North Carolina to Leaders: Take Drought Seriously

Survey results from the Brogan Survey released today show that 85% of North Carolinians think the drought in our state is serious or extremely serious. (Click on the chart below to enlarge it.)


You can read the full press release here.

71.8% said more needs to be done, while only 1.3% said that less needs to be done. 20.3% felt that enough was being done to address drought conditions.

75% indicate they are personally cutting back, versus 23.5% who are not.

The likelihood that a North Carolinian considers the drought serious increases as you move West. This is most evident when you compare our regional breakdown with the map of current drought conditions shown here.

In our survey, here are the percentage of people in each region who classified the drought as "extremely serious":

• Western: 52.0%
• Charlotte: 56.7%
• Piedmont: 48.7%
• Southern: 38.5%
• Triangle: 46.0%
• Coastal: 31.7%
  

Here in Raleigh, starting next Tuesday, we can only water our lawn once a week. That restriction was reported in the paper on 8/23, the same day we were finishing up our calls, which started Monday, 8/20. Most were completed prior to that news being widely known.

Have you cut back? Is Raleigh doing enough? Is Charlotte? How about in the mountains?

Let us know what you think.

Michiganders Agree: Purchase at the Store

Michiganders agree with North Carolinians. 30.7% of them said that when spending over $200 for something, they almost always purchase products from a store. A close 30.3% will compare store prices and Internet prices to see which has the better deal. 29.5% of Michiganders said they will do product research on the Internet, but generally make purchases from the store.

This data shows that Michiganders are pretty evenly split on how they approach making big purchases, not completely unlike North Carolinians.

Different than North Carolinian respondents, however, young Michiganders did not have such a dramatically low response rate to answering that they do internet research and purchase at the store. 31% of the 18-24 year olds answered this way, as compared to 6.4% of their North Carolinian counterparts.

Is there a reason for the similarities and differences? Do they have any bigger implications? What do you think?

Sticking With The Store

When making a purchase of over $200, most North Carolinians almost always purchase products at the store. 27.5% of them will compare store prices and internet prices to see which has the better deal, and 18.8% will do product research on the Internet, but generally purchase products from a store.

47.6% of respondents in North Carolina answered "I almost always purchase products from a store" when asked "when you are thinking of making a major purchase of more than $200, which of the following statements best describes you?" and given five choices.

Notably, only 6.4% of 18-24 year olds said they do internet research and purchase at the store. 20.4-23.8% people in age groups that ranged from 25 to 64 year olds picked the answer that indicated this.

A purchase of the new iPhone may warrant a different answer since it is in such high demand, or does it? If you knew it was being sold on ebay for cheaper, would you buy it online instead of at an apple store? How about with your other $200+ purchases, like furniture, etc? How do you go about purchasing those things?

Michiganders Say No to Purchasing Cars at Target or Meijers

These days everybody talks about Target excursions like they're the highlight of the week. Friends swap information about how much they spent on their lamps, kitchen supplies and new bathing suits and enjoy bragging about the deal they clinched. However, Target may not be the best place to shop for all purchases.

According to the Brogan Survey, 53.7% of Michiganders would NOT be willing to purchase an automobile from Target or Meijers.

What's even more interesting, though, is the distinct difference in responses provided by 25-34 year olds as compared to Michiganders in other age groups. 25-34 year olds was the only age group whose majority answered "yes" when asked, "If Target or Meijers sold automobiles produced especially for them by GM, Chrysler or Ford for a fixed price, generally speaking would you be willing to purchase an automobile from these stores?" In fact, 54.5% of them said yes and only 36.4% said no. All other age groups had between a 48.3% and 67% "no" response rate.

It seems that the 25-34 year olds are confident enough in their experiences to know what they're doing, to not need a dealer, and to be hip and trendy by shopping at Target or Meijers. The other extreme is the people in the 65 and older crowd who were significantly more likely to answer "no" than any other group. 67% of them would not consider purchasing an automobile from the retail stores.

How about you? Would you purchase your next car from Target or Meijers? Why or why not?

Drugs or Obesity? Different Age Groups Disagree About Biggest Health Threats

America has huge health concerns. That's nothing new. From bigger proportions of fast food, to drug abuse, to binge drinking, to eating disorders, we know we are in bad shape. Not all of us agree, however, on what the greatest threat to public health in the state of North Carolina is.

You may be interested in findings from the Brogan Survey that reveal which of four choices--obesity, smoking, alcohol or drugs-- people find are the greatest threat to health. Overall, 38% felt drug abuse is the greatest threat, followed by 30.8% who felt obesity is more of a concern. What may be the most interesting though, is how people in various age groups answered differently.

