During the holiday season, many Americans get out their wallets and donate more money and goods to charity organizations. But in recent years, the economic downturn has made it difficult for some people to give as much as they’d like. How has the economy impacted charitable donations this year, and how many are planning on making donations during this holiday season?
BLOG ARCHIVE: ALL POSTS FOR November 2012
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Homeowners Survey: More Plan to Buy Homes in Next Few YearsThe US housing market is slowly working its way toward a recovery. But many are still hesitant to become homeowners. How many Americans have recently bought homes and how many plan to do so in the next few years? And how do Americans feel about the recovery of the housing market? |
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Mobile Data Survey: Smartphone Usage Continuing to IncreaseThe number of Americans who own smartphones is increasing, and those who own them have learned to rely on them for more and more purposes. And recent studies have shown that this usage is only getting more predominant. How many Americans currently own smartphones and how are they changing the way they use mobile data? |
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Social Media Shopping Survey: People More Likely to Buy Based on Posts from Business AccountsMost retailers now use Facebook or similar sites to promote their products, but how often do these posts and interaction actually turn into sales? Especially with holiday gift shopping now in full swing, social media users could use these sites to find unique gift ideas. How many follow businesses, and how many find new products through friends using social media? |
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Commuting Survey: Traffic Has Large Impact on Commuter StressMany Americans have to spend hours each week commuting to and from their jobs. Studies have shown that waiting in traffic for these long periods of time can add stress and have other negative impacts. But how do everyday Americans feel their commutes impact their lives? |
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Cyber Monday Survey: Majority of Shoppers Will Buy Some Holiday Gifts OnlineWhile many Americans are out scouring for deals in stores during Black Friday, some others are waiting until Cyber Monday comes along, so they can shop for similar deals online. How many Americans plan to take advantage of these deals, and how many just prefer buying gifts in person? |
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Black Friday Survey: More Still Shopping In Stores Than OnlineThis Friday, many Americans will head out early to take advantage of the massive Black Friday sales at their local retailers. Stores have been advertising these sales for weeks in the hope of being added to the early morning routes of these customers. How much have these ads impacted Black Friday planning, and how many Americans actually plan to take advantage of these sales this year? |
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Pinterest Business Accounts Survey: Pinterest Users Less Likely to Follow BusinessesLast week, Pinterest announced the release of new business accounts, similar to Facebook’s brand pages. Many businesses already use the site, but the new accounts could allow them to become more trusted voices. How do social media users feel about businesses using these types of sites? And how many interact with business accounts? |
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Thanksgiving Travel Survey: Travel Costs Impacting Nearly One-Third of AmericansThis week, thousands of Americans will travel to see friends and family for Thanksgiving. Whether by train, plane, or personal vehicle, these travels have been impacted by things like gas prices and rising travel costs for many of these Americans. How many plan on still traveling for Thanksgiving this year? And how many plans have been impacted by these factors? |
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Small Businesses Survey: More Than Half Plan to Celebrate Small Business SaturdayAs Americans get ready for the holiday shopping season, many small businesses are trying to encourage them to do their shopping at independent retailers rather than big box stores through events like Small Business Saturday and similar marketing campaigns. Whether local or online, small businesses have struggled throughout the economic crisis. But are Americans now more likely to go out of their way to support these shops and businesses? |
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Text Messaging Survey: Smartphone Owners Increasing Usage of Text MessagesFor the first time ever, Americans might be texting less than they used to, likely due to more and more people carrying phones with internet connectivity. But just because people can reach their contacts in other ways using their mobile devices, does it really mean they are texting less often? How many Americans have really noticed a decline in their text messaging over the past year? |
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Fiscal Cliff Survey: Americans Would Rather Have Higher Debt Than Higher TaxesSince election season has come to a close, the most recent economic worry for many Americans is the looming “fiscal cliff,” in which certain laws and tax cuts currently in effect may expire in 2013 and potentially stall economic growth. What do Americans think about the fiscal cliff and what do they think are the most important economic issues facing the country? |
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Console Gaming Survey: Most Use Gaming Consoles for Other PurposesOnce popular console video games are being somewhat overshadowed in recent years by different types of games, such as social games and mobile games. Though there are still popular games and consoles, such as Sony’s PlayStation 3, Microsoft’s Xbox 360, and Nintendo’s Wii, some people even use these consoles for purposes other than gaming. How many Americans still own gaming consoles, and how many actually use them for gaming? |
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Travel Sites Survey: One Third of Travelers Regularly Check Multiple Travel Deals SitesThis week, travel deals site Priceline.com announced its acquisition of Kayak.com, which compares deals on such travel sites. Travelers who use Kayak may be worried that this announcement will impact the way the site operates. But how many people use such travel sites? And how do they decide which sites host the best deals? |
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Instagram Web Profiles Survey: Majority of Cell Phone Owners Use Camera FeaturePhoto sharing service Instagram just released the long awaited web-based profiles for its users. Now people can view a stream of Instagram photos in their web browsers rather than just on their smartphones. However, the service is sticking with its mobile roots and only allowing users to upload photos taken with their phones. How do Instagram users feel about the new web profiles, and how many people might be open to using the photo sharing service in the future? |
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Online Voting Survey: Non-Voters Want More Convenient SystemMany voters faced long lines at the polls to vote in the election earlier this week. And on top of that, some Americans who were displaced by Hurricane Sandy faced even greater challenges to get their votes in. This has caused some people to wonder if there could be a more convenient and efficient way for Americans to cast their votes. What do people think about the possibility of voting online? Would the convenience outweigh the margin for error? |
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Mobile Donations Survey: Almost Half Open to Texting DonationsIn the days during and after Hurricane Sandy made landfall in the US, many Americans discovered new and different ways to contribute to helpful organizations such as The Red Cross. One prominent fundraising tactic was the collection of donations through text messages. How many Americans have donated this way and how many would be open to doing so? |
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Star Wars Survey: Fans Will See New Film Regardless of Disney InvolvementLast week, Disney announced its acquisition of the Star Wars franchise. It also announced that it would continue the series with an upcoming Episode 7 film. How many Americans are interested in seeing a new Star Wars film? And what do people think about the partnership with Disney? |
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Female Voters Survey: Health Issues More Important to Women VotersAs the election season draws to a close, a few select groups have been singled out as possible difference-makers for one candidate or the other. One group getting a lot of attention is female voters, many of whom may care about different issues than male voters. So what is influencing female voters, and how will this group impact the upcoming election? |
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Seasonal Employment Survey: More Than Half of Young People Interested in Temporary JobsAs the holidays approach, many Americans are looking for temporary jobs to help stores and similar businesses through the rush period, while making some extra income in the process. How many Americans are currently looking for seasonal employment for this year? And how many have held seasonal jobs at some point? |
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Public Transportation Survey: Few Rely on Public Transit With No Backup PlanOne of the many side effects of Hurricane Sandy was the shut down of some public transportation in New York City and along the East Coast. If these transportation methods were shut down at different times or in different locations, it could prevent many people from getting where they need to go on a day-to-day basis. How many Americans rely heavily on public transit? And do they have a back-up plan in case of emergencies? |
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New: smart “Not Applicable” checkboxesCheckbox question types are great for when you have a list of options with more than one possible answer. Sometimes, however, the list may not apply to a respondent, so they would appreciate a “not applicable” or “none of the above” option. |