2020 Has Upended What Consumers Expect From Brands. What Does That Mean For The Holiday Season?

Critical lessons around changes in consumer attitudes and preferences related to the pandemic inform the optimal approach for advertising this holiday season, writes Morning Consult's Victoria Sakal.

Holiday Shopping During a Pandemic: Could the Coronavirus Be the Downfall of In-Store Black Friday?

Victoria Sakal, Morning Consult's managing director of Brand Intelligence, examines where and how consumers will shop instead this holiday season

How COVID-19 Is Changing the Holiday Shopping Season

The Gen Z Threat: Why Winning the Shopper of the Future Requires a New Approach to Brand-Building

What’s worked for surviving and thriving in the past won’t work for brands with this generation of the future, Morning Consult’s Victoria Sakal writes.

Analysis: Brand Love, Byron Sharp and the Beauty of Big Brands

Morning Consult Managing Director Victoria Sakal explains why some of America’s most divisive and underrated brands are also its most loved.

The Problem With Premium in a Cost-Conscious Post-Pandemic World

COVID-19’s impact on spending behavior, shopping habits and even selection criteria has real implications for both value and premium brands as some consumers trade up, others trade down and others choose not to buy altogether, writes Morning Consult’s Victoria Sakal.

Why Gen Z Isn’t Interested in Your Statements, Promises and Commitments — Yet

Gen Z, known for its action, activism and impact, is now demanding these qualities from brands and businesses if they expect to gain this generation’s trust, purchases or talents in the future, writes Morning Consult’s Victoria Sakal.

Bigger Than The Boardroom: Evolving Expectations of Today’s CEOs

A global pandemic, the rise of stakeholder capitalism and growing demands for business leaders to take a more committed, proactive and public stance on important social issues such as racial injustice have converged to fundamentally transform the chief executive role, writes Morning Consult’s Victoria Sakal.

Why We Buy When the Going Gets Tough

Psychographic needs and brand connections play a key role in why we are starting, stopping and maintaining certain purchases during the pandemic, Morning Consult’s Victoria Sakal writes.

Dear Brands, Please Lighten Up. Sincerely, Consumers.

Empathetic and somber brand messaging during 'these uncertain times' may have run its course, Morning Consult's Victoria Sakal writes