NEW YORK, July 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As Americans
continue to cope with the uncertainty of health risks, economic
downturn and restrictions in day-to-day living caused by COVID-19
and intensified by flashpoint events highlighting systemic racism
in the United States, nearly half
(45%) say their brand preferences have changed. Close to three
quarters (74%) said the recent protests against racial injustice
have made it more important to support businesses that improve
diversity and inclusion, according to new research by global
communications consultancy Ketchum.
Ketchum's study, Brand Reckoning 2020: How Crisis Culture Is
Redefining Consumer Behavior, Loyalty and Values, surveyed
Americans in mid-June – three months into the U.S. pandemic -- on
their actions, their openness to reengaging with the outside world,
and the extent to which this period has redefined their values. The
study also is being conducted in the U.K. and Germany.
The study showed that recent events have driven Americans to
revisit their relationships with brands. Nearly half of those
surveyed (45%) report they have changed at least one brand
preference already, and a majority (62%) expect that
their brand preferences will change permanently before the
pandemic is over. For some, the importance of brands will be
diluted; 63% report they will purchase more private
label items in the future.
"We're living in a crisis culture that is driving people to
revisit many long-standing values and behaviors – everything from
the brands they buy to how they evaluate companies on their
handling of COVID-19 and systemic racial injustice," said
Mike Doyle, president and CEO,
Ketchum. "It's a brand reckoning that is both a powerful
opportunity to connect with a dramatically shifting consumer
audience and a wake-up call to innovate or face irrelevance."
Ketchum's Brand Reckoning 2020 study also shows that the
culture crisis is changing how corporate behavior is judged. An
overwhelming majority say it is now more important to them than
before COVID-19 that businesses prioritize customer safety (90%)
and employee safety (90%) and that they communicate effectively
(88%). Eighty-eight percent say the coronavirus has made it more
important that companies behave ethically. And, amid nationwide
protests against racial injustice, 72% say it is more important to
support minority-owned business through their purchases.
Meet the Crisis Culture Personas
Based on how open
they are to reengaging with the outside world and how much their
values have changed during this phase of nonstop disruption,
Ketchum's analysis of the data shows consumers can be divided into
one of four types:
- Retro Reengagers (33% of consumers) are ready to
return to the world as it was. Politically conservative, they are
most likely to feel very comfortable visiting shared spaces, most
likely to believe face masks shouldn't be required in public, and
less likely to prioritize diversity and inclusion in choosing
brands.
- Open-Minded Explorers (22% of consumers) have new
priorities as they return to a world reopening. Politically
polarized, they are most likely to change brand preferences
post-COVID, more likely to be urban and educated, and more likely
to be influenced by advertisers, social media and bloggers.
- Worried Withholders (20% of consumers) are not
easily influenced: they prefer their comfort zone. Politically
centrist/somewhat conservative and the oldest persona,
they are more likely to feel somewhat uncomfortable visiting shared
spaces, least likely to have changed their brand preferences during
the pandemic, and likely to consider advertising less influential
now than before COVID-19 hit.
- Cautious Questioners (25% of consumers) keep their
distance until they know more. Politically liberal, they are twice
as likely as the average American to feel very uncomfortable
visiting shared spaces, most likely to have an underlying health
risk, and most likely to feel positive about companies prioritizing
diversity and inclusion in the wake of Black Lives Matter
protests.
"Never has it been more relevant to understand your target
audience's current mindset," said Mary
Elizabeth Germaine, partner and managing director, Ketchum
Analytics. "In our work with many of the world's leading brands,
we're seeing massive consumer behavior shifts that are likely to
persist. We now have access to data that lets us apply precision
marketing techniques to communications, enabling us to target based
on evolving behaviors and beliefs and thus drive higher brand
relevancy."
In addition to surveying consumers in the U.S., U.K. and
Germany on behavior, loyalty and
values overall, Ketchum's study also examines these related
specifically to health care, wellness, retail, travel, consumer
packaged goods, food and technology, as well as employees.
To download the Brand Reckoning 2020 infographic and
learn more about how Ketchum is helping brands engage consumers and
protect reputations, visit
www.ketchum.com/covid-consumer-survey.
About Ketchum's Brand Reckoning 2020 Study
Ketchum
Analytics – recently honored with the AMEC Platinum Award for Most
Effective Media Intelligence, Research and Insights Company –
conducted the Brand Reckoning 2020 study, a nationally
representative survey of 3,883 Americans aged 18+ between June 14 and June 23, 2020. The study's
overall margin of error is ±1.57 percentage points at the 95%
confidence level.
About Ketchum
The winner of 105 Cannes Lions and
PRovoke's Global Creative Agency of the Year, Ketchum is the
most creatively awarded firm in our industry. We're equal parts
human-centered and business-focused, empathetic and intelligent. As
a global communications consultancy, we combine the deep industry
and specialty expertise of boutique firms with global reach to find
unexpected connections that lead to lasting relationships and work
that matters. For more information on Ketchum, a part of Omnicom
Public Relations Group, visit www.ketchum.com.
About Omnicom Public Relations Group
Omnicom Public
Relations Group is a global collective of three of the top
global public relations agencies worldwide and specialist agencies
in areas including public affairs, marketing to women, global
health strategy and corporate social responsibility. It encompasses
more than 6,300 public relations professionals in more than 370
offices worldwide who provide their expertise to companies,
government agencies, NGOs and nonprofits across a wide range of
industries. Omnicom Public Relations Group delivers for clients
through a relentless focus on talent, continuous pursuit of
innovation and a culture steeped in collaboration. Omnicom
Public Relations Group is part of the DAS Group of Companies, a
division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) that includes more
than 200 companies in a wide range of marketing disciplines
including advertising, public relations, healthcare, customer
relationship management, events, promotional marketing, branding
and research.
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SOURCE Ketchum