New Research Initiative Shines Light On Widespread Societal Shifts Happening In America During The COVID-19 Era

NEW YORK, June 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Whitman Insight Strategies today announced the launch of their COVID-19 Societal Impact Project (CSIP), a public opinion research initiative that examines in detail all of the changes occurring in America during the COVID-19 era.

"The goal of the project is centered around two beliefs," said Scott Kotchko, President of Whitman Insight Strategies.  "The first is that during times of crisis, the changes that will shape the future are measurable in the present if you know where to look.  And the second is that we're all so overloaded with data that we're being desensitized.  CSIP is also about communicating insights and perspectives to clients, peers, friends and family using channels that are more appropriate to telling meaningful stories about the human experience in these times than numbers on slides."

Some Key Findings From CSIP Polling:

• 79% of Americans say that the COVID-19 pandemic has opened their eyes to cracks in society
• More than two-thirds (68%) report rethinking aspects of their own lives since the pandemic began
• In a country as polarized as the U.S., most Americans (52%) say that COVID-19 has caused them to question their own preexisting political beliefs

Said Bernard Whitman, Founder & CEO of Whitman Insight Strategies, "We're living in the era of the Great Rethink.  Americans are worried, they are angry, and as a result are looking more critically at society, at government, and at themselves than at any point in recent history.  These moments of deep reflection almost always predicate major structural change – often, but not always, for the better. At WINS our hope is to use this initiative to help corporate and political leaders take advantage of the opportunities for positive change that this era has created."

The COVID-19 Societal Impact Project also conducted research on racial attitudes and police reform in the wake of the George Floyd killing and subsequent protests.  The survey found that most registered voters (66%) draw a direct link between the conditions caused by the pandemic, lockdown, and economic downturn and the force of the uprising and protests after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. 

Further, CSIP polling indicated that nearly 3 in 4 voters (74%) say they support the people who chose to protest the death of George Floyd. Two-thirds (67%) say that Black Lives Matter has done all or mostly the right things in their response, and 78% believe our police and law enforcement system in America needs to be reformed.

The Whitman Insight Strategies COVID-19 Societal Impact Project (CSIP) utilizes the power of public opinion research to identify and better understand societal change during the COVID-19 era.

Whitman Insight Strategies (WINS) is a market research and insights consultancy based in New York City that serves clients in the corporate, issue advocacy, and political spheres.

The data included in this press release comes from multiple surveys conducted including a national survey of 1,011 U.S. adults aged 18+ conducted online from May 13-14, 2020 (margin of error ± 3.00% at the 95% level of confidence) and and a national survey of 500 registered voters conducted online between June 2-4, 2020 (margin of error ± 4.33% at the 95% level of confidence).  The sampling procedures were designed to ensure that each sample is representative and projectable on the current population of U.S. adults and registered voters, respectively. 

www.wins-csip.com 
www.whitmanstrategies.com

SOURCE Whitman Insight Strategies