Citizens welcome globalization, regulation: survey

NEW YORK (Reuters) - An international class of young, affluent and politically aware consumers see global trade's benefits yet want more government regulation of business, according to a 20,000-person survey released on Friday.

To protect and manage their reputations, global businesses need to understand this group's values and attitudes, said Stewart Lewis of Paris-based Ipsos, the market research firm behind the survey.

"These influencers are engaged citizens who lead and stir debate," Lewis said in a statement. "They galvanize public opinion by directly and indirectly pressuring business and government."

The April survey conducted online interviews with about 1,000 consumers in each of 20 countries, including established industrial powers and emerging markets. Ipsos categorized the respondents as "broad elites, Internet Intelligaged, and digital information opinion leaders."

It found that 68 percent of the respondents voted in the last election they were eligible for, 50 percent have initiated conversations on political, economic and social issues and 37 percent signed petitions within the last year.

Almost half base purchasing decisions on a company's ethical, social or environmental reputation and 33 percent advise others against buying goods or services from a specific company for such reasons.

Global trade is a "good thing," according to 91 percent of this group. Most agree -- 81 percent -- that their countries' growth and expansion depends on global investment.

But two-thirds think their governments should regulate corporations more aggressively, and 71 percent indicate foreign companies have excessive influence over their economies.

Corporations ignore these consumers at their peril, Lewis said, because such consumers have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to motivate others to reward and punish good and bad corporate behavior.