COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the way we live our lives and how we connect with the world around us. Things like social distancing, curbside pickup, and at-home workouts are now commonplace. The necessary measures taken to manage the pandemic have not only disrupted the global economy, but have also altered consumers’ interests, expectations, and purchasing behavior. These shifts are constant and they’re happening rapidly—and we want to help you navigate them. Today, we’ll share five key trends we’re seeing and provide helpful resources for adjusting your media strategy.
What’s changing with consumers?
As of this week, there are over four billion people staying home worldwide. And while we don’t know how or when this crisis will resolve, we do have new insight into how people’s needs and behaviors are changing:
People are using multiple devices to go online at unprecedented levels.
Connecting with the world online is more important than ever right now, with at-home media consumption increasing dramatically and influencing all aspects of life.
- In the U.S., staying home has led to a 60 percent increase in the amount of content watched. Americans are watching roughly 12 hours of media content a day, according to Nielsen data.
- Consumers across the globe are spending 20 percent more time in apps and games than they did a year ago and app usage in China grew to five hours/day on average (+30 percent year over year), according to App Annie.
People are turning to Google for important information and content to meet their essential needs.
With businesses adapting to delivery or online models, people are looking for clear, specific information about where, how, and when they can get what they need.
- According to internal data, searches for “food delivery services” have grown globally by more than 300 percent year over year.
- Americans are watching videos related to recipes and cooking at a rate 31 percent higher than they did the same time last year.
- According to internal data, searches for “online pharmacy” have grown globally by more than 100 percent year over year.
People are discovering new connections and nurturing relationships (virtually).
Even as people physically distance themselves, they’re using technology in new ways to connect with each other.
- 50 percent of U.S. consumers said they have used video to communicate with family and friends. In fact, as of April, Google Meet is hosting 3 billion minutes of video meetings and adding nearly 3 million new users everyday.
- On YouTube, we’ve seen a rise in “with me” videos, where people film themselves going about ordinary tasks like cleaning and cooking. In the US, views of videos containing “study with me” in the title are 54 percent higher compared to the same period last year.
People are adjusting routines to be at-home-first.
As daily routines and schedules adjust to new realities, so have online and at-home habits.
- Search interest for “telecommuting” in the U.S. reached an all-time high on Google and YouTube in mid-March, and continues to grow with no sign of slowing down.
- Workout routines have changed. There’s growing search interest for “stationary bicycle” worldwide since the beginning of the year, especially in Spain and France, and “dumbbell set” in the UK.
People are practicing self-care more.
People are focused on taking care of their own physical and psychological needs, in addition to those of friends and loved ones. – Read more
