isay news

Let's get right to it.

This issue may be sensitive to about 37% of U.S. citizens.

I had a really unhealthy late night snack this weekend (yes, it did include melted cheese) and couldn't help but think of the documentary I watched recently, Food Inc.

Check out this trailer.....

Whether or not this doc is fact, or fiction - I got a pretty clear message that I would like to know more about the food I'm scarfing down my gob.

I started to look through our Ipsos News Center website and came across this incredible article about how people perceive their weight. As the title of this post clearly states, there are a lot of Americans who just don't think they are overweight.

Do me a favor.

Read this article

It's pretty interesting. We have become less likely to see ourselves as overweight, but nearly 7 in 10 of us are in fact, a little on the heavy side. That includes 27% percent of us who are considered (you can read all about it) obese.


Oh. And you may want to go check out Food Inc. Healthy or not, it has some pretty shocking ideas.


I'm going to grab a burger...errr. salad. Sigh.

Hmmm. You are either with us, or against us. And by us, I don't mean me. Driving while talking on your cell phone ahs become quite the hot topic lately. Fortunately I don't drive, so i can blab all I want while my trusty transit employee drives me everywhere in the city. But that's not the issue. We are all still sharing the road, and cell phone drivers are getting a pretty bad wrap (as they should). According to this video I posted (thanks MTV/Youtube), cell phone drivers are just as bad or worse, than drunk drivers. For shame. Then I searched through our articles to see if we had anything related. Sure enough I found This.

It's happening cell phone drivers. Be afraid. Be very afraid!!

Ok Ok Ok, so I like to talk about Mad Men. But now you know for sure what at least 1 of my interests are.

I took it one step further this week by making a character poll you should check out here!

I also want to get you to vote for the winner of the Banana Republic Mad Men contest going on right now.

One of my friends (also your friend by association) is trying to win it all. So help him out, won't you?

To be fair, he has a pretty awesome Mad Men pic, which you can see here.

And as a gift (of sorts) for putting a little bit of time into this, I have a great interview you can watch, which will surely get you excited for August 16th.

The Interview


Til next time,

Dave

Not that i'm judging you if you are, but many Americans definitely are...

I couldn't believe this article when I found it.

It seems there is a divide between the pet owners of the US. Non-cat owners have let their opinions be heard, and if you are the proud owner of more than one cat - you are lonely or crazy. Great picture to paint of your fellow countrymen and women, lol.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, cat lovers describe other cat owners as loving caring people. (How sweet. At least they're sticking together)

I can't help but think of that woman from old Simpson's episodes. I know you know who I'm talking about.

**


Of course, if you aren't convinced, I have something to show you.
Two or three cats may be considered acceptable, but what about 130 cats?

That's right. One Russian woman, who rescued her first cat 15 years ago, has built up her pet allowance to 130 (pause for shocked faces).

You can watch that video here.


As Bob Barker used to say at the end of every episode of Price is Right,

"Spay and neuter your pets"

Til next time.

Dave


**Photo courtesy of Google images (seen on Simpsons)

As you may have heard,
Mr President, Barack Obama, has put in his vote.

The media has frenzied over the situation. People have taken sides, initiated water cooler convo, and experts are putting in their two cents.

But regardless of the banter taking place outside of the court so to speak, what we all may witness is the first Hispanic in history being chosen as a Supreme Court Justice.
Not a bad feat for Sonia Sotomayor, who was raised in the public housing project of the South Bronx.

I found the TOP TEN things you need to know about Sotomayor here, and even found a new york times article that delivered some of her most notable opinions and articles.

To top all of that off, I just so happen to have a great little research article from work that shows what most people actually think.
Sotomayor is getting support from the American people.

You can read this little gem here

More to come.

Dave

After waking from my slumber on what seemed to be the perfect Sunday (yesterday), I glanced out of my window to see the sun shining, the birds chirping, and the air smelling (??) of waste.

If you haven't heard, Toronto is in the middle of a garbage strike that has many citizens more than upset. We're down right sick to our stomachs.

