COVID-19 Audience Insights
This week, we’re looking at the significant differences in attitudes and behaviours of various audiences, and how you can create value for them, which will result in value for you.
Using life-stage as a framework, we have seen significant differences between the three classic groups: pre-family; family; and post-family. These differences were first identified qualitatively by participating in the Real-Time Qualitative Tracker that customer consultancy Quadrangle ran last Thursday. We then used YouGov data from throughout March to evidence and quantify the differences.
The ‘Pre-Family’ audience
This group are typically aged under 30 with no children and either live on their own, with a partner, or have moved back into the family home with parents.
They are less worried and more resentful as they see their lives as being put on hold; Grieving for lost holidays (44% have cancelled or delayed foreign trips); lost independence; lost social lives. Concerned about finances (49% are spending less), as they are the most likely to have lost their job or been furloughed.
This group are the most likely to see benefits of lockdown going to others to the detriment of themselves. Only 71% fully support the lockdown measures taken.
What can brands do to create value for pre-family’s?
- Communicate with them. This is the generation that expect you to talk to them, but maybe not by email – unsubscribe rates are soaring!
- Entertain or distract them. Skyscanner’s film this week is a good example. Many are taking up new hobbies – what content or celebrity “how to” can you bring?
- Consider talking about other things. 50% of them see climate change as the biggest threat to humanity vs all our other groups who see it as COVID-19.
The ‘Family’ audience
This group are typically aged between 30-55, have infants or school-age children living at home and are living in a nuclear or extended family household.
This is the most stressed group, with 34% worried about losing their jobs and 45% worried about paying. They are taking mortgage breaks, credit card breaks and lost out on house moves or redecoration/rebuilding work as well as holidays.
They are juggling children and jobs, and distracting the children is a major focus. Any future plans are on hold, with 55% having cancelled or delayed travel this year and 44% spending less, mostly from choice not necessity.
What can brands do to create value for Families?
This is the group that will most welcome and remember you for providing free practical help with their family life, especially with children. A brilliant example of this is UNICEF, who have created “Stay and Play” in the last week – an activity pack to keep your children entertained and distracted at home.
The ‘Post-family’ audience
This group are typically aged 55+ and have kids that have moved out, though may be back now. If they have, the parents are much happier about this than their adult children are!
This is the least worried and upset group, at least for themselves. They have fewer money worries (44% of over 70’s are spending the same as before) and are the most compliant and content with the lockdown advice – the over 70’s even more so, with 88% supporting the lockdown.
They are worried about others, be that family, friends or the key workers or employees of firms like Amazon that they see as not being supportive.
This is the generation that doesn’t expect (or want?) brands to communicate with them. Ironically for the group that consumes the most media in normal times, they seem to be attempting to manage their consumption now, especially the amount of news they are watching.
What can brands do to create value for Post-families?
As referenced in our note last week, this group is most in need of a purpose and who are donating to charities and volunteering locally or for the NHS via SAM.
How can you either give them a purpose and engage by activating them, or show them that you are making the world better for others? For charities that’s obvious – ask, appropriately.
For commercial brands, we’d suggest looking at technology and how this might help to combat loneliness and / or mental health issues for those isolating alone or assist those still struggling with video calls and hangouts.