Consumers' opinions on what brands should do during COVID-19 APAC 2020

When it came to the actions of brands during the coronavirus pandemic, 75 percent of respondents across the Asia Pacific region believed that brands should offer discounts and benefits to frontline workers. A further 52 percent of respondents stated that brands should avoid humorous tones in their ads and communications during the pandemic.

Supporting local brands

During the economic hardship which followed the outbreak of the coronavirus, consumers across the Asia Pacific region stated that they were more likely to support brands during the pandemic who were local businesses. As well as supporting local businesses, weekly viewing durations of local subscription video on demand platforms grew in Southeast Asia.

Impact on retail

Naturally, the outbreak of the coronavirus disrupted many vital industries across the Asia Pacific region due to the closing of borders and the slowdown of the economy. However, the e-commerce market appeared to thrive following the outbreak. The implementation of lockdown measures, which involved the closing of non-essential shops, sports facilities, and hair salons, and confinement of people to their homes created a surge in online shopping. Although the retail sector was able to survive the lockdown period due to the possibility of online shopping, retailers still feared another wave of infections and cited this as their leading concern moving forward from the pandemic.