, we need to know if people have continued responding to survey invitations at the same rate.

Research conducted from April 1-3 on Bellomy’s SmartLAB panel among 710 adults nationwide reveals that, while most people feel informed about the coronavirus stimulus payments to be sent beginning this month, there is some confusion regarding the details of the distribution.

Without a doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic is shaping and transforming our society and culture worldwide, quickly, and before our eyes. It’s still early, but there's one clear pattern emerging: consumers are staying home and transacting online more than ever before. 

It is a common refrain in the survey research industry: any change impacting large populations will have an impact on response rates and possibly change how people respond. During natural disasters such as hurricanes or typhoons, many halt research in the impacted areas.

Intelligent consumers are holding companies to the environmental standards they claim to have. The emergence of #greenwashing has given a voice to those who expect institutions to be forward-thinking and sustainable.

People have grown a negative outlook on financial topics in Q4 2018. Fewer people are posting, but students on twitter are making their voices heard over concerns about unfair banking fees.

Attitudes were exceptionally positive in Q3 compared to the previous year. Conversations around bitcoin were reignited after Mastercard’s decision to shut down Robert Spencer’s Patreon account over hateful content.

The bitcoin buzz has yet to quiet down in Q2 2018. New initial coin offerings are expanding ideas about what is possible with cryptocurrency and blockchain. And Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg’s congressional hearings have opened larger concerns cybersecurity among financial institutions that handle large volumes of customer data.

Very few organizations question the value of User Experience (UX) research when designing or overhauling their digital touchpoints. Recognizing the value in UX and implementing a company culture that encourages and utilizes user research are two different challenges.