An advertising recession is now highly probable in the first half of 2020 as COVID-19 hits key media owners

FMCG brands - which spend $97.2bn on advertising - are likely to weather the storm better than other sectors, as sales of food, drink and hygiene products boom on Amazon and Tmall

WARC Global Advertising Trends: FMCG & COVID-19

The global economy is set to fall into recession, with the advertising market likely to follow in the first half of this year, though FMCG brands are better-placed to weather the storm finds WARC, the international marketing intelligence service.

The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) - a monthly survey of trading conditions among purchasing managers in private sector companies - for February and March show the worst results for the services sector in recent history across the US (39.1, whereby a value below 50 indicates decline), UK (35.7), Japan (32.7), the Euro area (28.4) and China (26.5).

The COVID-19 crunch is filtering through to advertising; RTL, Europe's largest broadcaster, has stated that COVID-19 is hitting ad bookings, while in the US NBCUniversal also expects a material impact, not least because its Olympic coverage has now been postponed.

UK broadcaster ITV reports the same, notably within the travel sector (5% of its 2019 ad revenue, or £91m) and expects ad growth to be down 10%. JCDecaux is anticipating a 10% dip too.

Baidu in China advises Q1 revenue will be down by as much as 18% while other online pure players, such as Alphabet, Twitter and Facebook are also exposed - digital channels are often the easiest to switch off in a time of crisis.

The last financial crisis removed $60.5bn from the advertising market, with all media apart from online search recording declines in investment. The market took eight years to recover from this shock after accounting for inflation and currency fluctuations.

James McDonald, Managing Editor, WARC Data, and author of the research, says: "The current downturn may not hit FMCG as hard as other product sectors, but it is likely to be consequential in terms of changing consumer purchasing behaviour. A sharp increase in e-commerce activity may result in online players becoming more significant as the gatekeepers to FMCG shoppers."

FMCG better-placed to weather the storm

During the last advertising recession in 2009, advertising investment among the food and drink sector fell at a far softer rate than the wider industry. In the UK, the food sector reduced investment by 1.3% to £860m and the drinks sector by 2.3% to £321m. This compares to a 5.6% fall for total FMCG (to £1.98bn) in the UK and an 11.7% dip for the total UK market (to £13.11bn). TV was by far the hardest-hit advertising medium.

Sales revenue was down for each of the five largest FMCG companies in 2009, though only P&G (-11.7% to $7.52bn) and Coca-Cola (-6.9% to $2.70bn) cut ad investment. As a share of sales revenue, advertising spend held during the last crash at Unilever (13.3% of sales, or €5.30bn), P&G (9.8%, $7.52bn), Nestlé (33.7%, CHF36.27bn), Coca-Cola (9.0%, $2.70bn) and L'Oréal (30.8%, €5.39bn).

The FMCG ad market was worth $97.2bn in 2019, a 15.6% share of global advertising spend. Much of this money is spent online; for example, 55.8% - $28.55bn - of ad budgets in the household and domestic sector is invested in online advertising. This compares to a 26.9% share ($25.59bn) for toiletries & cosmetics.

The food and drinks sectors spend most on TV, at $17.0bn and $16.28bn respectively. Brand-building is important within these sectors as products are sold via third-party retailers, not directly to consumers. These sectors are better-placed to weather the impending recession as shoppers continue to buy the essentials; the apparel, automotive, retail (non-food), consumer durables and leisure & tourism sectors will be disproportionately affected by a downturn.

FMCG sales boom on Amazon and Tmall as consumers adjust to 'the new normal'

One in four is now shopping more online due to COVID-19. Millennials (39%) are more likely to do so, followed by Gen Xers (25%). Higher earners are also significantly more likely to than lower earners (48% versus 15%). Most shoppers are going online at the expense of visits to the store; this is particularly true in India (55% of consumers) and China (50%), but also notable in Italy (31%), the US (23%), and the UK (18%).