People ages 18-24 were the most likely to say obesity is the greatest threat to health-- 40.4% of them-- and least likely to say drugs are the biggest problem, 29.8%. People 65 and older answered in just the opposite way, being least likely of any other group (23.9%) to answer obesity and most likely to answer drugs (46.9%) when asked what the greatest health concern is.

Does that seem odd to anyone else? Aren't fingers typically pointed at teenagers and young adults for drug abuse? Aren't older people more likely to be less active and gain weight with age?

Our findings can suggest a variety of things. Do you think the older population overestimates drug abuse in the state or country? Is this because of the media's portrayal of young people? Are younger people more attuned to the obesity problem? Do they learn about it in school or base the level of health threat on people they know, indicating more overweight friends than drug addicts?

Nifong's Investigator To Lose His Job

You thought it was close to over, but it's not. The infamous Duke Lacrosse Case and the chaos that surrounds it is not out of the limelight yet. Its focus, for a brief moment, is on someone other than Nifong.

The News & Observer reported today that Linwood Wilson, Nifong's chief investigator, will not be employed at the Durham district attorney's office tomorrow. Wilson was a big part of the lacrosse case.

We wonder what would happen if we gave the Brogan Survey to North Carolinians now. Would their faith in the state's justice system be different than it was in May? Then, 64.6% of respondents felt the justice system in North Carolina "usually gets it right". Do you think some of those people will join the 22% who answered "usually gets it wrong"? How about you? Where do you stand?

Michiganders Use Ads Too

Michiganders use advertisements in the same way as North Carolinians. According to the Brogan Survey, 41% of them pay attention to advertisements when they need to purchase something, while 35.2% of them pay attention to ads just to stay informed.

Interestingly, demographic trends in response to this survey question are the same in both states as well. Women and African Americans in Michigan are more likely than their counterparts to pay attention to advertisements for informational purposes; 40% and 38.2% respectively. Men and Caucasians are more likely to pay attention to advertisements when they need to buy something; 42% and 43.3%.

These strikingly similar results and trends make the findings that much stronger. What do you think? Is there a reason there are differences in demographical trends for paying attention to advertisements? Let us know.

Women and African Americans Most Likely to Use Advertisements to Stay Informed

As may be expected, females pay more attention to advertisements for informational purposes than do males. According to the Brogan Survey, 39.7% of North Carolina women pay attention to stay informed and 33.1% pay attention when making purchases. Men in North Carolina, on the other hand, are slightly more likely to pay attention to ads when making purchases (35.3% of them) but less likely to pay attention just to stay informed--only 27.7% of them reported doing that.

Instead of getting into the psychological topics of why that might be, let's stick with talking about advertisements. They are at the top of their game even in the midst of a "leave me alone and just give me my coffee" type of society. Now, stop and think about the commercial you always loved or can't get out of your head. Maybe it's the "Can you hear me know? Good" commercials , the old Budweiser commercials or the Geico commercials. Do you remember the message they were sending? Did they inform you? Do you ever actively seek out advertisements to stay up-to-date on new products or services?

Other survey findings show that African Americans are more likely to pay attention to advertisements to stay informed than Caucasians;40.1% as compared to 29.8%. When interested in making a purchase, however, only 27.6% of African Americans pay attention to ads while 38.8% of Caucasians do.

Do you have any ideas why that might be? Are you surprised about our findings?

In a High-Tech Society, Advertisements Still Doing Their Job

These days it's rare to meet someone who doesn't use the internet, ad blocking software or TiVo. If you don't own a TiVo you probably know someone who does and, chances are, you've bummed off that person on more than one occasion. If you don't have ad blocking software well, why not? Maybe you're like many of the North Carolinians we surveyed who value the messages of advertisements.

Remarkably, in this world of increased technology and impatience, advertising still serves as a vital source of information for consumers, according to the people themselves.

That's right. 33.6% of North Carolinians said they pay attention to advertisements to stay informed about new products and services. 34.2% of them pay attention to ads when they need to purchase something.

Also interesting is the breakdown of who pays the most attention to advertising...stay tuned for that information in the Brogan Survey results later this week. But for now, are you surprised that 2/3 of people purposely pay attention to advertisements? Do you?

Not Using iPods?

It's a daily occurrence... laughing at the driver next to you who is ruthlessly bopping his head and belting out that all-too-familiar song. But, apparently, he's probably just jamming to the radio.

