Weekly News Digest on Digital Marketing & COVID-19 – 05/09/20

Consumer focus has begun to shift as more businesses re-open, according to their state’s lifted regulations during the pandemic. As such, Adlucent has updated this digest to reflect general digital marketing and ecommerce information during this readjustment period, in addition to relevant news about the ongoing COVID-19 situation. To stay in the know as we publish these digests, sign up for our email newsletter.

A recent survey (spanning seven countries) showed that consumers are prepared to move on from ads referencing the pandemic. Over 40% of the seven-thousand respondents indicated they are ready to receive messaging unrelated to COVID-19. However, these same consumers are open to such advertisements in the right context, for example, while watching serious programming like the news. However, the messaging is reported to have been beneficial, helping over 30% of consumers feel less anxiety, and over 75% of them feel the brands cared for their health and welfare.

– Content Marketing Institute

Though many companies have undergone partial or complete retail closure, they have found creative ways of content marketing – recipes. Three companies notably used content marketing in this fashion. For the first time, DoubleTree by Hilton released its famous cookie recipe. Once released, the recipe was re-tooled and amplified in various ways. Disney and Ikea also followed suit. Disney Parks Blog published recipes in its “Cooking up the Magic” series. And, Ikea provided the recipe for its famous Swedish meatball recipe in their well-known step-by-step instructions style.  

Although not all companies have recipes to share, brands should think of out-of-the-box or unexpected content that would surprise or interest customers at a time when brand innovation has been making an impact.

Soon, those who subscribe to YouTube TV will receive more options for their monthly $49.99 subscription. Starting this summer, ViacomCBS’s Nickelodeon, BET, MTV, Comedy Central, CMT, TV Land, and more will join the platform through a multi-year expanded pact with Google. Also, CBS, CBS Sports Network, Pop TV, Smithsonian Channel, and The CW will continue to broadcast and stream on the platform via YouTube TV live and its on-demand service. The deal will also ensure the distribution of ViacomCBS premium subscription services like Showtime on YouTube TV and broader YouTube.

– Search Engine Land

Google has provided a new tool, Rising Retail Categories, to help retailers gain insight into fast-changing consumer demands during the COVID-19 crisis. The aid, located on ThinkwithGoogle.com, shares data on consumer interests and demand fluctuations in the United States, Australia, and the UK. The information will be updated daily and can be filtered to show fast-growing queries and product categories per week, month, or year. The product-trend data provided may help companies with product promotion and content marketing.

Our team has detailed ways to deliver purposeful content on Pinterest, one of the most popular and helpful social media sites during these times of change. With a focus on the three Care Need States: Me (self-care), We (care for loved-ones), and Us (community support), we’ve illustrated ideas and activities to showcase each area. Furthermore, we reviewed how to leverage the four phases of marketing: 

You can use these steps to plan for future Pinterest content and ad spend.

The above overview highlights this week’s important digital marketing news, as the coronavirus crisis continues to unfold. Continue to visit the Adlucent website for ongoing information on the current situation.