A WARC analysis of Edge by Ascential data shows sharp rises in the sale of FMCG products on Amazon in the US and UK over the last few weeks, with growth far exceeding both Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday. In the US, sales of hand sanitiser were up by over 650% compared to a year earlier, and 450% compared to Prime Day. Sales of pantry staples, vitamin C and disinfecting wipes more than doubled. Nielsen also recorded sharp rises in grocery sales across all US outlets, notably for powdered milk (+85%), dried beans (+37%), canned meat (+32%), and rice (+25%).

The picture was similar in the UK; sales of antiseptics & disinfectants were up by almost 300% on Amazon, while sales of soaps & hand wash trebled. In China, sales of face masks, oral mouthwash, snacks & confectionary and alcohol have more than doubled, according to data from Yimian.

The upshot of increased e-commerce activity is that online players may become more significant as the gatekeepers to FMCG shoppers. For the big manufacturers, this may increase the importance of DTC or subscription offers. Consumers are now 'living a new normal', and crisis-buying habits may become permanent behaviours.

Since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency in January, we’ve taken steps to help people access accurate information, stay safe, and stay connected.

We're announcing additional updates:

Including more educational resources in Instagram Search

Adding stickers to promote accurate information

Removing COVID-19 accounts from recommendations, unless posted by a credible health organization

Rolling out the donation sticker in more countries and helping people find relevant nonprofits to support

Creating a shared story to help those practicing social distancing connect with others, using a “Stay Home” sticker

Launching a new way to browse Instagram with friends over video chat

Accessing Accurate Information

People who search for information related to the coronavirus or COVID-19 on Instagram will start to see an educational message connecting them to resources from the World Health Organization and local health ministries. We are working quickly to make this available globally over the coming weeks.

We’re also launching new stickers to help people share accurate COVID-19 information in Stories. These new features include reminders to wash your hands, distance yourself from others and more. These will be available in the camera in the coming days.

Over the past few weeks we've added a notice at the top of feed for countries affected by COVID-19. The notice includes reliable resources from expert health organizations. In addition, we’ve been highlighting resources from these organizations when people view related hashtags.

Keeping Our Community Safe

In addition to promoting credible information throughout our app, we’re making several changes to reduce the spread of misinformation.

We’ll remove COVID-19 accounts from account recommendations, and we are working to remove some COVID-19 related content from Explore, unless posted by a credible health organization. We will also start to downrank content in feed and Stories that has been rated false by third-party-fact checkers.

This is in addition to our existing policies on misinformation. If posts are rated false by third-party-fact checkers, we remove them from Explore and hashtag pages. We also remove false claims or conspiracy theories that have been flagged by leading global health organizations and local health authorities as having the potential to cause harm to people who believe them.

To prevent people from exploiting this public health emergency we’ve already put several new policies into effect. We prohibited misleading ads for products that refer to COVID-19 in ways intended to create urgency, guarantee cures or prevent people from contracting it, and we have temporarily banned advertisements and branded content that promote certain medical supplies, including face masks. In addition, we removed the ability to search for COVID-19 related AR effects unless they were developed in partnership with a recognized health organization.

Staying Connected and Supporting Communities

To help people support relief efforts, we’re making our Donation sticker available in additional countries and adding a new COVID-19 section so people can quickly identify relevant nonprofits.

To help people stay connected, we’ve launched media sharing, a new feature that allows you to view Instagram posts together with your friends over video chat. You can start a video chat by tapping the video chat icon in the Direct inbox or in an existing Direct thread, then view saved, liked and suggested photos/videos by tapping the photo icon in the bottom left corner in an ongoing video chat.

Finally, we’ve launched a “Stay Home” sticker. Any accounts you follow who use the sticker will be added to a shared Instagram story, allowing you to see how others are practicing social distancing at this time.

YouGov looks at attitudes and behaviour across 26 markets

Several countries in YouGov’s international COVID-19 tracker – including India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, the UK, and various US states – went into lockdown in between the previous and most recent surveys there, and the impact can clearly be in the number of people avoiding crowded places or going to work in those countries.

