A new world view
Consumers rethinking what really matters in light of pandemic experience, finds FleishmanHillard survey
Consumers say the Covid-19 pandemic has changed their entire view of the world and their own country, according to a survey of six major economies by FleishmanHillard, a multinational public relations and marketing agency.
The conclusions were based on an online survey of 6,566 adults in the US, China, Germany, Italy, South Korea and the UK. While the countries are at various stages of the pandemic, the study revealed some common experiences. They include:
Consumers are most confident in their governments, least confident in their employers. Across markets, the national government receives the best rating (47%) for its performance compared to other institutions. But while 79% of Chinese consumers rate their national government “excellent” or “great”, their counterparts in the US (34%), UK (50%), South Korea (43%), Italy (39%) and Germany (37%) give their governments much lower ratings.
Major corporations also receive higher satisfaction in China (66%), but ratings range from a high of 28% (US and South Korea) to a low of 17% (Germany) in other markets.
Employers of all sizes perform the worst, with only 29% rating their response “excellent” or “great”.
Across these markets, seven out of 10 feel other individuals are doing “excellent”, “great” or “good” jobs in fulfilling their role in the crisis, though some still need to understand the importance of cooperating — 12% reported they have ignored shelter-inplace requirements.
Individuals are planning for the long term and aren’t planning to snap back to “normal” life. A return to normal varies by country, with the average individual in China believing it is as few as nine weeks away. Those in other countries believe it will take longer: 15 weeks on average in the US, 17 weeks in South Korea and Germany, and 22 weeks in the UK and Italy.
More than one in five believe it will take between five months to two years to fully return to normal.
While most understand there will be layoffs and furloughs, 89% expect employers to be generous and creative in mitigating the impact on workers: 91% expect companies to take steps to help workers stay healthy — providing them with protective equipment and hand sanitiser, making sure they have breaks to wash their hands and making physical changes to space and operations to allow social distancing, among other steps.
78% understand some companies will need to furlough and lay off workers, a majority that holds across these countries (59% in Korea, the lowest, and 86% in the US, the highest).
Consumers are willing to help organisations support their employees: 71% will find ways to continue to patronise businesses, such as opting for delivery and pick-up (50%) or through holding appointments by phone or online (44%).
34% will purchase or pay for things they can’t currently use, like gift cards (19%), and continue paying for memberships and services (17%).
14% are willing to tip more and 9% are willing to pay higher prices.
17% will donate to employer-administered funds that support workers.
Consumers plan to be cautious, even when the spread of the virus subsides, with substantial implications for economic and social recovery: 95% of consumers want companies to implement physical protection and distancing measures to help keep them healthy.
65% are postponing purchases and travel, and 52% intend changes to their buying behaviours to continue.
34% are postponing major life decisions, and 26% will take planning for major life decisions more seriously after the pandemic.
27% are currently saving more than they normally do, and 26% plan to save more in the future than normal.
The pandemic has changed what people value, and they want new benefits and policies to endure: 68% report the pandemic has changed the products and services they once thought were important, a phenomenon even more widespread in China (86%) and Italy (73%).
63% of employees want new benefits offered during the pandemic to be made permanent.
21% of people (26% in the US) who would normally need to be at their place of business to do their job now expect to have the option of working from home.
“This crisis has clarified what really matters to individuals,” said Natasha Kennedy, senior partner and global managing director of FleishmanHillard’s TRUE Global Intelligence practice. “Consumer behaviour has changed, and for many, those changes will persist past the pandemic.
“For example, consumers are signalling a seismic shift in their future buying behaviours for products and services they deem important.
“With a clear understanding of how the crisis has changed our expectations and beliefs, organisations can make decisions and communicate relevantly and meaningfully among employees, customers and communities.”
“Our research underscores the indelible importance of the actions taken by organisations now, and we see the relevance of these findings to Thailand’s context,” said Sophis Kasemsahasin, senior vice-president, partner and head of FleishmanHillard Thailand.