As I trod down to the local fruit market to pick up my weekly essentials (consisting of mango, apples, bananas, strawberries, grapefruit, and kiwi), I noticed a trail of garbage bags over 30 feet long. Piled on top of each other, falling onto the road, and blocking the sidewalk, I retched back in disgust as the smell blocked my airwaves filling my nostrils with a pungent odor no person could avoid.

Upon further investigation, it seems the temporary sites for disposing of trash, or at least two of them, had been closed earlier that day, so people have been left to their own devices. IE: let's toss our trash on the street.

The city garbage bins had filled up weeks earlier.
In fact, I took a shot of one the day the strike started.



So late last night, I decided to take my trusty camera and snap some of the photos of other bins I found throughout the city.
I left out the 30 foot disaster of a scene in case you are reading this during your lunch break.




Most of us are sensitive to the needs of all city employees, and to take it a step further, a lot of us are in unions or in support of them.

But besides garbage collection, the strike has impacted:

• child-care centres
• libraries located inside community centres
• golf courses
• the island ferry
• recreation centres
• wedding services
• city-run sexual health and dental clinics
• restaurant inspections
• city-run events in public squares and public park

Now this hasn't become close to a famous strike, at least not for people living outside of Toronto, so I thought I'd enlighten those who want the list of most famous strikes in US history.


Smell ya later.

That's right.

It's time for all of us to go green. Whether it be from minimizing waste, driving less, recycling more, riding our bikes, or joining the fight against bigger, more global issues; we can all do our part.

I have been reading articles non stop on global initiatives that help combat major environmental issues, and even came across an amazing video to help stop soot.

This is also very funny! It shows how you have to make real changes, not just say you're going green.

Oh! And I found some interesting stats in an article on one of our sites, ipsos news center. This one describes just how much we want to go green - but on our own terms.

In Toronto, where I live, they have passed a bylaw that makes all plastic bags a minimum of 5 cents. This is turn, makes us all carry those reusable bags wherever we go, which I think is a major step in the right direction. Wouldn't it be a great idea to be a start up who designs custom reusable bags? Maybe not.

I guess I'll stick to writing blog posts.

Here are a couple other sites I found that support going green.

You may like them, you may not. But you'll have to click to find out!

The daily green

The green guide


See ya!

Dave

After posting some pretty good news articles for a couple of months now, I have finally started to make a little splash in the blog world. Yes, it's true I haven't changed the world, yet, or made headlines for that matter. But I have been chugging along, posting results, and trying to enlighten any and all interested with statistics and stories that actually mean something. And now I'm stepping it up. Or at least I hope to.

I was turned onto this link found somewhere on our site. We couldn't figure out how people were finding it, but the interest has been pretty high.
So, I'm posting it for you to check out.

To sum it up, it's a bunch of surveys for fun. The options are:

• Financial Services
• Pet Ownership
• Health and Wellness
• Small Office/Home Office
• Miscellaneous

Take your pick. Do one, do 'em all. Or do none, and secretly wish you hadn't read this post because it's a waste of your time. But hopefully you won't choose the latter. Now instead of just reading those articles and seeing statistics (see my post) that say only 1 in 4 Canadians even know about twitter, you can be a part of it.

Enjoy,

Dave

While 26% of Online Canadians are Aware of Twitter, Only 1.45% of Online Canadians Actually Use the Social Networking Tool

A new study from Ipsos Reid shows that only 26% of online Canadians are aware of Twitter. Of those, 6% reported using the social networking tool. This only equates to 1.45% of the Internet population, or about one percent of the population as a whole. These are some of the findings from “Social Networking: 2009”, a new study conducted and released by Ipsos Reid. Study author Mark Laver noted that while “Twitter gets a lot of press, and usage figures show impressive growth, when you look at its awareness and use among mainstream online Canadians, you get a completely different picture.”

read more

As a follow-up to its well-known and well-respected Mendelsohn Affluent Survey (currently being fielded for its 33rd consecutive year), Ipsos Mendelsohn recently conducted its quarterly online Barometer survey among affluent adults during April 2009. In it, some 1000 people in households with household incomes of $100,000 or more were asked to candidly assess and share their current concerns and opinions about the changing world around them.