For instance, in India the number of people reporting that they have avoided going to work has leapt from 26% to 63% while in Malaysian the figures rose sharply from 14% to 55%.

In the UK the number of people avoiding crowded public spaces rose from 57% to 80%, putting it in line with other nations that have been locked down for longer.

Some countries have seen large shifts despite not having been told to stay indoors. In Germany, where people have been advised to practice social distancing measures but not put in lockdown, the proportion of people avoiding crowded places has risen from 46% to 70%.

Likewise in Indonesia, which had not implemented a lockdown by the time of the most recent survey, saw the number of people avoiding public places rise from 51% to 73%, and those avoiding work rose from 18% to 47%.

The Swedes and Finns are the least likely to have stopped mingling, with only 44% and 47% saying they are avoiding the crowds.

Fear levels continue to mount in most countries

The most significant increase in concern took place in the UK, with 61% of Britons now describing themselves as very or fairly scared of catching the disease, compared to 48% last week.

Fear levels have also risen noticeably in Australia and Germany, both of which have seen a 12 percentage point increase in the number of people who are very or fairly worried they will become infected (rising from 35% to 47% in Australia and from 37% to 49% in Germany).

The Indian, Canadian, Mexican and American populations have all also experienced double-digit increases in the number of people scared of falling victim to the virus.

In the four Nordic nations there has been no change in concern from one week to the next. Together with Mexico they form the 5 least worried countries, with just 27-42% expressing much fear.

Government measures

Support for the various possible measures governments could take continues to rise across the countries studied.

Indians and Germans in particular are also among the consistently most likely to be moving in support of government measures to combat the disease, with double digits increases in support of almost all measures.

In Singapore – where last week we showed attitudes were beginning to soften – there has been a large reversal when it comes to allowing flights from countries with COVID-19 cases. The number of Singaporeans wanting to ban flights from such places has risen by 18 percentage points to 56%, the first time a majority have backed the measure since we started tracking.

In the first episode, industry experts from PHD MENA and Arla Foods explain the power of data to drive ambitious brand growth 

PHD MENA announces the launch of its new podcast series. Created to support marketers and business professionals in building the next wave of challengers, each episode decodes the world of media and marketing and shines a light on the strategies of successful brands. The first episode, which is going live on Apple and Spotify streaming platforms this week, is hosted by PHD and The Marketing Society. 

PHD MENA, which has a decade-long history of sharing knowledge with its stakeholders and business partners through events like BrainScape, is now adding podcasts as a platform to reach an even wider audience. A 2019 study estimated that there were 1.3 million regular podcast listeners in the UAE alone. As this listenership grows thanks to the rising number of podcasts in, for or about the region, coupled with the need to work from home, the agency regards the format as an ideal way to share industry knowledge with clients, partners and the broader industry. 

The first episode features two data enthusiasts, David Barnes, PHD UAE’s Director of Data and Measurement, and Rania Hatoum, Arla Foods’ Regional Digital Lead, who analyze case studies, trends and news about data, technology and analytics. They also discuss future technologies, the rise of eCommerce, successful campaigns that were born out of data and the wider impact of data on business practices. 

“Harnessing the power of data is more critical today than ever. The magnitude of data can certainly look overwhelming, but it is the obsession with metrics that gives it a bad name,” Barnes argues. “We must focus on ‘effectiveness’ to build a brand rather than ‘efficiency’. This is one of the key challenger behaviours described in Overthrow II, the book PHD co-authored with eatbigfish.”

“Conversing with David was, as always, insightful, particularly when looking at new ways of approaching and understanding marketing data. Being a part of the first episode of PHD MENA’s podcast series was a privilege and I can’t wait to hear how the channel evolves,” says Rania Hatoum. 

“The ambition for our podcast series is to drive conversations on the latest industry developments and tools and to share this knowledge with fellow industry professionals and those wanting to take their brands to new heights. Overthrow II, and its focus on the challenger attitude, has been a powerful eye opener and generated much interest on how to embrace it. With our podcast, we will dig further into this new thinking for brands to build disproportionate growth when they need it most,” comments Luca Allam, Managing Director of PHD UAE.

