Consumer Behavior Shifts During COVID-19: A Stat Snapshot
In evaluating AdDaptive’s post-campaign B2B analytics in conjunction with a recent study on ad adjacency during COVID-19 (1,000 consumers surveyed in March then again in April 2020) conducted by Integral Ad Science (IAS), we’ve seen some positive trends in contextual preferences and consumer behavior in the advertising market. Our combined insights are as follows:
People are seeking out relevant information
- 59% of consumers are consuming more news in general.
- In under a month, consumers sought out 12% more Coronavirus-related content online.
- Consumers actively sought out news outlets 27% more than the month prior.
People have expectations around ad placement
- Instead of expecting Travel, Real Estate, Auto, Food & Beverage, or Banking / Finance / Insurance ads next to COVID-19 content, consumers DO expect to see Health / Pharma, Government, Education, Not-for-profit, and Tech / Telco advertisements next to COVID-19 content.
- When seeing Coronavirus content, consumers are more likely to engage with advertisements that appear alongside positive coverage (as opposed to negative coverage).
- Consumers have a more favorable sentiment toward a brand whose advertisements appear alongside positive headlines, as opposed to those that appear next to neutral or negative headlines.
People care about the content brands are producing
- During this time especially, consumers prefer information-based, educational strategies. Thought leadership has never been so valuable and sought after.
- Consumers are looking for brands to deliver thoughtful messages and helpful resources, rather than opportunistic promotions.
Takeaways
Your technology partners’ ad placement strategies, brand safety measures, and inventory access affect your consumers’ sentiment toward your brand.
You can generate positive feelings about your brand with educational content and thought leadership, as opposed to overly promotional material.
Consumers are looking for companies they can trust to provide news updates and information relevant to the situation at hand; tailoring your advertising strategy to help you find a place in the customer journey that puts your brand in a favorable position.
