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Pepsi Optimism Project Finds Most Americans See the Glass Half Full

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Pepsi Optimism Project releases new data stating Americans are optimistic about the future. (PRNewsFoto/PepsiCo)

Pepsi Optimism Project (POP) Finds Most Americans See the Glass as Half Full

Pepsi’s Second National Survey Reveals Americans Are Even More Optimistic than in 2008

Despite mixed economic signals and other tough issues facing the country, most Americans are optimistic. According to the second survey issued on behalf of the Pepsi Optimism Project (POP), Americans are more optimistic now than in 2008 about their:

  • Relationships with family and friends (91% vs. 81%);
  • Overall well-being (88% vs. 84%);
  • Health (86% vs. 78%);
  • Finances (77% vs. 64%);
  • Chances of finding love (70% vs. 61%).

In fact, this new research shows us that 96% of Americans are optimistic about their futures and believe in each other.

“In 2008, our POP research informed us that there was a collective and contagious sense of optimism pervading the youth mindset. This year we see that same spirit of optimism is not only pervasive among the millennial generation but across all demographics,” said Frank Cooper, CMO of portfolio brands, Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages. “Representing a brand that has become synonymous with the spirit of youth and optimism, those of us at Pepsi are continuously encouraged by the resilience of Americans, across all ages, races, sex, location and economic background, people are embracing optimism, even in the most uncertain of times.”

The POP survey, which was conducted by an independent research firm, found that Americans most often associate the words “hope,” “confidence” and “success” with optimism. Americans now are more optimistic than last year about most aspects of their lives, except their careers. Other findings include:

Americans thrive together:

  • They have faith in each other: 89% of Americans believe that when challenged, they rise to the occasion;
  • They feel that witnessing or participating in live events, including music (84%), speeches (78%) and theater (69%) helps increase their levels of optimism;
  • 67% of Americans recently witnessed or participated in an event that made them feel optimistic;
  • Relationships trigger optimism, with 91% reporting that connections with family and friends provide the greatest source of optimism

The face of optimism is changing in America:

  • 72% of African-Americans are significantly more likely than whites (53%) or Latinos (60%) to expect more good things to happen to them than bad;
  • African-Americans (62%) were significantly more likely to associate the word “necessary” with optimism than whites (51%) and Latinos (52%);
  • The sense of optimism is stronger on Wall Street than on Main Street, with 64% of city dwellers stating they are more likely to be optimistic about an economic recovery than their non-metro counterparts (53%);
  • Public figures inspire optimism among Americans; the five most inspirational Americans reported were Lance Armstrong (78%), Michael J. Fox (74%), Barack Obama (70%), Tiger Woods (70%), Oprah Winfrey (68%) and Michelle Obama (65%)

“It is interesting to see that optimism is fostered by people coming together. Whether through live concerts, sporting events or speeches, Americans have high hopes in each other,” said Cooper. He also noted that Pepsi has spearheaded and supported a variety of activities this year that celebrate and cultivate optimism in American culture, including:

  • The MLB All-Star Charity Concert presented by Pepsi and starring Sheryl Crow: This free concert was attended by thousands of people in St. Louis and resulted in millions of dollars in charitable donations.
  • Refresh the World Symposium: Pepsi partnered with Spike Lee and Howard University in January to host a live symposium during the Presidential Inauguration week, featuring more than twenty leading experts on education, economy, hip hop and Black America.
  • Dear Mr. President: Pepsi invited Americans and people all over the world to submit personal messages to be shared as part of an open letter to the president, suggesting what should be “refreshed” in the new administration.

POP Survey Criteria

Approximately 1,280 Americans ages 18 and older were surveyed from June 11 through June 15 and June 18 through June 22, 2009 as part of the Pepsi Optimism Project, an ongoing study tracking the national level of optimism on a quarterly basis, by measuring the national state of optimism via a composite score. The national optimism score is derived from scoring and totaling American’s responses to survey questions about their overall sense of optimism, their sense of optimism about their personal lives, their optimism about the world and their optimism about the future. Optimism levels are broken down into five categories, including “Very Optimistic” (scores between 200-161), “Optimistic” (scores between 160-121), “Neutral” (scores between 120-81), “Pessimistic” (80-41), “Very Pessimistic” (40-0). Currently, the nation’s optimism score is 143, concluding that Americans today are “optimistic.”

The Optimism Survey was conducted on behalf of PepsiCo by StrategyOne, a full-service, strategic consulting firm based in New York, N.Y. The interviews were conducted via telephone using the field services of Opinion Research Corporation (ORC), incorporating a rigorous methodology including random digit dialing to ensure national representation, and computer-assisted telephone interviewing for optimal accuracy. An additional sample of Hispanics (N=186) and African-Americans (N=170) were surveyed in order to obtain a readable base size for each group. The margin of error for the total sample of adults (N=1,000) is +/- 3.1% at the 95% level of confidence, which means that in 95 out of 100 times that a sample of this size is drawn, the results would not vary by more than 3.1 percentage age points in either direction.

Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages

The Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages (PCNAB) portfolio features market-leading liquid refreshment beverages, including the Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist and Mug trademarks in the carbonated soft drink category. PCNAB is a division of PepsiCo, which offers the world’s largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 18 different product lines that each generate more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade – also make hundreds of other nourishing, tasty foods and drinks that bring joy to our consumers in over 200 countries. With more than $43 billion in 2008 revenues, PepsiCo employs 198,000 people who are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth, called Performance with Purpose. By dedicating ourselves to offering a broad array of choices for healthy, convenient and fun nourishment, reducing our environmental impact, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, PepsiCo balances strong financial returns with giving back to our communities worldwide. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

Source: Pepsi Co.