The next episode will be released in April, featuring PHD MENA’s Head of Strategy and Specialized Services, Daniel Shepherd, who will be sharing his insights on data signals that are most crucial to monitor when building a challenger brand with David Barnes. 

To keep people informed and to create awareness as the world works to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, Snap has rolled out new creative tools – including, amongst others, Lenses that will help Snapchatters stay positive by engaging in a bit of fun while working or studying from home, and a new Snap augmented reality (AR) game that will help to myth-bust common inaccuracies by separating coronavirus facts from fiction.

Additionally, Snap has launched new creative tools and features that make it easy for users to share reliable information about COVID-19, while still having fun connecting with their friends and co-workers, even when they’re far apart.

“We introduced new experiences that give Snapchatters more easily-digestible information on how to stay safe during this challenging time, by using augmented reality and other creative tools,” said Hussein Freijeh, General Manager of Snap Inc., Middle East. “In times like these we can see the world coming together in new and creative ways, even though we are all practicing social distancing. The Snap team across the world is working hard to come up with new ways to help people stay connected, be creative, have fun, and stay mentally and physically healthy. We want to make sure that Snapchatters have the right information and the tools to spread awareness during this time. No matter how long we’re all asked to stay home, Snapchat will continue to innovate to help people keep in touch with their loved ones around the world, and to have fun doing it – because finding joy and humor is especially important during this time.”

For anyone taking part in web conferences while working or studying from home or using their webcams to keep in touch with family and friends in a unique, fun and engaging way, Snap Camera brings the fun of Snapchat Lenses, such as the Time Machine, Stars Crown, Dog, and so much more, to video chats for both PC and Mac, no matter what video service you use. New lenses include a full suit and tie amongst a variety of other outfits and accompanying hairstyles, so that your boss or teacher doesn’t have to know you’ve just rolled out of bed, and an array of exotic backdrops to transport you beyond your home in the eyes of everyone else on the conference call.

Snap Camera syncs with any camera connected to your computer and works with apps including Google Hangouts, Zoom, Skype, Twitch, Discord and more.

New tools introduced by Snap include a lens which allows users to show that they are staying at home. Another new tool is a Snappable AR game that lets Snapchatters and their friends myth-bust some of the most common inaccuracies about coronavirus and COVID-19, and learn more about the facts.

New Bitmoji stickers have been added to bring a little levity to the situation many of us are facing. Available in English and Arabic, the new stickers feature light-hearted and personalizable messages such as ‘Keep Your Distance’, ‘Wash Your Hands!’, and ‘Stay Healthy, Helpful, and Calm’. More will be rolled out soon!

Through a strategic collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Digital Studio will combat misinformation and create awareness about public health & safety

Egyptians will be able to ask questions and get accurate information from medical professionals live on Facebook 

Digital Studio has announced the launch of a new interactive live news show on Facebook, dedicated to raising awareness about facts of the COVID-19 pandemic, while encouraging Egyptians to adopt best practices for prevention and safety. Working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the interactive show will also highlight the most updated fact-based global data and news on COVID-19, to ensure that people in Egypt have access to the right information.  

“Corona Free” (#من_غير_كورونا) is hosted by Passant El-Husseiny and will air its first episode on Friday, 27 March and is scheduled at 4:30pm pm Cairo Time and 2:30pm GMT. A representative from Egypt's Ministry of Health and Population, along with famed Egyptian actor and comedian Mohamed Henedy will be the first guests on the show.

Egypt's health ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed, said “The COVID-19 virus has spread around the world and has led to significant levels of misinformation, resulting in panic amongst the public. At the Ministry of Health, we want to ensure that every Egyptian is able to access factual and updated information and learn from medical professionals on the best ways to stay safe during this pandemic. Our collaboration with Digital Studio on Facebook Live for the “Corona Free” (#من_غير_كورونا) show will support our efforts to deliver the right information and prevent the spread of COVID-19, and limit panic amongst citizens. By enabling education and awareness via digital platforms, we want to ensure that we are able to reach every Egyptian and ensure their safety.” 

