How optimistic do you think people are these days?

[kdm]

How optimistic do you think people are these days?

What small pleasures help in changing the way people feel and do you think brands can play a role in changing our perceptions and feelings?

[jake-the-peg]

I think the best small pleasure in life comes from filling an air tight room with marketing brand managers and slowly filling it with gas.

But that's just me

[rojash]

"do you think brands can play a role in changing our perceptions and feelings?"

No, but I do believe that this is one of the daftest questions ever posted on AB...

[Octavius]

I dunno rojash, some people are only ever happy if they have the latest gadget or gizmo or top brand name (iPod�s, Manolo's etc). It�s a consumerist society. Optimism is driven by the ability to afford what their current favourite celebrities already have.

[beso]

Any study of optimism should focus on the people of the United States.

They thought they could win a war in Iraq in a few weeks despite having failed in Vietnam and Europe telling them it was a big mistake.

They remain positive despite this war having wiped out getting on to half the value of their currency. They lend money to their otherwise bankrupted government and accept interest payments made from further borrowings.

They put an idiot in charge of their country and hoped for a good outcome. Yes nobody has a handle on optimism like the yanks.