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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Making Our Time Count
We’re already making end-of-year plans when it feels like 2023 just got started. Instead of asking where the time went, it’s much more interesting to ask: what have we been doing with our time? Who and what are we interacting with? What time do we value most? Are we happy with how we’re spending our time?
How Do Consumers Stay Cool in the Heat?
Labor Day may have come and gone, and summer might be winding down, but those of us down here in the Gulf South know that summer heat probably isn’t going anywhere—at least as soon as we’d like. After a summer of record-breaking temperatures all over the country, it’s only natural to wonder how all of our behaviors are impacted.
Pack Light, We’re Not Staying a While
Travel is back in full swing for the summer, whether you are having your best year yet or working hard to make ends meet. According to the 2023 Gulf South Index by The Ehrhardt Group and Causeway Solutions, 24% of Gulf South respondents and 29% of national respondents plan on spending money on a vacation this summer, compared to 23% for both groups last year.
The Case for Normal America
In a world with 24/7 access to not only the media but also each other, our lives seem to exist in the extremes. On a scale of one to 10, most public issues are treated as an 11. The biggest personalities and loudest voices dominate the virtual world – which feels more like the real world now.
The Fragility of the 2023 Consumer (Preview of 2023 Report!)
Our 2023 Gulf South Index report will be released in the next couple of weeks. Since we began our research in 2020, The Ehrhardt Group and Causeway Solutions have worked to make the GSI a resource for navigating uncertain times and understanding how and why customers, businesses and brands behave the way they do. Keep reading for a sneak peak of our findings, as well as a few more interesting bits of data.
Entertainment Overload! Are you Tuning in or Tuned Out?
Streaming has taken over media. According to the Gulf South Index from The Ehrhardt Group and Causeway Solutions, 53% of Gulf South residents spent two hours or more per day on streaming devices in 2022. Furthermore, it feels like all the streaming giants are constantly trying to one up each other. But what do we know about the numbers in 2023?
The Most Anticipated Recession of All Time
2022 was a year in distress – war, supply chain delays, inflation, economic downturn – are just a few of the oft-repeated phrases in last year’s vernacular. In the 2022 Gulf South Index report by The Ehrhardt Group and Causeway Solutions, 39% of Gulf South residents and 34% of U.S. residents said they were worse off financially, both higher than 2021.
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