Noura Ebeid, Managing Director at Digital Studio emphasized the need for real time access to the right information, saying, “The situation around COVID-19 is constantly evolving. Through this show, we want to ensure that we are able to put out credible and updated information to every citizen, and limit the spread of misinformation. With the support of the Ministry of Health, we are equipped with the right information, access to experts and health tips that will be shared everyday on the “Corona Free” (#من_غير_كورونا) show through Facebook Live, ensuring that we can reach millions around the country and help limit the spread of this virus.”

The show from Digital Studio will provide Egyptian audiences with credible information, based on the latest data from the Ministry of Health on the Covid-19 situation in Egypt. The show will feature five live segments: ‘Corona Breaking News’ which will offer the most recent statistics and data on Coronavirus, both locally and globally; ‘Men Fadlek’ a segment focused on providing simple information on how to protect against the virus; ‘Men Aal’ an interactive segment where audiences can submit information to be verified by medical professionals; ‘Corona Wa Laken’ a short segment on the positive stories happening around the world despite the challenges of COVID-19 and ‘#StayHome’ a 20-minute segment during which viewers will ask live questions to medical professionals, government officials, and public figures on the show.  

Mohamed Omar, News Partnerships Manager, Middle East and North Africa at Facebook, said: “The availability of accurate information from credible sources is a critical factor in managing a global health crisis of the nature of COVID-19. At Facebook, we want to ensure that users have access to factual information and allow them to share timely, relevant and accurate information to help prevent the spread of the virus. It is inspiring to see how Digital Studio and the Ministry of Health are collaborating to leverage technology to improve the flow of information and the safety of the people of Egypt.”

“Corona Free” (#من_غير_كورونا) brings together power of technology and health industry experts to offer Egyptians with a credible source of information. The show will also highlight World Health Organization data with access to verified information and updates, and provide clarity on rumors and unverified treatments.  

Over the past year, ‘Facebook Live’ has become an increasingly popular way for Egyptian audiences to capture and share important moments in their lives, in real time. ‘Live’ has been an impactful and meaningful way for digital natives to connect with their audiences - Since the launch of Live video on Facebook, people have made over 8.5 billion broadcasts. 

During the live episodes, a CrowdTangle Live Display, will highlight real-time streams of COVID-19-related posts from public Pages and accounts. Earlier this week, Facebook launched the CrowdTangle Live Display Hub which consists of over 100 COVID-19 Live Displays; each Live Display features post streams sorted by relevant keywords and public accounts to each region. This includes content from local media organizations, regional World Health Organization Pages, government agencies, local politicians, in more than 50 countries, including Egypt. 

Management consultancy Oliver Wyman expects the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to have a lasting effect on the future of work, as remote working and virtual collaboration will increase in Dubai and the Gulf countries, following the crisis.

According to Jeff Youssef, Partner – Public Sector at Oliver Wyman, remote working could be adopted more widely in the economic recovery period and even on a sustained basis, as it provides cost efficiencies to businesses in terms of office space and greater time efficiency, removing commuting time. These cost benefits will help fundamentally soften the impact of the pandemic on businesses when the economic upturn begins.

When an organization wants to tackle a complex problem or have an important discussion, the default is to get the relevant people together in the same room. The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has fundamentally challenged this way of working, from companies imposing travel restrictions on their employees or limiting the size of meetings, to workers self-isolating after returning from affected regions. 

As part of the precautionary measures being issued by the UAE authorities to safeguard the health and wellbeing of its citizens and residents, working from home will be a mandatory requirement for most professionals and workers across public and private sector organizations. From 29 March 2020, government entities moved to a 100 per cent remote work system following guidance issued by Dubai Executive Council.

To adapt to the evolving situation, companies and governments are placing more resources into ensuring their sophisticated technological infrastructure can ensure business continuity in light of employee travel restrictions, workers in self-isolation and staying at home to comply with government directives. 

