18 Must-Know Stats for Brand Marketers in 2020

The consumer marketing landscape has changed more in the last 3 months than it has in the last 10 years.

The result is that many advertisers are shifting their plans about 2020 — and beyond.

Nobody expected it.

And to an extent, we still can’t see into the long-term.

What consumer and advertising forecasts are still relevant?

What trends will bounce back in the coming months?

These answers aren’t exactly clear, and it’s tough to juggle the balancing act of amplifying ROI, especially if your budgets are shrinking. The world's smartest and most accomplished media buyers are known for being thoughtful and methodological.

So how do you take the right steps forward?

To help support your best decisions as a media buyer, advertiser, or brand marketer, we’ve rounded up a list of credible, must-know stats to help you make your best marketing judgment calls.

These resources will be especially valuable in the coming months as we all learn to navigate a new landscape.

Consumers are putting pressure on brands to do the right thing

• 78% say that they expect businesses to act to protect employees and the local community (Edelman Trust Barometer)
• 33% have convinced other people to stop using brands that they did not feel was acting appropriately in response to the pandemic (Edelman Trust Barometer)
• 62% say that our country will not make it through this crisis without brands playing a critical role in addressing the challenges we have (Edelman Trust Barometer)
• 81% say that they must be able to trust the brand to do what is right (Edelman Trust Barometer)

Americans are developing new, potentially lasting habits around food

• 54% of Americans are cooking more than they were before the pandemic (Hunter Food Study)
• 35% say that they “enjoy cooking now more than ever” (Hunter Food Study)
• Order volume for online grocery retailers surged 210% from March 12 to 15, compared with the year prior (Rakuten Intelligence)
• Online food sales surged 183% between March 1 and 25 compared to the year prior (NetElixer)
• Pizza chains have experienced 13% growth while delivery apps have exceeded their baseline growth (BCG)

Brand names are leading market share for critical product sales

• 61% of respondents in one survey say that they are ‘likely’ or ‘very likely’ to choose brand-name items when shopping for cleaning products (Econsultancy)
• 40% say that trustworthiness of a brand is the biggest deciding factor when choosing to purchase an item (Econsultancy)

E-commerce has accelerated into the future

• 25% of consumers say that they expect to shop online more frequently or for the first time in order to avoid germs in public places (Nielsen)
• First-time purchases placed through e-commerce sites belonging to chain stores grew by 119% compared to the year prior (Bluecore)
• Nearly 50% of global consumers say that they will be unlikely to return to brick-and-mortar shops in the immediate future (GWI)
• 80% of consumers in the United States say that they are waiting for milestones beyond lifting restrictions such as waiting for medical authorities to voice their approval, safety measures to be put in place, and a vaccine to be developed (McKinsey)
• 34% of consumers feel safe going to the store (Deloitte)

Brands will need to double-down on empathy

• 52% of consumers in the United States are concerned for their physical well-being (Deloitte)
• 42% of American consumers are delaying large purchases (Deloitte)
• 80% of American consumers believe that the country will enter a recession (BCG)

As a brand marketer, media buyer, or advertiser, you have the ability to write a better end to the COVID-19 narrative.

While it’s too early to develop a clear view about the future, it is safe to begin to take careful steps forward with more concrete plans for reaching audiences with relevant, valuable, and uplifting messages.

Remember that as humans, we are timeless in our psychology. There are things about us that will always be true, no matter what changes are happening in the world.

Contributors Statement

This blog post was a collaboration between the AdQuick team. Chris Gadek, John McClung, and Jack Gaylor contributed to this piece. Payton Biddington created the visuals.

If you’d like to learn how out of home can work with your unique marketing campaign and business, send a quick email to [email protected] or call (213) 986-6179. We’ll reach out with case studies and recommendations tailored to you.