Good news/bad news is the order of the day. On the upside, efforts to develop an effective vaccine against COVID-19—a major milestone in consumers’ assessments of when they will feel comfortable engaging in activities outside their homes—have produced extremely promising results in late-stage testing, suggesting that immunity from the coronavirus is almost within reach. On the downside, the daily new infection rate is climbing rapidly in many countries, and the approach of winter in the Northern Hemisphere is exacerbating conditions for further rapid spread.

The mixed news about the pandemic has produced somewhat muted reactions in our latest consumer sentiment survey. Respondents are worried that the near-term situation may continue to deteriorate, but they are also taking to heart the excellent progress being made on the vaccine front. Winter is coming, but so is spring.

About BCG’s Center for Customer Insight

The Boston Consulting Group’s Center for Customer Insight (CCI) applies a unique, integrated approach that combines quantitative and qualitative consumer research with a deep understanding of business strategy and competitive dynamics. The center works closely with BCG’s various practices to translate its insights into actionable strategies that lead to tangible economic impact for our clients. In the course of its work, the center has amassed a rich set of proprietary data on consumers from around the world, in both emerging and developed markets. The CCI is sponsored by BCG’s Marketing & Sales and Global Advantage practices. For more information, please visit http://www.bcg.com/expertise/institutes/center-customer-insight.

About Dynata

Dynata is the world’s largest first-party data and insights platform. With a reach that encompasses 62 million consumers and business professionals globally, and an extensive library of individual profile attributes collected through surveys, Dynata is the cornerstone for precise, trustworthy quality data. The company has built innovative data services and solutions around its robust first-party data offering to bring the voice of the customer to the entire marketing continuum—from strategy, innovation, and branding to advertising, measurement, and optimization. Dynata serves nearly 6,000 market research, media and advertising agencies, publishers, consulting and investment firms and corporate customers in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Learn more at www.dynata.com.