The rapid increase in working population who are confined to their homes has resulted in a surge in demand for technology solutions and cyber security that supports remote working. This includes teleconferencing software and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to protect networks and ensure seamless connectivity for the thousands of professionals working from home.

The Middle East and markets around the world are facing growing macroeconomic uncertainty. As the world gets to grips with the COVID-19 pandemic, three billion people in paid employment worldwide have a crucial role to play in stopping COVID-19 and reducing its impact on society. Businesses have since developed contingency and continuity plans as governments around the world scramble to approve stimulus packages. The outbreak has depressed global financial markets and had severe implications on trade, supply chains, and economies globally, subsequently deteriorating cash flow in sectors most impacted by the outbreak such as travel, tourism and hospitality.

Coronavirus Expected to Add 5% to Global Video-on-Demand Subscriptions In 2020

Growing number of consumers adopting social distancing or forced into quarantine are driving short-term subscriber growth but mid-to-long term impact depends on length of the pandemic and resulting economic damage

Strategy Analytics has recently published its latest forecast for Subscription Video-on-Demand (SVOD) services such as Netflix. The forecast took account of the expected impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and although the longer term impact clearly remains uncertain, early evidence suggests that a boost to SVOD usage globally can be expected. As a result the forecast for global subscriptions was increased by 5% in comparison to the pre-pandemic model. The projection is now 949 million paid subscriptions globally by the end of 2020, suggesting an increase of 47 million compared to earlier forecasts.

Longer term, the forecast predicts that paid SVOD subscriptions will grow by 621 million between 2019 and 2025, reaching 1.43 billion, according to Strategy Analytics, TV & Media Strategies (TMS) “Global SVOD Forecast, by Service (2010 - 2025),” Currently, China and the U.S. combined account for nearly two-thirds (65%) of paid SVOD subscriptions globally, however, as these markets mature and approach market saturation and paid subscriptions, particularly in Southeast Asia grow, their share of global SVOD subscriptions will fall to 55% in 2025.

“One significant factor affecting future SVOD growth is the impact of the Coronavirus in both the short and long term,” said Michael Goodman, Director, TV & Media Strategies. “In the near term the Coronavirus will actually boost SVOD subscriptions, as well as viewing of these services, as an ever growing number of consumers adopt social distancing or are forced into quarantine. In the mid-to-long term much depends on the length of the pandemic and resulting economic damage. As businesses shut down and individuals are laid off consumers are going to have to make hard decisions about how they spend their money and as wonderful as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and other SVOD services may be, they are not essential services.”

“Despite declining global share, China will remain the largest SVOD market with 438 million paid subscriptions in 2025, up from 131 million from 2019. The U.S. will follow with 342 million subscriptions in 2025, up from 125 million from 2019. With nearly three-quarters of U.S. TV households subscribing to one or more SVOD service the U.S. SVOD market is becoming saturated,” Goodman added, “ but with U.S. SVOD households continuing to add additional services such as CBS All Access, Disney+, and the soon-to-launch HBO MAX the total number of SVOD subscriptions in the U.S. will continue to grow.”

The campaign, created by ViacomCBS in partnership with the Ad Council, educates audiences on the importance of social distancing and drives unity through entertainment.

Even in isolation, we’re not alone. That’s the message that’s at the core of the #AloneTogether campaign, which calls on audiences around the world to stay at home amid the coronavirus crisis.

Created by the ViacomCBS Entertainment and Youth brands and distributed widely via a partnership with the Ad Council, the goal of #AloneTogether is to educate audiences about the importance of social distancing and to promote a sense of unity through entertainment during a time of self-isolation. The campaign is purposefully brand and media agnostic, enabling it to scale quickly through additional media partners who can tailor the message to their audiences and platforms.

