U.K. consumers respond to toxic content, brand safety
Ninety-one percent of U.K. consumers believe it is important for advertisers to make sure ads are not placed near dangerous, offensive or inappropriate content, according to the 2021 TAG/BSI UK Brand Safety Survey, conducted by the Trustworthy Accountability Group and Brand Safety Institute. When asked about brand safety, more than 83% of respondents say they are more aware of the issues – such as those involving advertising around dangerous, offensive or inappropriate content – than they were a year ago. In addition, more than 85% say they would reduce or stop purchasing products they regularly buy if they discovered an ad for that product had run next to COVID-19 misinformation or conspiracy theories.
When asked if they think hate speech has increased or decreased online over the last year, more than 88% say it has increased.
The research was conducted from April 4-6, 2021. Read more.
Activities increase along with feeling of safety from vaccine
As more Americans receive the COVID-19 vaccine, consumer behavior is changing along with an increased feeling of safety. A study by Insights Now delved into how the COVID-19 vaccine is affecting consumer choices and why consumers do or do not choose to receive the vaccine. As of April, according to the study, 14% of vaccinated respondents said that they feel “extremely safer” followed by 39% who reported feeling “very much safer” and 31% who said they felt “somewhat safer.” Of those who did not receive the vaccine 76% reported feeling that the vaccine is not safe, while 70% worried about the side effects and 61% believed that the vaccine is not effective.
Numerous activities have increased post-vaccine, however – as of April visiting friends and family is up by 55%, while traveling by plane has increased 50%, eating indoors by 42%, gym/community sports by 39% and in-store grocery shopping by 22%.
The study was conducted during April 2021. Read more.
The return to the office
Twenty-eight percent of employers plan to have most employees return to the office on a full-time basis, according to a survey conducted by Littler, a San Francisco-based employment law firm. The survey of more than 1,800 in-house lawyers, HR professionals and C-suite executives found that 71% of respondents believe their workers would prefer a hybrid model with remote options, but only 55% of employers plan to offer that setup. This may be connected to the fact that at least 72% of respondents say they are at least somewhat concerned about workforce management issues associated with remote work.
While there seems to be a wide disconnect between employee and employer preferences for the return to the office, it is also apparent that companies are making changes to offices as they finalize return-to-work strategies. Twenty-seven percent are reducing the size of their offices and 31% will utilize office hoteling – where employees don’t have dedicated work stations.
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At-home conveniences
As restaurants, gyms and movie theaters open, many Americans again have access to in-person experiences. But will habits adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic stick around as we move into the new normal? According to a study from Ipsos, 47% of Americans would rather watch new movies at home. Alternatively, 54% of respondents would rather eat food from a high-end restaurant in person, and 41% would rather drink restaurant-created cocktails and other alcoholic beverages in person.
What about the health and fitness sector? When it comes to routine checkups, 67% would rather consult with a doctor in person. But at-home fitness may be sticking around, with 35% of respondents saying they would rather exercise or take an exercise class at home, compared to 30% who would rather do it in person.
The research was conducted in April 2021. Read more.
Consumers consider effects of past year on their lives
Everyone’s lives changed during the past year – some a little, and some a lot – and consumers agree that they are ready for a break. According to a healthinsurance.com survey, Americans are ready for a summer vacation. Forty-five percent of respondents say they are definitely taking a trip this summer, while an additional 20% would like to but haven’t booked it yet.
The pandemic caused a shift in lifestyle. Thirty-one percent of respondents say their alcohol consumption increased during the pandemic – a 29% increase from May 2020. Additionally, 55% say they gained some weight over the past year. However, all the extra family time has been a silver lining for some relationships. Thirty-two percent say their relationship with their spouse or partner is better now than before the pandemic.
Half (51%) of the respondents say that the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is over. While 38% report having resumed "normal life;" 64% think it’s necessary to keep COVID-19 restrictions in place. More than half (52%) think that there is no cure for COVID-19, while 21% say there is a cure – a 53% decrease from the 45% that said there was a cure in May of 2020. Similarly, consumer perceptions of the COVID-19 vaccine have changed as well. Forty-nine percent of respondents think that everyone should be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine, a 23% decrease from the 64% who said in May of 2020 that everyone should be required to.
The study was conducted May 6-10, 2021. Read more.
Vaccine, mask hesitations
As COVID-19 vaccines become available to adolescents, nearly 40% of parents say they would get their child vaccinated right away, while 45% of parents are at least somewhat hesitant about vaccinating their child against COVID-19. This data comes from a study by CivicScience among U.S. parents of minors. When it comes to vaccine location, 59% say would feel most comfortable getting their child vaccinated at their pediatrician or doctor’s office.
CivicScience also checked in regarding mask wearing following the CDC announced updated COVID-19 mask guidelines. Forty-five percent of respondents said they would follow the CDC’s new mask guidance once fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This data comes from a CivicScience study of U.S. adults, 18+.
The research was conducted in May 2021. Read more.
Employees differ on what makes a safe workplace
One in ten employed consumers say that nothing will make the workplace feel safe, according to a survey conducted by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.
There are some precautions that will help many consumers feel at ease, however. Nearly half of those surveyed said they need to get a COVID-19 vaccination before feeling comfortable working around others and 35% said that co-workers would need to be vaccinated as well.
Thirty-four percent said they would need social distancing at work and 33% responded that their workplace would have to have mandatory mask-wearing. About a third of respondents said that a key component would be wide-spread availability of the vaccine to the public and for their workplace to require sick employees to stay home.
The survey was conducted through May 2021. Read more.
Out-of-home advertising favored as foot traffic resumes
As foot traffic returns to pre-pandemic levels, out-of-home advertising is becoming more attractive to consumers, according to a study by MFour Mobile Research. Eighty-two percent of consumers say they like out-of-home advertising and want more of it and 58% say that these ads are actually more trustworthy than others. The pandemic has rebooted our love of the outdoors, with 58% saying they enjoy spending time outside of their homes. Coincidentally, 88% of respondents say they like ads on out-of-home screens and 71% say that they relate to ads through this format.