Nearly 8 in 10 Americans surveyed say the country is innovating in the wrong areas, while 86% say the most meaningful innovations are not the headline makers but those that solve problems ordinary people face every day.
STAMFORD, Conn., June 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Americans are not losing faith in innovation. They are losing patience with innovation that asks for applause before it delivers proof. A new nationwide survey from Philip Morris International's U.S. businesses (PMI U.S.) finds that Americans still believe innovation can help build a better future—but only if it makes life more affordable, safer, healthier, or easier to navigate in the communities where people live.
Innovation has long been a driver of America's economic growth, prosperity, and opportunity. As a company rooted in science and technology, PMI U.S. commissioned The Harris Poll to conduct this research to better understand Americans' expectations of innovation and where they believe it can make the greatest difference in their daily lives. The findings reveal a growing credibility challenge for companies: while 76% of Americans surveyed say innovation will play a major role in building the nation's future, 81% say corporate rhetoric about innovation often feels disconnected from real-world problems, and nearly 8 in 10 (79%) believe the country is innovating in the wrong areas. The message is clear: Americans still believe in the power of innovation, but they want it focused on solving tangible problems and delivering meaningful benefits in their communities.
"Americans are not rejecting innovation. They are rejecting innovation that feels detached from their lives," said Stacey Kennedy, CEO, PMI U.S. "Companies need to show that what they are building solves real problems, serves real people, and strengthens real communities. That is the standard PMI U.S. is working to meet."
The findings suggest that innovation has a permission problem. More than three-quarters of respondents (77%) agree that too much innovation today feels designed for hype rather than impact. Nearly 9 in 10 (86%) say the most meaningful innovation solves real-world problems people face every day, and 89% say they are more likely to believe a company's innovation claims when they can see tangible benefits at the local level. In short: Novelty is not enough. Americans want usefulness they can see.
The survey also shows where trust still lives: close to home. Americans are more confident in the direction their local communities are taking (58%) than in where the country as a whole is headed (43%). When respondents were asked what gives them confidence in the country's future, "everyday people in local communities" (65%), "local businesses and entrepreneurs" (61%), and "local nonprofits and community organizations" (59%) outranked large corporations (44%) and the federal government (41%). These results seem to suggest that the more distance from one's community, the less confidence Americans have in that institution.
The higher confidence in locally grown solutions comes with a warning for companies: Do not arrive as the hero. Nine in 10 Americans (90%) say companies should act as partners rather than presume they have all the answers. Communities are looking for long-term commitment from their partners (91%), connection with other communities solving similar problems (91%), investment (89%), access to tools and expertise (88%), and platforms that amplify ideas already creating progress (88%). The takeaway is that they do not need more corporate theater. They need help making what works go further.
The mismatch between expectations and reality is especially stark in where Americans believe companies are placing their bets. Respondents see companies pouring attention and resources into AI and machine learning, apps and software, and space or moonshot projects. They want more focus on the problems that show up in the family budget: reducing the cost of everyday life, making healthcare more accessible, creating good-paying local jobs, making housing more affordable, improving schools, making neighborhoods safer, supporting small businesses, and helping communities become more resilient.
The research also cuts through the usual story that Americans cannot agree on anything. They can. Healthcare affordability, housing affordability, and good-paying jobs that do not require a four-year degree rank as the top priorities Americans want innovation to address, followed by schools, trust in institutions, infrastructure, small businesses, resilience, and more equitable access to innovation. The divide is not over what hurts. It is over whether institutions are serious about fixing it.
Across the 10 cities included in the survey—Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, and Stamford—the findings point to another uncomfortable truth: There is no single national innovation story that works everywhere. Residents consistently identified practical progress, local problem-solving, and community-led opportunity as signs of meaningful innovation. The strongest story is not a slogan pushed from the center. It is proof, adapted market by market, that people can recognize as real.
