Stats with attitude: UK consumers in upbeat mood

London – Future Poll, the research department of The Future Laboratory, has released its autumn/winter 2012 Consumer Attitudes Audit, which measures the attitudes of UK consumers surrounding key trends.

This season the audit reveals an air of optimism among consumers who, although wearied by recession, are ready for a new economic order. The study has found that, rather than hunkering down and clinging to localism because of the downturn, people are embracing global culture. UK consumers are also attaching greater importance to their digital lives than before, according to Future Poll.

Economic optimists

Despite an unremitting diet of economic bad news, a fifth of people still think the crisis will ultimately prove to be a good thing for Britain, unchanged from spring/summer 2012.

New internationalists

The 2008 recession has also engendered a rising sense of international solidarity. The proportion who are most drawn to ‘global’ as an idea has risen from 19% to 25% in six months, while those who embrace an ‘international’ view has seen an increase from 22% to 28% in the same period.

Reputation management

Almost nine out of ten (86%) believe that the way in which people portray themselves on social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram is not an accurate reflection of their lives. In response, reputation management services are springing up to craft people’s image online.

For more insights from this season’s Consumer Attitudes Audit, browse through a copy in The Future Laboratory shop, or watch the findings presented live at our Trend Briefing this Wednesday.