Even though electronic stores sell equipment that connect iPods to car stereos, people still claim that they do not use an iPod or similar MP3 to listen to music. That's not just limited to the car, it includes any other time music is being played.

76.8% of North Carolinians do not use an ipod or similar MP3 to listen to music, according to the Brogan Survey. Over half of the 18-34 year olds claimed they did use such a device, but older respondents responded much more negatively--users accounted for just between 5.3% and 18.9% of their population.

Also interesting was that more males than females claimed to use an iPod or MP3 and more African Americans than Caucasians did as well. 28.7% of males said they use a similar device while only 16% of females do. Just 18.7% of Caucasians said they use an iPod or MP3 device and 27% of African Americans do.

Do these results surprise you? Do you think people in your state would answer differently? Do you use an ipod or MP3? Let us know.

Michiganders Chime In: "Desperate Housewives" Should Go

Michiganders feel the same way as North Carolinians--"Desperate Housewives" should go! But unlike the runner-up show in North Carolina, the one in Michigan was a close second and didn't involve watching disheveled people struggling to survive.

27.2% of Michiganders would cancel "Desperate Housewives" and 23% would cancel "American Idol" if given the chance to be a network television executive. That means Michiganders aren't quite as keen on the singing competition as North Carolinians (even though North Carolina respondents didn't absolutely love the idea of keeping the show either).

In both states, E.R., CSI and Twenty Four seemed to be favorites, with few people wanting to cancel them. Looks like drama wins...who doesn't like commiserating and watching others' drama instead of their own sometimes? What show do you think needs to get the boot? Let us know. For more television cancellation results in North Carolina, click here.

More Trouble for Nifong

The News & Observer reported today that Nifong may be in more trouble. Superior Court Judge W. Osmond Smith III from the Duke lacrosse case filed a memorandum saying that, besides the N.C. State Bar, he also has the power to discipline Nifong.

The Brogan Survey and findings from its crosstabs show that most North Carolinians want Nifong, prosecutor of the Duke lacrosse case, to have his license revoked. Endless talk about him, the Duke lacrosse case and the N.C. justice system appears all over the virtual world in blogs and forums. Our survey was mentioned here, among many other comments about the situation.

Sure, we all have our doubts about the justice system from time to time. But when a case like this occurs these doubts turn into anger? outrage? bigger questions? lose of hope? How do you feel about the case/Nifong?

What do you think about the filed memorandum and its timing? Does that say something in itself? Tell us what you think...

Leaders' Importance to Economic Improvement

Clearly, many people have major concerns about the economy. We're sure it isn't just the Michiganders who evaluate their leaders critically. The Brogan Survey and various media outlets have allowed interesting conversations and thoughts to surface about issues crucial to everyday life.

As we said in earlier blogs, Michiganders graded their leaders below average. We found in the crosstabs that race played a factor in who people thought were the biggest obstacles to the economy.

What we'd now like to examine is how people responded to the question, "And of these five groups, which ONE group is the most important in helping to turn Michigan’s economy around?" Most Michiganders, 46% of them, thought elected officials are most important in improving the economy. 24.2% thought it was up to the business leaders. The pie chart shows the distribution of responses to this question.

Who do you think is most important in turning the economy around? How do you feel the economy is where you live? Who is to blame/praise for that? Who would you like to see contributing more to an improvement?

Younger Adults Enjoy Negotiating Car Prices, Brogan Survey Says

Despite what many people believe, just as many women as men prefer negotiating the purchase price of a car. Both genders were split pretty evenly when asked if they prefer a negotiable or fixed price, according to the Brogan Survey.

What many people don't even think about, however, is whether a price preference difference exists based on age. Turns out, it does.

An unexpected 89.7% of 18-24 year olds enjoy negotiating the purchase price of a car. Nearly twice as many of them answered this way as compared to the other respondents, who had only 42.7% to 48.9% saying they enjoy negotiation.

What do you think about this? Is there a reason for the difference in preference? It would seem as though the more experience you had in making big purchases, the more confident you would become, the more enjoyable getting a good deal would be. Michiganders say otherwise. Are young adults seemingly invincible in their negotiating capabilities? What are your thoughts?

North Carolinians Support Disbarring Nifong, Brogan Survey Says

According to the Brogan Survey results, 49.2 % of North Carolinians support disbarring Mike Nifong, prosecutor of the Duke Lacrosse case.

The case certainly raised eyebrows and called North Carolina's justice system into question. As the case and its implications became hot topics across the United States, we thought it would be revealing to ask questions about perceptions of the justice system in North Carolina.

