Gulf South Index
Built from research, local perspective and decades of regional experience, the Gulf South Index helps leaders better understand the people, trends and decisions shaping our region.
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What We Think vs. What Is
How is America doing? “Perception vs. reality” is a phrase we’ve all heard, and one we’ve certainly all experienced: you convince yourself of one thing, while the truth lies somewhere else. This could be as mundane as a jelly-bean jar guessing game or how long your work commute will take with new construction on your street, but the perception of the bigger stuff can be way more impactful.
This is America: Disillusionment, Disruption — and a Dash of Optimism
How is America doing? Whether you’re speaking with your neighbors or reading news headlines — we can probably guess what your immediate answer is to that question. According to the 2025 Gulf South Index, 71% of the Gulf South and 70% of national respondents are unhappy with how things are currently going in the United States.
Trust Us On This. The Hopes and Grievances of 2025
On an individual level, trust doesn’t seem that tricky — relying on people you can confide in, withholding information from those you can’t and making decisions daily on who falls into which category. But on a bigger level, trust can be a tricky thing. It’s harder to know if the businesses we rely on are telling the truth, if the media is leading us to false conclusions or if the figures we look up to mean what they say.
Are the Kids Alright? A Deep Dive Into America’s Youngest Generations
Remember when the world was fascinated with millennials and avocado toast? Or when “OK Boomer,” referencing post- World War II babies, became viral shorthand for intergenerational frustration? You might not, but for years, American culture has been shaped, and often judged, through the lenses of generational identity. Here at the Gulf South Index, we’ve always focused on these generational divides – and as our daily cultural landscape continues to change, we’re especially tuned in on the youngest generations: who are redefining norms, embracing technology and grappling with challenges unique to their time.
THE THRILL IS GONE: 2025 GULF SOUTH INDEX, DOWNLOAD NOW
“Consumers are just really pissed off about the world” – Claudi Sahm, former economist at the U.S. Federal Reserve We’ve used this quote quite a bit in the last couple of years to describe the mood of the general public. Partly because it gets people’s attention. Primarily because it’s true. We’ve tried to temper the public’s “pissed off” attitude with a vision that if we take a collective breath, we can find common ground as consumers and as citizens.
Marc Ehrhardt on The Newell Normand Show
Marc Ehrhardt, President of The Ehrhardt Group, once again visited The Newell Normand Show on April 7th to discuss our Gulf South Index State of the Media 2025 findings. From information overload and waning trust in the Gulf South, Marc shared the outlook of our media landscape in 2025, how consumers are getting their news and how they feel about it.
The Game isn’t Changing. It’s Changed. The State of the Media in 2025.
Whether you wake up for the 5AM news or check the X app the minute you open your eyes, it’s hard to avoid the modern malaise we all face: information overload. The news is everywhere we turn – but the stories are no longer the only thing changing all the time. It seems every day there’s a new source to gather information from, new people on our screen telling us what they think, and new decisions to make about how we digest all this information.
The Sky is Green. IT’S GREEN!!! What We Learned in 2024
A few weeks ago, I attended a meeting to inform a group of neighbors about a potential real estate project. Nearly all of the residents in attendance were hot to express their concerns about the future of a nearby green space before even learning about the project’s details. At one point, the speaker asked neighbors if the green space – which up until recently had sporadic operating hours, a lack of security, evidence of on-site drug abuse and marginal upkeep – was the best green space in the city.
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