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Mind and Mood Pulse –

AustraliaSeptember 2021

Marketing Advisory, Strategy and Analytics

36%39%

48%

63%58%

54% 55%

63%

76%

67% 69%

83% 83% 82% 81%

71%67%

63%

0%

100%

Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep

No

rmalit

y In

dex

Be

nch

ma

rk 1

00

% =

‘N

orm

al’

○ The Australian Normality Index

September 2021 (2 - 26 September)

Note: From 29 Mar through 15 Nov the index was calculated using the pre-covid baseline score “life this time last year”, which is no longer applicable.

From 18 Jan 2021 onwards the index will be based on a weighted average score of the “life this time last year” using sample from the 29 Mar - 15 Nov 2020 period.3

Normality continues to trend down, now at 63% – reverting to scores seen almost

12 months ago in October 2020

2020 2021

Marketing Advisory, Strategy and Analytics

0%

100%

Mar Apr May Jun Jun Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep

No

rma

lity

Ind

ex

Be

nchm

ark

10

0%

= ‘

No

rma

l’Our sense of Normality:Victoria and New South Wales continue to slide further into the Lockdown Doldrums

New South Wales Victoria Queensland South Australia Western Australia

2020 2021

Note: From 14 Jul through 15 Nov the index was calculated using the pre-COVID baseline score “life this time last year”, which is no longer applicable.

From 18 Jan 2021 onwards the index will be based on a weighted average score of the “life this time last year” using sample from the 29 Mar - 15 Nov 2020 period.4

The Forethought Australian Normality Index

VIC lockdown

Nationreopens

Snap lockdowns

across

AustraliaBorders closed

Restrictions start

Circuit breaker lockdowns

across

Australia

NSW lockdown

VIC lockdown

6.0

September 2021 (2 - 26 September)

Marketing Advisory, Strategy and Analytics

Our sense of Normality:Drivers of Normality have remained relatively stable over the past three months, with the top

driver for September being the Ability to go about your routine outside your home

July 2021 August 2021 September 2021

28.2% Ability to make future plans 19.4%Motivation to work towards

your goals/obligations20.0%

Ability to go about your routine

outside the home

20.9%Ability to go about your routine

outside the home18.5% Ability to make future plans 18.3% Ability to make future plans

15.9%Stability in the world on a

global scale 14.8%

Stability in the world on a

global scale 18.1%

Motivation to work towards your

goals/obligations

12.7%Ability to manage your

finances14.5%

Ability to socialise with friends

/ family inside your home15.8%

Stability in the world on a global

scale

9.8%Feeling confident in the

economy8.5%

Confidence in your career

progress8.8% Feeling confident in the economy

5

Marketing Advisory, Strategy and Analytics

Note: Dashed lines indicate a break in tracking where the timescale may not be continuous.

The Australian Normality Index adopted monthly tracking in July 2020. 6

However, at September 2020, the

percentage of people that perceived life to

be worse than last year was 74%.

Therefore, there is a greater perception that life is better or the same when

compared to 12 months ago.

46% of Australians

perceive that life is

worse than last year

Life worse than last year Life same as last year Life better than last year

26%

28%

46%

22%

34%

44%

9%

17%

74%

Sep 2020 Aug 2021 Sep 2021

Marketing Advisory, Strategy and Analytics

The Vaccination Consideration:

Australian businesses are grappling

with the decision on whether to

mandate employee vaccinations.

36% of Australian Consumers

indicated they would spend more with

businesses that had their frontline

vaccinated.

The signal being that a safe shopping

or in-store experience is important.

Note: Significance testing was conducted between Victoria and the other states at the 5% level of significance. Blue indicates the other state result was

significantly higher than the Victoria result, and red indicates it was significantly lower.

9%

36%

47%

8%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Overall

I am vaccinated so I do not care

It would not influence my decision

I would spend more with that business

I would spend less with that business

Some businesses have proposed mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for their frontline

workers. Would this influence how much money you buy/spend with that business?

Marketing Advisory, Strategy and Analytics

36% of Australians reported they would spend more with a business that enforces mandatory

vaccinations for their workers although, 59% of Western Australians noted it would not influence

their decisions

Note: Significance testing was conducted between Victoria and the other states at the 5% level of significance. Blue indicates the other state result was

significantly higher than the Victoria result, and red indicates it was significantly lower.

