Consumers who are fed up with coronavirus-inspired advertising campaigns are still in the minority, with most Brits actually wanting brands to acknowledge the global pandemic in their activity, rather than skirt around the issue.
In what would appear to sanction even more Zoom-fuelled ads, it seems that brands from PG Tips and Oreo to Aldi and Guinness are doing the right thing, with 75% of British consumers believing that companies should be taking the current situation into account regardless.
The research, conducted by video advertising software company FreeWheel and market research provider Happydemics, quizzed 1,141 respondents with the results adjusted for age and gender.
They looked at media consumption and consumer perceptions of advertising during lockdown, finding that the majority of people (58%) also want to see ads that make them laugh.
In total, 75% of people wanted to see relevant coronavirus advertising, with 15% agreeing it should be included for reasons of prevention, while 25% said it should be referenced if the advertiser is some way involved in the addressing of the issue.
Meanwhile, 68% of UK adults are consuming more media content than they were before the lockdown, with 35% of those consuming “much more”.
And, in another swipe at those who have pulled the plug on their ads, it seems consumers’ attention to advertising has not been affected by the crisis – over half (54%) of those surveyed said they are paying more or as much attention to ads as they did before lockdown.
FreeWheel executive director of product and sales marketing international Virginie Dremeaux 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.”
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