News Summary

• Kari Butcher: Business leaders are making consequential decisions based on a category error.
• Polls measure what people say at a particular moment, but they cannot tell a leader how that sentiment will translate into purchases, loyalty, employee behavior or investor reaction.
• Get that distinction wrong, and a company can pull back while demand remains strong, she says.
• Butcher: Polls show who’s ahead may help a business anticipate the political environment.
• It cannot tell them how consumers, employees or investors will respond to it.