Is America's Big Problem Lack Of Respect?

Publicis Groupe-owned ad agency Leo recently gave itself the unenviable task of examining the “state of humanity” in America in a bid to find out what is really dividing the country today. 

The big finding: 45% of Americans say they “don’t feel like very many people genuinely think or care about me.” 

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That and other findings has prompted the agency to conclude that “the underlying culprit behind our collective unease [is] a profound ‘respect gap.’” 

Dubbed the 2025 HumanKind Study, Leo developed the project with IPSOS along with Publicis Groupe CoreAI-driven insights. 

The study also found:   

Attention & Time 

  • 50% of people say they are actively trying to spend less time on social media 

  • 52% worry that big tech has too much control over bigger conversations 

  • 59% say overusing phones is taking away from real world experiences   

Relationships & Social Connection 

  • 54% believe there's a loneliness epidemic, but only 25% feel socially isolated  

  • 42% feel they need to hide part of their identity   

Healthcare Inequity 

  • 64% say rich people get better access to healthcare  

  • 39% struggle to proactively take care of their wellbeing 

  • 47% say healthcare system is too focused on reactive rather than preventative care 

  • 31% don't have a medical provider (37% among younger people)   

Work & Economic Insecurity 

  • 40% say "I think I was sold a lie on the gains I can expect from hard work" 

  • 54% say they work just as hard as their parents but won't receive the same benefits/outcomes 

  • 42% feel they will never be financially secure   

Trust in Institutions 

  • 64% don't trust that government has their best interest at heart 

  • 27% don't believe big tech has their best interest at heart 

  • 55% think America should stay out of everybody else's business    

Sources of Hope 

  • 62% are trying to focus more on what they can control in daily life 

  • 77% feel optimistic about their life in the next 12 months   

The study concludes with some advice for brands, including respecting consumer’s time and not letting “’target consumers’ get in the way of connecting with real people in the real world.”  

Other advice: Rally people around solutions instead of controversy and “support authentic communities rather than create artificial ones.” Also, suggested: “Acknowledge economic realities in value propositions.”  

“The most successful brands,” the study asserts, “are laser-focused on helping people where and how they need help. And in the coming years, the brands that champion a deeper need for respect won’t just stand out—they’ll also help model a society where thriving, not just surviving, becomes the norm.” 

The full report can be accessed here.  

 

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