Trends in Digital Media, Advertising, & COVID-19 (Report)

This report excerpt is part of our monthly Remesh Live! series, where 100+ individuals participate in a Remesh conversation and share their thoughts on a range of topics from meal kit preferences to international healthcare, and more!

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In March, we held a live conversation on digital media and advertising with 100 consumers to hear what they had to say about:

• How social media advertising compares to traditional TV advertising
• Which advertising approaches appeal to them, and which don’t
• If, and how, messaging should change in the midst of COVID-19

Here are 3 key findings from that conversation.

Most consumers find ads on social media and streaming platforms annoying or unmemorable

Almost 70% of participants indicated that they disliked advertising on social media and video streaming channels, with many finding them “annoying” and “disruptive.” When asked to describe advertisements in the past that had been effective and memorable, more than half of all participants struggled with naming even one positive example, stating that they didn’t pay close enough attention to such channels.

Consumers are most drawn toward ads that use humor

When asked about the emotional quality of advertisements, a whopping 89% of participants indicated that they preferred ads that were funny and humorous. This is in contrast to a range of emotions they were offered, including hope, love, and wonder. At the same time, participants also indicated that they were more drawn toward ads that featured brands and products they had some degree of familiarity with.

Yet, a sizable portion of participants (54%) also indicated a disdain towards having their purchasing and browsing experience “stalked” or “tracked” by brands, indicating a need to strike a delicate balance when personalizing the customer experience.

Consumers expect messaging in the COVID-19 era to be positive and respectful

Finally, participants were divided when it came to regular advertising messaging during this extraordinary time. 38% of participants were satisfied with the status quo, while 33% felt that regular messaging was inappropriate in this time of crisis. 

Yet, across the board, most participants agreed that current ads should carry a tone of positivity, and demonstrate how brands are positively contributing to the current crisis. Participants also expected brands to be respectful in their messaging, and to not capitalize on existing fears that the public might have.  

To review the full set of data from this conversation, download our topline report.