You’ve probably seen some sort of advertising that references the ‘stay at home’ reality we’re all living in. How does it make you feel, though? CivicScience conducted a study to look into how the general public feels about companies referencing staying at home / lockdowns in their advertisements.
Overall, roughly half of the general population approves, to some extent, of businesses referencing our reality of staying inside. However, it should be noted that a large portion of the population isn’t sure how they feel about it. And still, nearly 30% disapprove of it.
As age rises, so too does approval for businesses referencing our reality in their advertising. So, younger people, perhaps the most wanted demographic for some advertisers, are the most likely to disapprove of – or not be sure of how they feel about – this practice.
Women are a good bit more likely to approve of such ads that speak to the current at-home experience than men are.
Current job status is also a big factor. Among adults who were working pre-pandemic, those who have had their hours cut or lost all together are the most likely to approve of this of-the-moment advertising.
The biggest correlation CivicScience data revealed was between ad sentiment and a person’s comfort level going back to the regular day-to-day when lockdowns are lifted.
Those who want to resume all or almost all normal activities once their state opens back up are way more likely to disapprove of these ads, while those who report they would remain in quarantine are all for it.
The study breaks ad sentiment down further by types of companies. All in all, the story is similar: the majority of people support these advertisements. When it came to technology, retail, and streaming media companies, survey respondents approved and disapproved at nearly the same rate, with one noticeable difference in retail.
