Consumers want to hear the same amount or more from brands, says an Opinium survey. 
As marketers, we get wrapped up in what we, the experts, believe, rather than what the public thinks, feels and does. We love to offer opinions about how brands and businesses should act, what they should say and why they should say it, especially during a crisis.
 
So we did. Opinium surveyed a nationally representative sample of 2,006 U.S. adults aged 18+ between March 20th and 25th. The survey was conducted online. Here's what we heard.
 
Unsurprisingly the companies consumers want to hear more from brands that provide the essentials: grocery stores, healthcare and pharma, household goods, food and drink. But even brands less relevant to the current crisis, such as fitness, automotive, fashion and beauty brands aren't being ignored. People want to hear the same or more from the brands that are willing to engage.
 
Also, the sectors consumers have heard more about in the past week are perceived as handling the crisis better than those that are less outspoken. Across the board, the US public has had a net positive perception of every sector's responses to coronavirus. It's time for brands to get back in the saddle.
 

 
Authenticity is still king
With 57% of the US population believing that brands are 'jumping on the bandwagon' with their messaging around coronavirus, it's clear audiences aren't convinced by the sincerity of brand communications.
 
Doubting brand messaging is not new, but as more people are stuck at home than ever before, consumers seek content about the day-to-day experiences of employees dealing with the coronavirus. Yes, consumers still want to hear from the CEO. But as we become more physically distant, we crave content that brings us closer to real people on the front lines.
 
Consumers definitely don't want to hear from influencers or celebrity spokespeople right now.
 
Where to reach consumers?
Over half of U.S. respondents report watching more live TV than usual, indicating an opportunity for brands to reach a wider audience during cheaper day-time slots that full-time workers wouldn't normally see.
 
Some 37% say they would like to see TV advertising from brands, making it the preferred channel for consumers to hear from brands during these times, alongside email. The data suggests consumers are opening and interacting with emails at higher rates than before.
The hierarchy of preferred channels differs most for 18-34s who want to hear from brands through owned social posts (not ads) above all other channels, with email a close second.
 

 
Online consumer behavior differs among generations 
Online shopping during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic reveals different shopping behaviors by different generations of consumers, according to a PFS and Arlington Research study.
 
The report also identified behavior changes within the consumer generations. For example, 75% of millennials have bought goods online during the pandemic that they had not considered buying online prior to COVID-19, according to a press release on the study.
 
Other key data points include:
  • Over half of consumers have made one or more online purchases in the groceries and household (56%) and health and beauty (51%) categories during the pandemic.
  • Less than 50% of those consumers have made one or more online purchases across the rest of the categories surveyed including apparel and footwear, office supplies, home and garden, jewelry, and consumer electronics.
  • Forty-six percent of millennials and Gen Z have more online grocery purchases than usual amid the pandemic, compared to just twenty-eight percent of baby boomers and the silent generation.
"Not surprisingly, consumers across generations are shopping online differently during the pandemic, and only time will tell if these behaviors will continue long-term," Zach Thomann, EVP and PFS general manager, said in the release. "It is critical that online brands and retailers analyze their customer demographics and create differentiated brand experiences that appeal to them during these uncertain times. Not all online retail categories are experiencing the same amount of growth, so differentiation is key to winning customers of all generations."
 
The study was conducted in April and May 2020, and polled 2,000 adults aged 18 and older across the U.S.