Read the full article

More Americans would choose to share a vacation rental home with talk show host Kelly Ripa (26%) than would with the Obamas (19%), the Jolie-Pitt family (16%), Oprah Winfrey (16%), Jon Stewart (13%) or Stephen Colbert (10%), according to a new survey conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of Home Away.

get the full article

Over Half Already Feel that Their Funding Is Insufficient, and Roughly a Quarter of Departments Say They Are Lacking Adequate Equipment and Training

New York, NY – Fire departments across the country face a variety of challenges – from budget cuts to staffing issues – and the current economic crisis in only exacerbating these problems, according to a new study conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company. The study, “Supporting Safer Communities: A National Firefighter Survey,” found that a majority of departments (56%) fear that if the economic crisis continues into next year, that it will negatively impact their ability to serve their community. Fortunately, though, only 17% of departments feel that the quality of service that they provide has declined due to the economy.

One Half Of Those wishing for More Would Consider Changing Jobs or Moving to a Community That Had More to Offer

New York, New York – A new poll conducted on behalf of Snagajob.com has revealed that living or working in the suburbs might not be all that it’s cracked up to be. Of the one in three (32%) Americans who reportedly live in a suburban environment, a majority (51%) wishes their community had more of a wide variety of offerings.

Items that the majority of suburbanites are looking for more of include: access to convenient public transportation (23%), a broad array of housing options (22%), a walkable environment (22%), arts, sporting events and other entertainment options (21%), cultural diversity (19%), and closer proximity to a regional or local job core that provides close jobs to where they live (17%). In fact, 52% of these individuals say that they would move to a community that offered more of these things, while 44% of those looking for more still wouldn’t move to a different community.

Focusing on the workplace, nearly three in ten (28%) working Americans say that they work in a suburban setting, suggesting that many are still enduring a commute into the urban core where four in ten (40%) report working. Among those who do work in the suburbs, nearly one half (47%) wish that that environment offered more.

Among those who yearn for an improved working environment in the suburbs, one quarter are looking for good use of green space (23%), while others want more of a broad array of employers and work environments (20%), access to convenient to public transit for easier commuting (17%), cultural diversity (16%), a walkable environment (14%), and closer proximity to housing options (12%). Among those who are looking for more in their suburban working environment, nearly one half (47%) would change jobs or employers to be in a location that offered more of these things. However, a majority (52%) would not.

Three Quarters Feel that Expanding US Travel to Cuba Would Positively Impact the Lives of the Cuban People

New York, NY – More than two thirds of adult Americans (67%) say that they would support a policy that would allow all Americans to travel to Cuba, according to a new study conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of Orbitz. In fact, nearly a third (32%) would strongly support such a policy, while 35% would somewhat support it. Just two in ten (23%) say that they would oppose lifting these travel restrictions (10% somewhat oppose, 13% strongly oppose).

Majorities believe that such a policy would benefit the Cuban people, as nearly three quarters (72%) agree that expanding travel and tourism from the U.S. to Cuba would have a positive impact on the day-to-day lives of the Cuban people. Just 20% feel that allowing Americans to travel to Cuba would not positively impact Cubans in this way.

Booking Travel to Cuba…

Two thirds of Americans (67%) would support a policy that would allow travel agents to book vacation travel to Cuba, mirroring the level of support for lifting the travel ban. Less than a quarter (23%) would oppose allowing travel agents to do so.

Similarly, more than six in ten (63%) Americans agree that it should be legal for online travel sites, such as Orbitz.com, to book travel to Cuba.

Most Feel Orbitz.com Should Encourage the Government to Lift the Travel Ban

Nearly two thirds of Americans (64%) say that Orbitz.com should play an active role to persuade elected officials to give all Americans the freedom to travel to Cuba. Less than three in ten (28%) disagree, preferring that Orbitz.com not encourage the government to lift the travel restrictions.

