A new study says advertisers shouldn’t shy away from dealing with the coronavirus in their ads and marketing messages.
The study – admittedly a British one – was conducted by ad software firm FreeWheel and found three-quarters of respondents said advertiser should aknowledge the global pandemic in their messaging. While 15 per cent said it was best to simply igrnore it.
Conducted with independent market research provider Happydemics, the study looked at media consumption and consumer perceptions of advertising in the UK during the coronavirus lockdown. Some 1141 respondents took part in the study.
Another leading finding was that on top of CV-19 messaging people also wanted funny ads, with 58 per cent saying they want to see ads that make them laugh.
The the most popular verticals being food, technology, and – perhaps most surprisingly – travel. The study noted: “[Respondents] want these ads to make them dream or to move them emotionally.”
Over two-thirds (68 per cent) of respondents said they’re consuming more media content than prior to the lockdown, while a further 35 per cent of those are consuming much more.
Linear TV is the most watched type of platform, with more than a third (34 per cent) choosing this option, followed by SVOD (26 per cent), and BVOD (14 per cent).
Although ad revenues and volumes are dropping in the UK due to CV-19, that wasn’t a perception that respondents had. More than a third (35 per cent) believed the amount of advertising in the media has increased since lockdowns began, while 31 per cent thought it remained about the same.
More than half (54 per cent) of respondents said they are paying more or as much attention to advertising as they did before the pandemic began.
Commenting on the results, Virginie Dremeaux, executive director, product and sales marketing international, FreeWheel, said: “The unprecedented situation arising from the COVID-19 outbreak is compelling brands to rethink their advertising and communication strategies.
“This study is designed to support advertisers and answer some of their pressing questions around the habits, preferences and expectations of UK consumers at this challenging time. We hope the resulting insight will help brands make informed choices around ad messaging, tone and delivery channels.”