12%10%8%5%10%

28%28%32%44%36%

59%

48%54%

41%44%

1%14%

6%10%10%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Western AustraliaSouth AustraliaQueenslandNew South WalesVictoria

I am vaccinated so I do not care

It would not influence my decision

I would spend more with that business

I would spend less with that business

Some businesses have proposed mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for their frontline workers.

Would this influence how much money you buy/spend with that business?

Marketing Advisory, Strategy and Analytics

When should Australia open up?

A nation divided

6%

19%

37%

21%

16%

31%

22%

9%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

70% Vaccinated 80% Vaccinated 90% Vaccinated Not Comfortable toOpen Up

Chart Title

WA Aust excl WA

Australia is comfortable with opening up when we hit the 80% vaccination rate, with 31% of Australian agreeing this was the right level for reopening.

Except Western Australia.

A MOMENT ON WESTERN AUSTRALIA

In 2018-19 interstate leisure travel to WA contributed $1,038mil to the WA economy or 7.8mil visitors nights1.

With it’s borders shut WA has little appetite to reopen, with 37% of Western

Australian’s preferring not to reopen until vaccination rates hit 90%, and an

additional 21% suggesting they are not comfortable to open up.

Compounding this is the loss of international students, whose contribution to

WA economy fell by $761mil or 36% in 2020, compared to 20192.

Today, Western Australia’s own vaccination rates are the lowest in the country at 48.45% doubled dosed at the time of publishing this report3. It

seems this state is in no hurry to reopen.

1. https://www.tourism.wa.gov.au/Publications%20Library/Markets%20and%20research/2019/Ad-

hoc/Interstate%20Visitor%20Profile%202019%20-%20final%20version.pdf

2. https://thepienews.com/news/international-student-expenditure-in-wa-drops-by-761m-in-2020/

3. https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-vaccine-rollout-australia-state-by-state-guide-covid19-vaccination-rates-single-dose-

double-doses-explainer/abacde8f-d35e-45ee-83bc-069ede212ecf

Marketing Advisory, Strategy and Analytics

Click to add text

12

Nationally, our emotional state is little

changed from August 21, and

remains a long-way off the pre-Covid

Benchmark.

How we have been

feeling: NationalResting Emotional Profile - National

Click to add textClick to add text

Surprise

Happiness

Love

Pride

ContentmentAnger

Sadness

Anxiety

Shame

Pre-COVID Benchmark (National) Aug 2021 Sep 2021

Marketing Advisory, Strategy and Analytics

Surprise

Happiness

Love

Pride

ContentmentAnger

Sadness

Anxiety

Shame

New South Wales

Victoria

Queensland

South Australia

Western Australia

Victoria had a tumultuous September 21

with Anti-Vax and Anti-Lockdown protests

active on several days – even an

earthquake. Anxiety is being felt much more

acutely in Victoria, and continues to be this

state’s dominant emotion.

How we have been feeling:

State

13

Resting Emotional Profile - State

Marketing Advisory, Strategy and Analytics

Trust in State Government for remained the highest in Western Australia and has remained

constant across all states since July, excluding South Australia

0

5

10

Sep Oct Nov Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep

2020 2021

New South Wales Victoria Queensland South Australia Western Australia

Note: Significance testing was conducted between waves at the 5% level of significance. A broken line indicates a significant difference.14

Trust in State Government

Marketing Advisory, Strategy and Analytics

Australians’ Trust in Federal Government continues to erode.Despite the Federal Government directing priority vaccine stocks to NSW, their Trust in the

Federal Government also eroded.

5.49 5.44 5.566.02

5.66

5.00 4.79 5.04 4.934.61 4.49

4.23

5.73 5.64 5.826.34

6.035.39

4.895.26 5.34 5.28

4.894.35

0

5

10

Sep Oct Nov Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep

2020 2021

Overall New South Wales

Trust in Federal Government

Note: Significance testing was conducted between waves at the 5% level of significance. A broken line indicates a significant difference. 15

Marketing Advisory, Strategy and Analytics

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