A report shows the shift in consumer preferences as the virus spreads around the world
A recent study by Captify's premium publisher network finds that as the coronavirus spreads across the globe and the number of infections rises exponentially, the behavior of thousands of consumers has been affected in worrying ways.
The declaration of the disease as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, the declared state of emergency and quarantine in many countries, and the cancellation of flights and land travel have been just some of the measures ordered by governments around the world to slow this serious disease — events that have triggered an impact on the economy, politics and family well-being.
This context, which reminds us of the H1N1 flu pandemic that emerged in Mexico in 2009 and touched several countries in North America, South America and Europe, leads us to observe how, even in times of crisis, communication from consumers to their brands and from brands to their followers plays a key role in raising awareness, preventing, and even reducing the spread of a disease.
Searches about the coronavirus have grown by 11,434% since January, including consumer goods and packaged products (728%), delivery orders (58.7%) and pharmaceutical purchases (38.11%), according to the Captify report.
Travel, down by as much as 300%, events down more than 215%, and luxury goods, trending down -76.2%, are just some of the categories — while others have more opportunity to shine in this context.
Staying top of mind is every brand's challenge, even in difficult times, and it requires a communication strategy that, whether from a public relations or advertising agency, should be geared toward being empathetic and approachable — one that doesn't necessarily sell its product or brand, but shows solidarity with those who today need to see its more human side.
Brands like Netflix, Hulu, Prime, Roku and HBO rank among the most in-demand with the millennial community, positioning, for example, the movie “Contagion,” directed by Steven Soderbergh, as one of the most searched-for films worldwide — so the golden opportunity for these entertainment brands can't go unnoticed.
We could say that, in the end, consumer search and interest trends have led to a considerable imbalance that has hurt the economy of many companies around the world; but since opportunity is born from every crisis, there's always room to build creative communication strategies that bring brands and consumers closer together, strengthening ties and building a better global society.