Podcast

April 6, 2020

Episode #07: What are Canadians thinking about COVID-19?

Almost nothing has swept the globe with the endurance and speed as COVID-19. Since the first case in Wuhan, China in December 2019, this virus has exposed the fragility of economies, the pressure points of our health care systems and the true heroes we find in the nurses, doctors, grocery store clerks, cleaners and all the people who keep the lights on, supply chains strong and homes heated. It has changed how we live our day-to-day lives.

Darrell Bricker is the Global CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs, one of the leading market research firms across the globe. He and his team have been studying the perception of COVID-19 among Canadians and around the world. This research has uncovered interesting data around the primary concerns of Canadians, how well governments and businesses are doing to respond effectively, and how this situation will change our perception around globalization, government and more.

In this episode, Bricker dives into why Canadians feel more acute impacts to their personal economy rather than their personal health, why governments have seen upticks in approvals ratings and what they’ll need to do to keep it, how businesses are essential to communicate trustworthy information and reassure Canadians that supply chains are strong and what a post-COVID-19 world looks like.

In This Episode:

  • Mood and sentiment of Canadians about the health, social, and economic impacts of COVID-19—and how that mood differs around the world
  • How well governments and businesses are performing in their various responses, and how institutions can work together to amplify their responses
  • How businesses can use their unique capability, scale, expertise and positioning to provide solutions and relief
  • How COVID-19 will have a long-term impact the global economy, perception of governments, or even business models
  • Message to the business community as we go through this crisis together

Key Takeaways:

  • Canadians are very worried about losing their jobs, incomes and savings, and fear the economic impact more so than getting infected themselves
  • While there has been a notable increase in trust in governments, delivering on the promised relief is imperative to maintaining that trust
  • Businesses have a larger role to play in creating shared prosperity, especially now, including taking care of their employees and remembering that they are corporate citizens
  • We’re just at the beginning of this, and we don’t know what the long-term impact will be on Canadians, business and the economy overall

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