More Americans Would Rather Reduce Their Risk of Identity Theft by 20% Than Reduce Their Waistlines by 20 Pounds

New York, NY – When asked which of three personal items they would be most concerned about being stolen if someone were to break into their home, three in five (58%) select their Social Security number over their wallet or purse (24%) or their laptop (9%), according to a recent poll conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of ID Analytics. In fact, Americans across demographic groups are more likely to say that they would be more concerned about their Social Security number being stolen over their wallet or purse or laptop. This importance placed on protecting one’s Social Security number reflects Americans’ concern about identity theft.

• Women are even more likely than men to be most concerned about their Social Security number being stolen (63% vs. 54%).
• Those with a high school education or less also express greater levels of concern about their Social Security number being stolen than do more educated adults (64% vs. 53%).
• Those with a household income of less than $25,000 are also more likely than more affluent adults to select their Social Security number over their wallet or laptop (65% vs. 53%).

Similarly, nearly six in ten Americans (58%) say that they would rather reduce their risk of identity theft by 20% than lose 20 pounds, illustrating that they understand the real risks of identity theft today.

• Across demographic groups, Americans are more likely to chose reducing their risk of identify theft over losing 20 pounds. The only exception is retirees, who are equally likely to select losing 20 pounds as they are to select reducing their risk of identity theft by 20%.
• Younger adults are more likely to prefer to decrease their risk of identify theft than their waistline: 66% of adults under 35 and 60% of adults ages 35 to 54 would rather reduce their risk of having their identity stolen whereas just 48% of adults 55+ say the same.
• Westerners (64%) are also more likely than those in other regions to choose decreasing their risk of identity theft over shedding 20 pounds.
• Parents (67%) and Hispanics (72%) are also among those who are most likely to prefer to reduce their risk of identity theft than their weight.

Yet Shelters are in Need of People to Adopt, as Spring Tends to Bring the Most New Arrivals

Toronto, ON – There seems to be a fair level of apprehension around adopting pets from shelters, as eight in ten pet shelter employees (81%) hear people saying that shelter pets tend to have behavioural problems. Nearly one in three respondents (28%) reports that they frequently hear that ‘shelter pets are animals that have behavioural problems,’ and an additional 52% say that they sometime hear this.

Many also say that they frequently (26%) or sometimes (41%) hear that ‘you cannot find a pure-bred animal at a shelter.’ Given this, it’s not surprising that many believe that ‘you never know what kind of animal you will get when you adopt from a shelter.’ Seven in ten respondents say that they hear this statement at least sometimes (18% frequently/52% sometimes).

Similarly, it also seems to be commonly believed that ‘you never know an animal’s full medical or health history when you adopt from a shelter,’ as 29% hear this frequently and 42% sometimes hear this. However, the perception that ‘all shelter animals are old and have health issues’ is less prevalent as just 9% of pet shelter respondents say they frequently hear this, though 29% say that they sometimes do.

Some Canadians believe that they may not find their perfect match at a shelter, as 16% frequently and 34% sometimes hear that people ‘won’t be able to find the animal they want at a shelter.’

Majorities of shelter employees say that the top reason animals are brought to their shelter is because they are stray or abandoned (50%). Nearly one in five says that animals are given away to shelters because owners are moving and cannot bring their pet with them. Other reasons that animals end up at shelters include owners not being able to afford to care for their pet (7%), behavioural problems (5%), the animal becoming too much work for the owner (4%), the pet not suiting the owner’s lifestyle (3%), the animal was rescued from a puppy mill or abusive home (3%), the owner going through a major life change such as a divorce or death (2%) and the birth of a new baby (1%). Seven percent cited some other reason.

Officials at All Levels Get Two Thumbs Up in Confidence from Public

Toronto, ON – As countries across the world take precautions to stop the spread of what was coined as swine flu at the outset but is now officially known as H1N1 (as individuals cannot contract the flu from eating swine or hog products), a new poll conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of Canwest News Service and Global National has revealed that just one in seven (15%) are ‘very concerned’ with catching the flu – notable considering the alleged pandemic hype. In total, fewer than one half (47%) of Canadians are ‘concerned’ (15% very much/33% somewhat) that ‘they or someone else in their family might contract this flu over the next number of weeks or months’.

