Another long-term trend that may be overstated is consumers’ desire to do business with companies that share their values. Pan Communications puts it in perspective: 72% of consumers said they’d choose a company with a great product or service over a company that stands for a specific mission. If you’re surprised by that, you have a great future in some field that’s not marketing.
Let’s read some consumer tea leaves today, Dear Reader. This Attest Technologies survey finds that the seemingly endless growth of subscription programs may in fact have peaked: just 41% of consumers reported having a product subscription in their August 2021 survey, compared with 47% the previous November. At-home delivery was the most popular reason to subscribe, and presumably that will become less important as the pandemic winds down.
Speaking of things that shouldn’t surprise you: consumers use social media even though they know it’s bad for them. Reboot Foundation found that more than half of respondents felt social media made them feel bad, but only one-third had taken steps to cut back and over 70% said you’d have to pay them at least $10,000 to quit. Similarly, The Verge found that unfavorable opinions of social media increased during the pandemic, but consumers still see Facebook as the best way to connect with friends and family.
It’s tough to get brand safety right, but the industry keeps trying. IPG Mediabrands announced a new set of tools to find and block inappropriate ad placements, while IAS expanded its suitability measurements to include standards from the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM). Meanwhile, DoubleVerify admitted a mistake made brand safety on X/Twitter look worse than it really was in October 2023 and March 2024.