“The COVID-19 virus has impacted our lives in every possible way. There is no doubt that we are in uncharted territory, and with that comes so many unknowns. But it’s important that we focus on what we do know and how we can help,” says Lisa Sherman, president and CEO of the Ad Council. “The #AloneTogether work is a needed rallying cry—one that shows how we can unite as one, even when we feel most alone. The message has already been embraced by media partners and influencers across the country, proving once again that we are a powerful force when we work together.”

The campaign kicked off on March 16, with a social-led effort by ViacomCBS’ Entertainment and Youth brands (which include MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Network, Smithsonian Channel, Pop TV, CMT, VH1, TV Land, and Logo).

Since then, other companies and partners have used the campaign toolkit to customize and share the #AloneTogether message. iHeartMedia is airing audio versions of the PSA, Clear Channel Outdoor plans to extend the campaign across its out-of-home media, Snapchat is featuring #AloneTogether creative throughout its platform and developing two custom filters, and Twitter developed a custom emoji users can share.

Influencers and celebrities have also found creative ways to drive awareness. YouTube star Peter Hollens created an acapella parody, Love is Blind’s Giannina Milady Gabelli offered her support on Instagram, and child actor Ocean Maturo posted a light-hearted spoof of the Full House opening credits called “The Quaran-Teens.” ViacomCBS talent, including Trevor Noah, Pauly D, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Stephen Colbert, and Debi Mazar (who tested positive for COVID-19) also lent their digital voices.

“We initiated this campaign to ensure that people around the world understand the importance of staying at home for the safety and health of everyone, as well as to support our fans at this moment,” says Jacqueline Parkes, CMO & EVP, Digital Studios for ViacomCBS’ Entertainment & Youth Brands. “For ViacomCBS’ Entertainment and Youth brands specifically, we wanted to ensure that young people understand the important role they can play in stopping the spread of this virus.”

During the first week of the campaign, ViacomCBS’ Entertainment and Youth brands—as well as supporting efforts from CBS, BET, Nickelodeon, Showtime, Pluto TV, and Awesomeness—created more than 500 social posts, leading to over 3 million engagements, 43 million video views, and 127 million impressions. ViacomCBS brands will continue to create original social content to amplify the campaign’s mission. This content will include live takeovers and messages from talent, as well as profiles of young people who are helping create positive change during the pandemic.

The campaign has also extended to air across ViacomCBS’ linear networks around the world. Each brand again tailored the messages to their audiences. MTV made custom linear spots featuring talent including DJ Khaled, Justina Valentine, and Pauly D, Paramount Network plugged a stay-at-home movies night, and Comedy Central even developed original linear programming with The Daily Show with Trevor Noah spin-off, The Daily Social Distancing Show, which launched on digital before moving to linear.

#AloneTogether PSAs are airing English and Spanish across the U.S., with 14 local language versions airing in 50 countries across Western, Eastern, and Central Europe, the UK, the Middle East, and Africa, as well as all of Latin America and parts of Southeast Asia. It also appears across CBS Interactive’s digital platforms and on Pluto TV in the U.S., Latin America, and Europe.

During the first three days of the linear campaign, the #AloneTogeth PSAs aired more than 750 times in the U.S., including on CBS during primetime. They were also inserted into consumer streams on Pluto TV, the company’s ad-supported streaming platform, more than 600,000 times.

In a complement to #AloneTogether, other brands within the ViacomCBS portfolio kicked off efforts specific to their audiences. CBS launched #InThisTogether, a campaign featuring personal videos from CBS Entertainment, All Access, News, and Sports stars comforting fans with messages that focus on social distancing, community, and the power of entertainment.

Nickelodeon created #KidsTogether as a spinoff of the #AloneTogether campaign. Delivered in 14 languages for kids and families around the world, the pro-social initiative features Nick IP and talent—like Spongebob Squarepants, Bubble Guppies, and The Casagrandes —providing tips on staying healthy and suggesting activities to do while they’re at home.

Across its portfolio, ViacomCBS reaches every demographic in the U.S., with the largest share of linear viewing and a social media following of 825 million.