Only in Atlantic Canada is a majority (55%) ‘concerned’ that they or someone in their family might contract this new strain of flu, while those in Quebec (48%), Ontario (47%), Alberta (46%), British Columbia (45%), and Saskatchewan/Manitoba (43%) are less likely to be concerned.

While the H1N1 flu has spread from its origins in Mexico to a number of countries across the world, including various provinces across Canada, most Canadians have given their thumbs up in confidence in response to the steps taken by Canadian health organizations at all levels to deal with the situation:

* Most (84%) are ‘confident’ (35% very/49%) somewhat) in the steps taken by local medical and health authorities, while just 14% are ‘not confident’ (5% not at all/9% not really).

* Similarly, most (82%) are ‘confident’ (38% very/44% somewhat) in the steps taken by their local hospital and health facilities, and just 17% are ‘not confident’ (7% not at all/10% not really).

* Eight in ten (81%) are ‘confident’ (28% very/53% somewhat) in the steps taken by the Federal Minister of Health, while only 16% are ‘not confident’ (7% not at all/10% not really) in this regard.

* Similar (77%) levels of confidence (27% very/51% somewhat) have been expressed towards the actions taken by their respective Provincial Ministers of Health, with the highest levels of confidence being reported in Atlantic Canada (87%), followed by Ontario (81%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (79%), Alberta (74%), Quebec (72%) and British Columbia (72%). Two in ten (19%) are ‘not confident’ (6% not at all/13% not really) in this manner.

* Three quarters (72%) are ‘confident’ (28% strongly/44% somewhat) in the steps taken by their local schools, while two in ten (20%) are ‘not confident’ (7% not at all/13% not really).

* Two in three (68%) are ‘confident’ (22% very/46% somewhat) in the measures taken by border agencies at airports and other entry points. Conversely, three in ten (29%) are ‘not confident’ (10% not at all/19% not really) in the actions taken by these organizations.

Voters Give Nod to BC Liberals for Best Campaign, But None of the Three Major Campaigns is Impressing Voters

Gordon Campbell (44%) Leads Carole James (30%) as Best Premier

Vancouver, BC – A new Ipsos Reid poll reveals that none of the three major parties has succeeded in connecting with voters during the first week and a half of the campaign.

Best Campaign: Overall, British Columbians give Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals (40%) the edge for running the best overall campaign, followed by Carole James and the NDP (21%) and Jane Sterk and the Green Party (4%). One-in-three (34%) voters say they don’t know which party has run the best campaign so far.

Impact of BC Liberal Campaign: While the BC Liberals get credit for running the best campaign, it hasn’t been one that has swayed many voters. Only 12% say their impression of Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals has improved since the start of the campaign. Most voters say their impression of the BC Liberal leader and party has either stayed the same (51%) or worsened (34%).

Impact of NDP Campaign: So far, 17% of voters say their impression of Carole James and the NDP has improved since the start of the campaign, which is the best score of the three major parties. However, more than twice as many voters (37%) say their impression of James and the NDP has worsened (42% stayed the same).

Impact of Green Campaign: The campaign has had little impact on impressions of Jane Sterk and the Green Party with 12% improved impressions and 10% worsened impressions (48% stayed the same).

Comparison to 2005 Campaign: Ipsos Reid asked the same question about campaign impact early in the 2005 campaign. The only notable difference to today is that Carole James and the NDP had positive momentum early in the 2005 campaign.

• 2005 scores for BC Liberals: 10% improved, 29% worsened
• 2005 scores for NDP: 29% improved, 13% worsened
• 2005 scores for Greens: 13% improved, 8% worsened

Best Premier: Gordon Campbell (44%) has a sizable lead over Carole James (30%) as the party leader that British Columbians think would make the best Premier of BC. Jane Sterk is a distant third choice (6%), while 20% are undecided.

Clients of Ipsos Take Home Four Gold, One Silver, Plus the Grand Ogilvy Award

New York, NY - Ipsos ASI, the advertising research specialty of Ipsos, and Ipsos Understanding Unlimited, its qualitative arm, are thrilled to congratulate its clients for six wins at the ARF 2009 David Ogilvy Awards. Ipsos clients took home four Gold and one Silver award. In addition, client Frito-Lay won the Grand Ogilvy Award, the night’s top advertising prize, selected from among all Gold category winners.

