Coronavirus Voice of the Consumer Part 1: Understanding the consumer impact of Coronavirus
As Coronavirus deaths reach over 1000 in China, governments around the world are busy managing the careful balance between informing populations of the risk, whilst at the same time trying hard not to spread panic and undue concern. But what does the general population really THINK and FEEL about the outbreak?
Whilst the World Health Organization say that older people, and people with pre-existing medical conditions (such as, diabetes and heart disease) appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus, for the general population, the threat to life is very low.
But for all the information available, we haven’t seen the consumer voice in many of the articles. So, we decided to study a group of American travellers planning vacations in 2020, and how Coronavirus is affecting those plans.
We found that:
- 52% of American travellers are likely to change their travel plans this year
- This rises to 72% when considering international travel plans
- 35% have already changed their travel plans for 2020
- 75% have changed their daily behaviour to fight the spread of disease by becoming more sanitary, travelling less and avoiding crowded areas
With verbatims such as “(I) Get scared thinking about flying or going places that attract international tourists, like Disney world” and “I clean more, I use more sanitizers and avoid public spaces as much as I can”, it’s clear consumers are already changing their daily behaviour.
In turn, this means brands can play a role in helping consumers react to the threat and manage the concerns of their audience. Such as:
- Helping support the fight against Coronavirus by lending funding, equipment or other support where needed
- Providing information about how to prevent the spread of disease in general, either by creating educative messaging or auxiliary services
- If you’re a travel brand, taking a role in helping consumers navigate their travel choices. Where are the places to avoid? What are the totally safe destinations?
- Understand the fine balance of the needs of the travel consumer: Wanting a vacation, but able to navigate their concerns so they are comfortable with travel and don’t choose to totally avoid it.
If you would like a copy of the “Consumer Impact of Coronavirus” please click the below to get in touch. And if you are a brand that could be affected by the outbreak and would like to understand more about what your consumers are DOING, THINKING, FEELING & WANTING as a result, we’d be more than happy to partner with you to help solve this challenge.