To understand how to reach Brits, Saatchi & Saatchi has developed new state of the nation research, What the fuck is going on?, an ethnographic report that features nuanced and real insight and experiences from 13 people across the UK, alongside eight cultural commentators including Jack Monroe and Nick Ferrari.
The study was conducted over two months at the start of this year. Saatchi & Saatchi went into homes across the UK, spending half a day speaking to people, finding out what they really think about the UK, and what their lives are really like. The report that details the findings and the associated imperatives for brands and businesses, was authored by chief strategy officer, Richard Huntington.
Additionally, the agency has worked with YouGov to survey 1,999 people, with the findings echoing the sentiments of the ethnographic study. A staggering 68% of Brits think the UK is generally in decline, while nearly three quarters (73%) say Britain is more divided now than 10 years ago. When asked about their standard of living and how it has changed, 56% said it is actively worsening, while almost half (47%) of respondents said they feel less in control of their financial lives than they did five years ago. Unsurprisingly, 64% say they are less proud of the UK than they were five years ago.
Richard Huntington commented, “Whatever your position, the royal coronation is a significant cultural moment, and one that the majority of our nation has not experienced in its lifetime. It was always going to kick off a conversation around how this country runs, but we wanted to go beyond the predictable headlines and find out how people actually feel about the UK.
“The findings of our research and conversations with real people and well-known commentators speak for themselves – there’s divide, fractures and deeply concerning realities. For us as an advertising agency, we have a responsibility to our clients and consumers to truly understand how people are feeling, but we hope that this research can do more than inform our work – it’s a cry for help by much greater powers than us.”
What the fuck is going on? is part of Saatchi & Saatchi’s Real Audience Window (RAW), a collection of tools and research curated to provide a deeper understanding of modern Britain.
As part of RAW, Saatchi & Saatchi is also developing RAW Data, a web tool to deliver unprompted real time information on what different people and audiences are reading, watching, talking about and listening to. This will provide the company with immediate insight into the digital life of the UK, to inform strategy and creative work.
What the fuck is going on? can be requested here by emailing hello@saatchi.co.uk.
