What are consumers feeling about the 2024 U.S. elections and how can brands connect with their emotional climate?

Voting booths and supermarkets as completely different places but emotions about elections impact how consumers buy, the risks they are willing to take and how they think about the future.

Brands that understand these emotions have opportunities to better connect with their audiences. Here are three major emotions and how they are evolving in this election season.

Happiness

A Pew Research Center study in September 2023—before campaigns had even begun—found that “exhausted” described what most Americans felt about politics. 

In February, a New York Times/Siena College poll of registered voters found that only 14% felt “happy/excited/hopeful” about the election. In July, after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, that number climbed to 24%.

Then, the ascension of Vice President Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention led to headlines around “joy” and “hope.” The Consumer Sentiment Index rose from 66.4 in July to 67.8 in August, and the LSEG/Ipsos Primary Consumer Sentiment Index hit a two-year high in July.

The country is still polarized but is exhibiting a more positive emotional climate, and it’s time for brands to reinforce positive messages and capitalize on the confidence generated by hope. Optimism and hope encourage consumers to indulge and feel that their standard of living is improving.

Anger

In a Pew Research Center study in May, more than half of Americans (53%) described the country as “angry.”

In an Ipsos study in February, 60% of respondents thought former President Donald Trump and Biden were “too old to serve second terms.” Young people in particular felt excluded: Two out of three people under 30 told the Harvard Youth Poll, “It really doesn’t matter to me who the president is.”

But Harris’ candidacy and the arrival of JD Vance, Trump’s vice-presidential running mate and the first millennial on a major party ticket, dissolved the alienation of some young people. A Times/Siena poll found that emotions of “angry/disappointment/resigned” dropped from 32% in February to 20% by the end of July. Those emotions dropped the most among 18- to 29-year-old participants, 36% to 15%.

More than half of Gen Zers—more than any other demographic—are worried about their safety and financial stability. Brands have a great opportunity to help reduce this emotion, which is toxic to both campaigns and the market. Anger is controlled and neutralized when people feel they have a voice and can start thinking about future opportunities. Brands can activate that voice and help consumers feel like they have control by connecting with promos, new products and emotional campaigns that could alleviate their fears or concerns.

Stress

Even a more positive attitude toward the election doesn’t eliminate stress. A study by the Thriving Center of Psychology among 1,031 voters revealed that 72% feel stressed about the electoral contest, which increased significantly with the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump.

Consumer stress is closely related to misinformation and disinformation (65%), followed by fear of the election outcome (64%) and political violence directed at politicians (60%). The same study showed that 51% believe the election outcome could impact their personal safety.  For groups such as LGBTQ+, this fear reaches 66%.According to a Times/Siena poll, apprehension about the election has grown the most among women, from 34% in February to 45% in July.

At least some consumers are de-stressing with media that present a more lighthearted view of news and politics. Eighty-four percent of TikTok users told the Pew Research Center they “see funny posts that reference current events.” The percentage rises to 88% for the 18- to 29-year-old group.

Taking political stances

There is no consensus on how much consumers expect brands to take political stances as campaigning and polarization increase. A May study by Gallup and Bentley University found that only 38% of participants want brands to take public stances on current events (versus 48% in 2022). The same trend is seen across all age, gender and ethnicity segments.

According to the results of the Edelman Trust Barometer in April, taking a stand on issues is seen by more than 35% of respondents as “brand action to be political” while 54% say they “buy, choose, or avoid brands based on my politics.” Therefore, it does not seem a good time to test the political waters, particularly for brands that do not have the experience or credibility to do so.

Instead, brands should monitor consumer emotions, since it is their opportunity to reinforce feelings of hope for the future. Now is the time to earn consumers' trust, not by taking political positions that could fall into a minefield but by gaining trust through real actions that show consumers that the brand is listening and is in tune with their needs.