COVID-19 Intelligence - Q3
Our quarterly COVID-19 Connections Readiness Report
Welcome back to our COVID-19 Intelligence Report - we’ll now be distributing these reports on a quarterly basis! This 24th edition of our reporting, as well as our previous issuances, all live on our Audience Engine SUBSTACK!
This report is ~1,500 words, about a 6 minute read
Latest News
While daily cases have flattened in the past two weeks (+1%), the U.S. is now averaging 1,500 deaths per day for the first time since March (NYT)
The FDA has fully approved the use of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine (NYT)
53% of the U.S. is now fully vaccinated. Rollout strategy has pivoted from mass vaccination sites to targeted efforts at local pharmacies, doctors' offices, work sites, and large gatherings (summer festivals, sports games) (NPR)
The Public Mindset
After a decline in perceived risk during late May and early June, over 1/3rd (39%) of Americans are now saying returning to “normal life” poses a risk to their health and well-being (Ipsos)
60% of parents are uncomfortable with students returning to school unvaccinated and potentially without masks, with 37% saying they will stay virtual if it’s an option (Harris Poll)
GenZers and Millennials are more likely to cut ties over vaccination status and 37% said they would require vaccination if they were to host an event (Harris Poll)
53% of Americans say they’re more likely to shop in-store at companies that require all employees to get vaccinated, with GenZers (62%) and Boomers (54%) as the two most likely generations to agree with these company mandates (Harris Poll)
The Delta variant has triggered return to workplace concerns with 61% of Americans saying they’ll take more precautions at work and 64% in their personal life (Business Insider)
Changes in Consumer Spending
In Store Experience:
As consumers increasingly seek convenience, retailers have forged new partnerships in order to become a one stop shop:
Target plans place 100 Ultas within their retail stores in 2021. Similarly Kohls is partnering with Sephora to include the beauty retailer within 200 of its locations (Yahoo)
Just in time for the holiday season Target will also expand their partnership with Disney to 100 additional stores (USA Today)
Macy’s has joined forces with Toys R’ Us to open toy shops in 400 department stores nationwide in 2022 (USA Today)
Groceries:
Grocery delivery, once thought of as a luxury pre-pandemic, has become the normal for many Americans and industry experts expect the shift to continue: Walmart e-commerce sales grew 69% from 2019 to 2020, while Kroger’s delivery business grew by 150% in 2020 (Yahoo News)
Travel:
Interest in travel insurance has seen an uptick with many more Americans eyeing “cancel for any reason” coverage compared to pre-pandemic (Forbes)
Changes in Health Care Needs
Brands can expect technology to play a role in how consumers monitor contagious illness in the future: 62% of adults indicated they’re interested in using an app to detect community outbreaks in the future (Mintel)
Cost and insurance coverage are the most common barriers to accessing Telehealth, with 4 in 10 Americans saying its prevented them from using the platform. Other notable obstacles include digital literacy (27%), internet access (26%), and even access to a private location to complete the visit (26%) (Insider Intelligence | eMarketer)
Consumer Content Interest
Music:
The wait was finally over on 8/29: Kanye West released his 10th studio album “Donda”, the release comes after much fanfare which included 3 in-person live listening parties (Hypebeast)
20 years after the passing of R&B legend Aaliyah her music has finally landed on streaming services (Hollywood Reporter)
Social Media:
Tik Tok users became engrossed in Bama Rush: The Alabama Panhellenic Association at the University of Alabama kicked off their sorority rush week on the platform with new members documenting the dramatic experience. The hashtag, #bamarush, garnered over 231 million views on TikTok (Teen Vogue)
TV:
HBO announced that the 5th and final season of Issa Rae's fan-favorite comedy Insecure will premiere in October (Popsugar). Other highly anticipated fall shows include the Dexter revival and the long awaited 3rd season of HBO’s Succession (MSN)
Jeopardy! is once again on the hunt for a new host after host Mike Richards stepped down after past sexist remarks surfaced. Mayim Bialik is set to be the first guest host (CNBC)
Changes in Media Behavior
Shop:
Shopify merchants with a TikTok For Business account will soon be able to add a shopping tab to their profiles and sync product catalogues, creating a mini-storefront. One of the first brands to participate in the pilot will be Kylie Cosmetics (AdAge)
Interact:
Twitter is testing a new manual reporting option, that will enable users to flag tweets that contain misleading information (Social Media Today)
Reddit tests new video feed as it looks to expand its video options (Social Media Today)
Twitch users organized a boycott of the platform, called #ADayOffTwitch, to protest the platform’s inaction to a recent wave of hate speech against marginalized creators: Less than 15% of reports on the platform led to any action (Insider Intelligence | eMarketer)
Pinterest launched a new feature that allows you to search by texture. Pinners will now be able to refine hair searches by six different hair textures/styles: protective, coily, curly, wavy, straight and shaved/bald (Pinterest)
Watch:
Primetime TV ratings for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics fell short compared to the 2016 Rio games, coverage was down 43% among total viewers, -55% among adults 18-49 and -53% among adults 25-54 (MAGNA)
In a new sampling strategy to boost sign-ups, HBO Max is the first major streamer to build a Snap Mini co-viewing experience to bring full-length episodes to Snapchat (Variety)
Listen:
Spotify has launched a podcast-subscription service, podcast content creators will now be able to charge 20 different price points from 49 cents to $150 (MSN)
Read:
Elle Magazine published their first “LatinX issue” with Selena Gomez as the cover girl (Mitu)
Seek:
The surge in search terms related to back-to-work purchases suggests that the trend could rival back-to-school shopping. Office attire saw a big jump, with searches for women’s blazers up 2,000% compared to last July. Additionally, searches for pet cameras are up 76% this year compared to last as those who acquired pets during the pandemic need ways to monitor their pets when back in the office (Ad Week)
What Brands are Doing
For COVID-19:
FCB Health New York IPG and non-profit group GMHC have partnered with drag queen and influencer Miz Jade to create the Ms. Information platform to encourage the LGBTQ+ community to get vaccinated (AdWeek)
With the Football season approaching alongside increased COVID-19 uncertainty, Pepsi has tweaked their sports marketing strategy to better account for pandemic-driven changes. The brand placed a spotlight on home viewing in their new NFL marketing platform, "Made for Football Watching," which includes TV ads, on-air and retail integrations, social media filters and a dedicated microsite (Marketing Dive)
For Back To School:
Walmart is hosting a shoppable livestream concert to build excitement for the back-to-school season. A TikTok challenge rounds out the effort, allowing participants to share why their favorite teachers deserve to be recognized (Marketing Dive)
DoorDash is promoting a “Welcome BackPack” campaign, giving away 5,000 free, fully-stocked backpacks as the company looks to expand consumers' perceptions of what they can order from the delivery service beyond food items (AdAge)
For Women’s Equality Day:
Michelob Ultra is committing $100 million over the next five years to increase visibility for women’s sports and female athletes (Forbes)
Keds partnered with designer Elizabeth Olwen to create an original shoe pattern, and donated $10,000 to support young female artists and encourage expression through style (PR Newswire)
Thanks for reading! Be well!