Unruly / About us / News / Unruly Data Reveals How COVID-19 is Reshaping Consumer Content Consumption, Spending Habits and Advertising Preferences in Singapore

Unruly Data Reveals How COVID-19 is Reshaping Consumer Content Consumption, Spending Habits and Advertising Preferences in Singapore

  • Only 3% of Consumers in Singapore Think Brands Should Pause All Advertising

  • 52% Want Ads to Make Them Feel Informed and 46% Want Ads to Make Them Feel Happy

SINGAPORE — April 16, 2020 — Video ad tech company Unruly today released a study that investigates how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting consumer interests and behaviors across Singapore. 

Unruly, part of Tremor International, surveyed more than 3,000 consumers globally, revealing that overall time spent online has dramatically increased in Singapore — with 45% significantly increasing their time spent on their mobile phones, along with laptops (28%) and connected TVs (22%). 

This study, conducted in March — before the Singapore Government’s heightened safe-distancing measures were introduced — also shows how their views on how brands should advertise to them have also changed, even prior to the April 7 lockdown. 

More than a half of Singaporeans (52%) want brands to be more informative in their ad campaigns, with consumers particularly looking for advertisers to share how they’re supporting staff and customers during the pandemic (25%) and provide messages around COVID-19 (23%).

 

However, at the same time, 46% of consumers want ads that make them feel happy, while 19% of consumers want ads to provide a sense of continuity and normality. A further 12% want ads to be funny and positive to distract them from what’s going on. 

 

While a lot of ad campaigns are being put on hold or are being cancelled, only 3% of Singaporeans think brands should pause their advertising, with younger audiences (18-24s – 2%) even less in favour of any freeze on ad budgets. 

 

Away from their digital devices, almost half of Singapore consumers (48%) are spending more time cooking, while there’s also been a significant increase in the amount of time people are spending reading books (32%), exercising (28%) and improving their homes (27%). 

 

Other key findings include:

  • 1 in 2 Singaporeans have increased their time on online video, messaging and social media since the pandemic; 
  • More than three-quarters (76%) of 18-24s have increased the amount of time they spend watching online videos; 67% are spending more time on social media; 
  • Takeaways have seen the biggest increase among both young and old in Singapore since the outbreak of the global pandemic, with 60% of 18-24s and 54% of over-55s spending more on ordering in cooked meals; 
  • Almost half of 18-24s (46%) are spending a lot more money on home entertainment since the pandemic; 
  • More than half (52%) of 18-24s prefer brands to communicate to them via ads on social media; 36% through online video.

 

“The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in rapid, unprecedented changes in consumer behaviours and their preferences across Singapore,” said Sam Ho, Insight & Solutions Manager, Singapore, at Unruly. 

 

“The vast majority of consumers still want to see ads, but the key to success is in the content and the way a message is conveyed. The magnitude of these changes requires brands to be nimble in adapting their advertising strategies to maintain and grow connections with consumers, provide support and minimise disruption to performance.”

 

To view the full study, click here. 

 

About Tremor International

Tremor International Ltd is a global leader in advertising technologies, it has 3 core divisions: Tremor Video, RhythmOne, and Unruly. 

 

Tremor Video helps advertisers deliver impactful brand stories across all screens through the power of innovative video technology combined with advanced audience data and captivating creative. Tremor Video is one of the largest and most innovative video advertising companies in North America, with offerings in CTV, instream, and in-app.

 

RhythmOne drives real business outcomes in multiscreen advertising. Its highly ranked programmatic platform efficiently and effectively delivers performance, quality, and actionable data to demand and supply-focused clients and partners.

 

Unruly is a data-driven marketplace with more than 2,000 direct integrations with publishers, unique demand relationships with the world’s biggest advertisers and privileged access to News Corp inventory. Unruly works with 95% of the AdAge 100 and 82% of video views are delivered across ComScore 1,000 sites.

 

Tremor International Ltd is headquartered in Israel and maintains offices throughout the US and Canada, Asia-Pacific, Europe, India and Latin America, and is traded on the London Stock Exchange (AIM: TRMR).

 

Media Contact

David Waterhouse

Email: david.waterhouse@unrulygroup.com