New research from GroupM and its media agency, Mindshare, in partnership with Reach, Blis, Mobsta, Captify, JC Decaux, 5 and Sky reveals the many nuances between Britons across the different regions of the UK, as well as between citizens, brands and national decision making.
The report, Shaping the Nation, interviewed 10,000 people across Britain in a nationwide quantitative study as well as extensive qualitative research to explore how location ties into our sense of identity, feelings and behaviours, gaining a true insight into today’s Britain.
For brands, government and mission-led organisations, understanding the mood of the nation can empower better campaigns with improved impact and brand storytelling.
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Intriguingly, When asked about a new capital city, while a quarter (25%) think that it should stay as London, Manchester came in second at 18%, rising to 23% for under 35s, who would choose it over London.
Manchester Evening News editor Sarah Lester commented: “The culture, the sport, the people, the ability to innovate in the face of adversity, to look at what we need to be and find a way to get there, whatever obstacles are in our way, so many great innovations and inventions have come out of Greater Manchester.”
Manchester and London also topped the charts in terms of optimism about personal finances, with big cities generally more optimistic (51%) than rural villages (42%) or bottom placed coastal towns (38%).
Other key findings included:
- 6 in 10 agree that place plays an important role in shaping our sense of identity
- More than 1 in 3 people (35%) feel their local area is not represented in advertising at all
- 4 in 10 (39%) consumers say they are more likely to buy from brands that genuinely showcase different areas of the UK
- Over half (52%) of people think that all the UK’s differing community values should be represented in advertising
The study showed that places and locations make a significant contribution to how people feel, how their values are influenced and how their behaviours are shaped. However, despite a clear preference for advertising that reflects local cultures and locations, many are left feeling misrepresented or ignored, with too much reliance on stereotypes.
