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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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.
What We Learned in 2022 – The Case for People
My father passed away this year, as many of you likely know. He and I worked together for 25 years, more than half of my life. During that time, we worked with nearly 100 colleagues and who knows how many clients, organizations, local and state leaders, friends and genuinely good people. There were a few bad ones, but so few and distant that I have trouble remembering their names and faces.
Holiday Celebrations Continue, But Holiday Spending Stalls
The holiday season is either your most favorite time of year or bordering on a total mess…or both, depending on who you ask. But whether you live for the festivities or count the days until January – the 2022 holiday season looks a little different this year. Our mild understatement here is noted.
"It’s Not Me. It’s You. – The “Everything is Terrible, But I’m Fine.” Social Media Edition
“Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense.” – Gertrude Stein The closer people are to their own driveways, the better they feel about their own situation. While the world seems awful, people feel individually that they are doing alright. However, the “everything is terrible, but I’m fine” theory has a cousin…
Everything is Terrible, But I’m Fine.
There “is a growing American tendency to be catastrophically gloomy about the direction of this country, even as we’re resiliently sunny about our own household’s future.” – Derek Thompson, The Atlantic – June 1, 2022 One aspect of the Gulf South Index has stuck with me throughout the time we’ve tracked what people believe, choose and buy in the Gulf South…
The Real Cost of How We Spend Our Time
As screen time rises, Americans are more dependent than ever on our media to keep us company, but this online dependency can have real-world consequences. * * * What are we spending our time on? In 2022, screens and social media dominate most Americans’ time, regardless of age. While certain platforms like streaming services seem to entice all generations, some platforms, such as TikTok, have a stronger grasp on specific age groups.
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