The city-level findings show how sharply the innovation story changes by market. Stamford is the confident market, with 71% saying innovation in America is thriving and moving in the right direction, compared with 62% nationally. Nashville is a proof-demanding market, with 85% saying America is innovating in the wrong areas and solving the wrong problems for the wrong people. Chicago is the community-potential market, with 92% saying the next big American idea could come from any community, not just a traditional innovation hub. Phoenix puts affordability at the center of the innovation test, while Los Angeles shows that even markets associated with creativity and technology still need clearer local proof, coordination, and amplification.
Market pattern | Cities | What it shows | Key data |
Where the Innovation Story Splits | Chicago, Nashville, Stamford | These markets show the sharpest differences in what residents need from innovation: proof that it is aimed at the right problems, evidence that confidence is warranted, or belief that the next big idea can come from any community. | Chicago: 92% say the next big American idea could come from any community. Nashville: 85% say America is innovating in the wrong areas. Stamford: 71% say innovation in America is thriving and moving in the right direction. |
Where Usefulness Beats Hype | Jacksonville, New York, Pittsburgh | These markets are not asking for a bigger innovation story. They are asking for a more useful one tied to healthcare, jobs, cost of living, housing, partnership, and visible community benefit. | Jacksonville: 88% say practical, community-led innovation earns more trust than chasing the next big thing. New York: Community confidence outpaces confidence in the nation, 52% to 38%. Pittsburgh: 87% are more likely to believe in company innovation when they can see how it benefits real communities. |
Where Generic Innovation Falls Short | Atlanta, | These markets show why one-size-fits-all innovation messaging underperforms. Each applies a different local test: next-generation opportunity, affordability, usefulness at scale, or clearer proof and amplification. | Atlanta: 88% say America's next chapter depends on ideas from communities across the country. Phoenix: 88% say communities need funding and investment to turn good ideas into real progress. |
For PMI U.S., the findings reinforce that innovation should be measured by real-world impact. By advancing modern nicotine alternatives to help legal-age adults move away from combustible cigarettes, creating meaningful partnerships within communities, and investing in American manufacturing, operations, and jobs, PMI U.S. is promoting progress nationwide as it builds its future in the United States.
Since 2022, PMI U.S. has invested more than $1 billion in U.S. manufacturing, operational capabilities, and people costs. PMI U.S. employs more than 3,300 people across the country, and operates manufacturing facilities in Colorado, Kentucky, and North Carolina. Those investments reflect that the business is holding the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of its modern nicotine products to the same proof standard Americans are applying to innovation more broadly: prioritizing better choices, economic contribution, responsible practices, and tangible community impact.
Read more about the survey and register for the forthcoming whitepaper here: https://www.uspmi.com/en/america250/
Survey Methodology
The Harris Poll was conducted online on behalf of PMI U.S. between May 19 and June 2, 2026. The survey sample consisted of 2,000 U.S. adults aged 21 and older. National results were weighted by age, gender, region, race/ethnicity, household income, education, marital status, household size, employment status, and political party affiliation. The national sample has a Bayesian credible interval of ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. The research also included market-level samples of approximately 200 adults in each of 10 cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, and Stamford.
About PMI U.S.
Philip Morris International Inc.'s U.S. businesses (PMI U.S.) are invested in America's future and advancing a smoke-free nation. The businesses are committed to providing the approximately 25 million legal-age consumers who smoke cigarettes with better, smoke-free alternatives and to ensuring the products are marketed responsibly. From PMI's global headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, and other locations nationwide, PMI U.S. contributes leadership, jobs, investment, and innovation in the U.S. PMI U.S. employ more than 3,300 people across America and operate product manufacturing facilities, including in Aurora, Colorado; Owensboro, Kentucky; and Wilson, North Carolina. For more information, please visit www.uspmi.com.
References to "PMI" mean the Philip Morris International family of companies. "PMI U.S.," "we," "our," and "us" refer to one or more PMI U.S. businesses.
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SOURCE PMI US Corporate Services, Inc.
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