GlobalWebIndex Coronavirus Research - March 2020

To gauge how consumers of media are thinking and behaving in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, GlobalWebIndex (GWI) has been conducting waves of market research among internet users aged 16-64. The below summary highlights some findings from 3 of the waves (waves 1, 3, and 4): data collected March 5-12 in the United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK); data collected March 16-20 2020 among in 13 countries; and data collected March 25-30 2020 in the US and UK. The countries involved in the survey were, as of April 2020, at different stages in their journeys (e.g., ranging from those that appeared to be heading towards partial or national lockdowns but had not yet implemented them, to those seeing the possibility of emerging from the crisis). They include: Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, the UK, and the US.

Key insights from the March 5-12 2020 UK/US study [PDF, 16 pages] (2,310 internet users in the US and 2,229 in the UK):

• Consumers in the US and UK are most concerned about the following: the speed at which the virus is spreading; the lack of a vaccine; and the chances of their friends, family, or high-risk groups being infected. All of these rank ahead of the fear of catching the virus themselves.
• Concerns over the risk of the virus to the elderly increase directly in line with age, but concerns over catching the virus individually decrease in line with age (despite younger people supposedly being less at risk).
• Over 80% of those surveyed have made at least one change to their day-to-day lives as a direct result of the coronavirus outbreak; for example, 6 in 10 are washing their hands more frequently, and 4 in 10 are reading the news more frequently.
• If asked whether they have enough information about the recommended precautions to take to stay healthy, 50% said they do, 29% believe they need more, and 21% aren't sure. Younger age groups believe they don't currently have enough information, whereas older groups are much more likely to believe they have enough information. UK consumers (60%) are notably more confident than those in the US (48%) in saying they have enough information on the topic. Lower-income groups are much more likely than higher earners to be in need of more information. The group who believe urban myths to be true are also fairly open about their limited understanding, as they are more likely to say they need more information on the topic.

Key insights from the March 16-20 2020 13-country study [PDF, 52 pages] (1,000 responses per country, with 500 in South Africa):

• 95% of consumers say they are now spending more time on in-home media consumption activities; the biggest spike is for watching more news coverage, with 2 in 3 are spending more time doing this (half of whom say they are spending significantly more time on it).
• Over three-quarters of urban respondents are spending more time on their smartphones, compared to just under half of rural consumers.
• Around three-quarters or more in the Philippines, China, Brazil, and South Africa report increased usage of their smartphone, compared to around one-third in the UK, Australia, and Germany.
• Globally, around two-thirds expect social media companies to be providing fact-checked content and to be filtering "fake news". Looking more closely at this data type of user: WeChatters are most vocal about wanting fact-checked content and the filtering of fake news; Snapchatters are most likely to want social media companies to help neighbours and local communities connect with each other.
• With regard to the availability of essentials - specifically, information - the percentage who say they are currently struggling with the following was assessed:
  • Medical information - the range was from a low of 8% who are struggling (Italy) to a high of 29% (Philippines).
  • Information about the long-term plan to tackle coronavirus - the range was from a low of 12% who are struggling (Germany) to a high of 38% (South Africa).
  • Up-to-date information about the situation in your country - the range was from a low of 5% who are struggling (Italy) to a high of 22% (South Africa).
  • Up-to-date information about the situation in your local area- the range was from a low of 8% who are struggling (Japan) to a high of 29% (South Africa).

Key insights from the March 25-30 2020 UK/US study [PDF, 28 pages] (2,218 internet users in the US and 1,726 in the UK):

• 68% of consumers say they are searching for coronavirus updates on the internet; coronavirus content dominates consumers' time online across markets, income groups, gender, and most generations.
• 49% of US and 39% of UK consumers are reading more news stories on social media as a result of the outbreak: This is the primary motivator to use social media across markets, gender, and income. Men are 3 times as likely as women to say they have started following more journalists on social media (25% vs. 8%).
• 87% of US consumers and 80% of UK consumers say they are consuming more content since the outbreak - broadcast TV, online videos, and online TV streaming take the top spots overall for increased media consumption.
• In the US, Facebook holds top place as a means to connect with friends and family at this time: 69% of consumers here are using Facebook, and 66% say theyre using Facebook messenger. In the UK, WhatsApp is used more than other apps to connect with friends and family.
• Across all demographics, Facebook is used the most for information about the virus; WhatsApp and Twitter are on a par as a go-to news source.
• Findings on issues of trust:
  • Men are more inclined to say they trust a greater number of sources more than women - including emails/newsletter from health bodies, international news, radio, and podcasts.
  • Those in the higher income group are more likely to trust all sources of information more than those in the lower income group. In fact, among those in the lower-income group, close to 1 in 5 selected "none of these" as an option, suggesting a trust gap among this group.
  • Higher income groups are over twice as likely as lower earners to afford trust in the reported infection rates. These higher earners are considerably more likely to be paying for what they consider to be accurate news sources. They are above all turning to websites and newsletters from the World Health Organization (WHO), their government, and health bodies.
  • Among those who don't trust the reported infection rates, there is a notable resistance to paying for news they find trustworthy, and they are less likely to trust any news sources for information on the virus.
  • In the US, consumers trust the WHO for news about coronavirus (61%), while in the UK, consumers trust their government website the most (62%). The gap here could be indicate distrust in the US government at a broader level.
  • Trust in social media is lower at 17% overall, but it is on a par with physical newspapers and word-of-mouth from family and friends, and it is higher than foreign governments' websites, videos sites, podcasts, updates from brands, and webinars. Notably, trust in social media jumps to 20% among men, and 19% in the US.
  • Government accounts and health bodies are most trusted overall to provide accurate information on social media.
  • Consumers in the UK, baby boomers (57-64 years old), women, and those in the lower income group are most likely to say they don't trust social media content about the virus.
  • Baby boomers are more inclined to say they trust hospital staff more than government accounts or health bodies to provide accurate information.
• People are most anxious to have coronavirus information in the news coverage they consume. In every demographic group, recovery rates and positive stories are the top demands for what they want to see in the news. People also want a degree of critical analysis of how the outbreak is being managed by the government, especially in the US and among millennials (born 1981-1996).