Results showed that 64.6% of respondents felt the justice system "usually gets it right" while 22% felt it "usually gets it wrong". What is particularly interesting is that many more Caucasians answered "usually gets it right" (71%) than African Americans (50.7%).

30.9% of African Americans answered "usually gets it wrong" as compared to only 19% of Caucasians responding that way.

Finally, the divide in support for revoking Nifong's license is quite staggering when race is factored in. More than double the amount of Caucasians support revoking his license--57.3% compared to 25.7% of African Americans.

Just another interesting tidbit discovered from the survey. How do you feel about the justice system? The Duke Lacrosse case? Do you think there are implications to the varying opinions between races?

Importance of Car Manufacturer Varies By Age

Purchasing a car requires consumers to consider many different automobile qualities. Interestingly enough, the Brogan Survey found that the importance of where the car is made varies greatly by age.

When asked, "Would you say it is very important, somewhat important, not very important, or not important at all that the automobile you purchase be made in the United States?" the older population of Michigan was much more likely to respond "very important" than the younger population.

In each age group that included people over 35, over half responded "very important" to the above question; from 54.6% of 35-44 year olds to 71.3% of the 65+ crowd answering in such a way. On the other side of the age spectrum, only 34.5% of 18-24 year olds and 30.3% of25-34 year olds said it was "very important" for their car to be made in the U.S.

Approximately double the portion of the 35 and over population felt purchasing an automobile made in the U.S. was "very important" as compared to the 18-34 year olds. Click here to view crosstabs.

Is there a generation gap in the way we buy? What does this mean for different industries? Or is there just a change in what Generation X values? What do you think?

Racial Divide: Which Leaders are Biggest Obstacles to the Economy?

The Brogan Survey revealed that Michiganders grade most of their leaders at or below average. Of particular interest is that Caucasians and African Americans feel differently about which leaders pose the biggest obstacle to economic improvement.

Over twice as many African Americans as Caucasians felt that educational leaders have been the biggest obstacle in helping to turn Michigan's economy around. In fact, 20.2% of African American respondents said educational leaders are the largest impediment, while only 9.3% of Caucasians did.

The majority of people in both racial groups felt elected officials are the biggest obstacle to the economy's turn-around, with 58% of Caucasians answering in this way and 51.7% of African Americans doing the same.

Caucasians were slightly more likely to say business and union leaders were the biggest obstacles.

Do these responses warrant a red flag? What do you think these results mean?

Michigan Residents Split on Chrysler Sale

New data from the Brogan Survey shows that Michigan residents are decidedly split on what the sale of the company from Daimler to Cerberus Capital will mean.

• The highest number (39.5%) felt it would make no difference
• Second place, at 33.3%, were those who thought it would help the company perform better
• 17.8% said it would make the company perform worse

So, you could say that most (57.3%) feel that it won't make it any better. Or you could say that most 72.8% feel that it won't make it any worse. Or you could say that optimists outweigh pessimists by 2:1, as we chose to in our press release.

As you can see, it's relatively easy to spin these things. We're working hard to not spin this data, but to provide it as clearly as we can, showing what we find interesting about it and then sharing the details so you can decide for yourself.

What do you think? Is the Chrysler sale good or bad for Michigan?

Michigan Leadership Survey Has Lots of Data

While Daniel Howes of the Detroit News correctly excerpted parts of the recent Brogan Survey questions on Michigan leadership in today's Crisis of Confidence story, there was much more in that line of questioning.

To read our press release on the subject, click here.

The report card part of the findings were interesting. The 600-person telephone poll asked adults statewide to grade groups of leaders based on how well they are "currently serving the State of Michigan." The choices were aligned like a report card: A, B, C, D or F. The report card results are:

• Civic group leaders B-
• Business leaders C
• Education leaders C
• Union leaders C-
• Elected leaders D+

Note that we intentionally did not focus on any one person, any one organization or any one political party. We were more trying to get at the mood of people in the state to serve as context in advance of the Mackinac event than trying to do a typical political poll.

What do you think? Read all the data from these questions here, completely unfiltered, including cross tabs by region, ethnicity, gender and age. Once you do, leave a comment telling us what you think of all this.

Our Michigan Launch is a Page 1-A Story

The Detroit News certainly found our first Michigan Brogan Survey findings to be of interest. Check out this front page headline, "Crisis of Confidence".
In the story, columnist Daniel Howes notes some of the findings of "Brogan's report-card style survey." We're pleased with the coverage, to be sure, and hope the findings help frame a constructive, productive discussion during the Mackinac Conference.