REaD Group data scheme to aid 'responsible marketing'

Companies aiming to advertise their way through the Covid-19 crisis have been given a boost with the launch of a new data scheme designed to inform brands’ marketing strategy, while supporting data-driven decisions and ensuring responsible marketing.

With many brands being forced to tread carefully when embarking on campaigns, REaD Group has joined forces with data analytics specialists More Metrics to create the Covid-19 risk data-sets to explore the impact of coronavirus and flag up the risk factors and infection rates at a range of local geographies.

The models, which are available at both postcode and individual level, can help brands ensure they are targeting their marketing messages, optimising contact with customers and increasing ROI.

The open source, publicly available data used to create these models focuses on health and wealth factors – ideal for the current situation.

More Metrics has used existing and new datasets to create 14 risk measurements relevant to Covid-19, including age and household composition; mortality and co-morbidity; economic resilience; risk engagement and infection rates.

The comparison of risk factors and infection rates at a local level suggests that there are associations between the two.

For example, the data-sets have shown that high infection rates are dominated by London and occurring in locations with higher overcrowding risks and higher overall engagement risk (this could mean a less rigorous adherence to lockdown advice in these locations).

One reason for the high infection rates seen in London is due to timing. The capital was infected early, before lockdown measures came into force, whereas many other areas were in lockdown before the infection took hold.

When this timing effect is accounted for, the data suggests that neighbourhoods across the country with a similar geodemographic mix are just as likely to be affected as each other.

Neighbourhoods with residents who live in more overcrowded conditions and/or use public transport more and/or have a higher proportion of workers in industries engaging with the general public are most at risk of high Covid-19 infection rates.

Brands and marketers will be able to use these data-sets for screening to deselect vulnerable consumers for campaigns. They will also be able to attach codes to inbound contact data to understand the consumers they are talking to, and add the data to models to ensure these factors are considered when selecting consumers for campaigns.

At the lowest level, the models are created at OA (Output Area) level and can be attached to any individual or household with a postcode: the recommended level for most marketing applications.

More Metrics will update the data on a weekly basis to enable the track of infection rates at a local level over time across the UK. More information is available on the REaD Group website>