Grand Ogilvy Award:

Ipsos congratulates Frito-Lay for its Grand Ogilvy Award-winning “The Orange Underground” for popular snack brand Cheetos. Ipsos ASI provided copy testing for the ad through an online tool, Next Solutions, to help steer mascot Chester Cheetah’s appeal to a more mature audience. The Grand Ogilvy Award recognizes “the campaign demonstrating the most successful use of research in the creation of superior advertising that achieves a critical business objective.”

“The Orange Underground” also took Gold in the category of Packaged Goods.

More Winners:

In the category of Beverages + Alcohol, Nabob’s “Postcards” won Gold. Ipsos ASI provided copy-testing insight into the print ad campaign for Kraft Canada.

For Personal Care, Procter & Gamble was a Gold winner for its “Next BIG Thing – Lashblast Mascara” CoverGirl Cosmetics ad. Ipsos ASI provided research and consulting at several stages in the development of its blockbuster launch. Early stage ad research tools were a key element of the interactive research process.

Under Financial Services, Bank of America took Gold for campaign “Opportunities for All”. Ipsos UU provided a foundational brand assessment, plus tool Quali*360 to qualitatively test ads for relevance in today’s marketplace.

Finally, taking home Silver in the same category was Johnson & Johnson, for its “Couples Campaign” ad for product K-Y® YOURS+MINE®. Ipsos provided copy testing for a number of the KY "Couples" spots, using the online Next*Solutions methodology. This research explored how the ads were appealing to consumers on both a rational and an emotional level.

“I am both pleased and proud of our clients, and of our teams here at Ipsos,” comments Pam Maltby, President of the advertising specialty at Ipsos. “Our clients have worked hard to create innovative, effective advertising. We share in the celebration of our research and insight being of assistance in these fine examples of successful campaigns.”

The ARF 2009 David Ogilvy Awards were held on March 31 at the Marriott Marquis, New York City.

Similar to a month ago, nearly two out of three Americans (63%) approve of way Obama is handling his job as President

Washington, DC – The monthly Ipsos/McClatchy poll indicates the majority of Americans (63%) continue to approve of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as president. This is similar to the 65% approval rating Obama received exactly one month ago in the Ipsos/McClatchy tracking poll.

Obama’s approval rating continues to break heavily along political party lines, with 91% of Democrats approving the job he has done, while only 26% of Republicans approve of his work as president. Among independents, 57% approve how Obama has handled his job as president.

When it Comes to Economy, Americans More Likely to Trust Obama Than Private Sector or Congress

When asked who they trust most to improve the economy, Americans are more likely to choose Obama (47%) than the private sector (37%) or Congress (11%).

Americans’ views on this issue vary greatly by political party, with 69% of Democrats saying they most trust Obama to improve the economy, compared to only 19% of Republicans who feel this way. Republicans are more likely to say they trust the private sector to improve the economy (62%). In contrast, only 17% of Democrats say they most trust the private sector to improve the economy.

Obama Gets Higher Grades for Diplomacy Than for Economy

When asked to assign a letter grade to Obama for his performance on diplomacy issues, nearly two out of three Americans (61%) give him an “A” or “B.” Obama receives his next highest marks on how he has handled education issues (57% of Americans give him an “A” or “B” on education), and slightly lower marks for his performance on energy independence (54%), healthcare (50%), terrorism (49%) and the economy (47%).

Majority of Americans Say Economy Has Stabilized

In a change from last month, more than half of Americans (52%) now say the U.S. economy has stabilized, well up from the 35% of Americans who said that four weeks ago. Further, only one in three Americans (36%) say the worst is still yet to come with the economy, compared to 57% of Americans who felt that way last month.

Americans Remain Realistic About Stimulus Package

Half of all Americans (49%) WANT to see results from the economic stimulus package within six months. However, the public takes a realistic tack on the issue. Only a quarter of Americans (22%) EXPECT to see results from the economic stimulus package within the next six months, while nearly three quarters of Americans (72%) say it will take longer than that.