Social Media Usage Insights

• Around 43% of social channels users continue to stay on the social channels longer due to Covid-19, and 19% are likely to continue with the trend after Covid-19. The roles of social media in consumers' lives have been diversified since the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Consumers now depend on social media for news, as around 36% depending on the social channels to stay updated with what's going on globally. About 33% of social media users login to the channels to find funny content, and 34% use social channels to fill up their spare time.
• The Covid-19 pandemic has increased video creation, and the trend is expected to continue Post-Covid. According to research, 57% of internet users stated that social media helped them cope during the Covid-19 outbreak.
• The average monetizable daily active users on Twitter grew by 23% from 2019 to 164 million during the Covid-19 pandemic. Facebook's message services (Messenger, Whatsapp, Video calls) have seen a 50% growth in usage, especially in areas most affected by Covid-19. Snapchat recorded an increase of 11 million daily active users during the first quarter of 2020, bringing daily active users to 229 million globally.

Change in Consumer Behavior

Digital Shopping

• Social distancing and stay-at-home directives made all consumer segments to shift shopping methods from traditional in-store shopping to online/digital shopping. Consumers intend to continue shopping online post-Covid, especially for home-entertainment and essentials.
• Sectors that will see an increase of over 35% in online shoppers include groceries, OTC drugs, personal-care products, and household supplies. Apparel, skincare & makeup, and jewelry categories indicate over 15% consumer growth since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Consumers Shifting Brands

• The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in 75% of the United States consumers to try new shopping patterns due to store closings, economic pressures, and priority changes. Around 36% of consumers are experimenting with products from other brands, while 25% are incorporating a new private-label brand. Out of the consumers that have tried new brands during the Covid-19 pandemic, 73% intend to continue using the new brands.
• High earners and Gen Z are most prone to brand switching. Big and trusted brands are the beneficiaries of the brand shifting trend as they have observed a 50% growth in consumers during the crisis. Around 80% of private brand consumers during the pandemic intend to continue using them after the Covid-19 crisis.

Research Summary