WHAT’S KEEPING CANADIANS UP AT NIGHT?

How Leo Burnett is helping brands respond to these worries

Canadians have been through a lot of change over the past two years. They changed how they worked, how they learned, how they socialized, and how they cared for their families. Unsurprisingly then, their perspectives have changed too. To better understand this shift in mindset and the problems Canadians are facing heading into 2022, the creative consultancy Leo Burnett Canada conducted a survey of more than 4,600 Canadians between February and October 2021.

“If all these other aspects of their lives are changing, of course, the way they interact with brands is going to change as well. And we’re hearing from our clients, they want to understand how to deepen their connections to their evolving consumers,” said Ben Tarr, President, Leo Burnett Canada. “Because the brands that will be successful in the future are the ones that recognize the problems facing Canadians and choose to do something about it.”

For the survey, participants were asked to share their concerns on a wide range of issues, including finances, careers, mental health, communities, environment, and the future.

More generally, the HumanKind™ Study revealed that 50 per cent of Canadians are concerned that too much of their life is being wasted doing something that doesn’t make them happy and almost 60 per cent said they were anxious about the future and what hardship might come next.

When it comes to their personal lives, the findings revealed that 61 per cent of parents are worried their children have been more emotionally impacted by the pandemic than they’re letting on. As a result, one in two parents are concerned about how actively involved they are in their children’s lives.

As inflation rises and the prices of products increase, four in 10 Canadians said they’re concerned they will never feel financially secure or confident again – with women more likely to feel this way than men.

So, why are these findings important?

For Leo Burnett Canada, the goal is not to add to the negative narrative everyone is tired of hearing, but to use this data to help brands actively respond to the worries keeping Canadians up at night. While governments are usually relied upon to solve many of these problems, the creative consultancy believes that brands have a role to play as well.

“We see so much opportunity for brands to take meaningful action, such as prioritizing mental health, adopting equitable pricing models, promoting healthier relationships with technology, and making plans for the future health of our planet,” said Tahir Ahmad, Chief Strategy Officer, Leo Burnett Canada. “This is a tremendous opportunity for brands to step up and help Canadians move forward in more positive, helpful, human ways.” To guide brands on this path forward, Leo Burnett Canada developed a framework based on the survey’s findings, which is detailed in their recently released first annual HumanKind™ Study. Based off the report’s findings, Leo Burnett Canada will also be launching a new creative, forward-thinking product that will allow brands to solve these human problems with boundarypushing creativity that will include everything from products and services to customer experiences and advertising.

To learn more about the findings from the HumanKind™ Study and services provided by Leo Burnett, visit leoburnett.ca/humankind