“The key to this campaign is to engage audiences across all ages and demographics, which is something ViacomCBS has unique experience in given our portfolio of brands,” says Josh Line, chief brand officer for ViacomCBS. “We know how to talk to diverse audiences with a tailored approach across platforms, and we’re lucky to be in a position to leverage that expertise in a way that can hopefully help to keep people safe and healthy.”

Early Q1 data shows global news stories driving a surge in streaming news

Brightcove Inc, the leading provider of cloud services for video, published the Q4 2019 Brightcove Global Video Index, a report that analyzes hundreds of millions of recent data points from Brightcove’s global platform to provide insights into how viewers are watching video content, which devices they use, and the types of content they consume across various devices. 

The Q4 Index found consumers increasingly turn to streaming services for entertainment and, even more so, for news. And, in times of natural disasters and health emergencies, those numbers increase even more. During the first two weeks of March, for example, global viewers have consumed 31% more news streams than they did during the same period a year ago. On March 13, the day President Trump declared a national emergency, the number of video views increased 66% from March 13, 2019 – which is the most news-driven video views in Q1 over the past two years. Time spent watching streaming news videos increased by 47%.

The Index found that media and entertainment consumers globally are increasingly watching video on smartphones, compared to other devices such as desktop computers, tablets, and connected TVs. This data was measured using a number of engagement factors including video views, time watched, and video completion rates.

“Broadcasters used to be the go-to source for developing news stories, but the COVID-19 crisis has shown that consumers eagerly turn to streaming news sources for the latest updates – as well as in-depth coverage of news that’s important to them,” said Jim O’Neill, Principal Analyst at Brightcove. “With streaming, news providers can update news on the fly, provide broader, deeper coverage, and pull in points of view from around the globe. And, they don’t need to worry about fitting reports into arbitrary time slots. They have the flexibility to truly tell a better story.”

Video Views

Over the course of 18 months, video views on computers have decreased by 12%, with smartphones being the beneficiary. Tablets and smartphones have seen the total number of views increase more than 43%, with smartphones alone making up 54.6% of all video views – up from 40% just 18 months ago. 

Other notable trends the report uncovered include:

Tablet’s share of all views declined between Q3 and Q4 to 7.8% from 8.2%. That decline follows on the heels of a year-over-year decline between Q3 2018 (11.3%) and Q3 2019 (10.4%). These declines can be attributed to the rise in video views on smartphones. 

Over the past 12 months, the number of video plays on tablets increased by more than 20%, while the number of plays on smartphones jumped more than three times that amount to 77%. The number of plays on computers was down 10%.

Video views on connected TVs were up nearly 25% in the quarter from one year ago, and nearly double what they were in Q2 2018. 

Video Time Watched

Time watched, which is classified as the amount of time spent on each device, increased globally by 23%. The largest screen in most homes today is still the TV, therefore it stands to reason that viewers spend more time watching content on TV than any other screen – especially as live sports and premium content becomes available over-the-top.

Additional trends the data revealed include: 

Time spent viewing content on smartphones increased 30%, with tablets up 6% and desktop computers being the only devices that saw total viewing time decline (down about 2%).

Total viewing time increased in most regions.

Time spent watching content on connected TVs was up 114% globally – which is more than double what it was one year ago.

Video Completion Rates

A shift in viewing habits have also impacted completion rates on smartphones, tablets, and computers, with computers remaining the device with the highest completion rate (59%). This is likely because computers have the most short-form content, however, that number has decreased slightly over the past three quarters – with Q2 and Q3 both seeing completion rates of 61%. 

On the contrary, connected TVs usually show only long-form content, as there’s virtually no short-form content (0-5 mins) consumed on connected TVs in any region. This has resulted in lower completion rates on connected TVs (below 40% globally) than on any other device (with the exception of the Japan/Korea region). 

Other notable trends the report uncovered include: 

Smartphones and tablets were both just below 50% in completion rates (46% and 47% respectively) in Q4. 

Since Q2, smartphone completion rates have increased from 44%, while tablets have seen completion rates decline from 52%.