ThinkTV and Ipsos recently released two reports, one titled “TV in a Pandemic: Our Attitudes and Behaviours” and the other “Commercials During COVID: Canadians Have Their Say”. These studies contain some valuable insights for advertisers with regards to consumer behaviours.

Here are some key takeaways:

TV in a Pandemic: Our Attitudes and Behaviours

• During the pandemic (March 11 to present date of publication), Canadians said they’re watching an average of 4.2 hours of TV per day. The top 3 reasons for watching were for entertainment (67%), to relax (57%), and to stay informed (55%). Over half of TV time is spent watching alone, which those surveyed said they did more often than normal.
• TV is the most trusted form of advertising for Canadians and based on the sample people are spending 44% more time tuning into the news with 19% more trust.
• 30% of Canadians have tried a new product or service in the last 4 weeks and 33% of Canadians feel they are more likely to try new brands, products or services once restrictions are lifted.
• During the pandemic, Canadians are most likely to want advertising to focus on their well-being and security. They are looking to ads to make them feel hopeful, safe, and informed.

Source: https://thinktv.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Ipsos-ThinkTV_TV-in-a-Pandemic.pdf

Commercials During COVID: Canadians Have Their Say

• 1 in 3 Canadians (29%) are impressed by the advertising creative they've seen during the pandemic, they appreciate seeing brands express gratitude and show social responsibility
• Food and food service ads were mentioned as most impressive
• QSRs, banks, financial services, and automotives are the categories that attracted significant attention
• Canadians were impressed with financial services ads that improved feelings of security and well-being and with automotive ads that expressed gratitude and showed how they would help customers
• For retailers, Canadians were impressed with ads that gave them information and helpful advice

Source: https://thinktv.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Ipsos-ThinkTV-Quarantined-with-TV-Response-to-Creative.pdf