• by Wayne Friedman , March 23, 2020

With billions of TV and other media advertising dollars on the line as a result of issues around COVID-19, marketers are sending out reassuring messages -- and that, in large part, pleases consumers.

Forty-three percent of respondents surveyed by the American Association of Advertising Agencies (The 4As) say they want messages that are “reassuring from the brands I know and trust," while 56% are “pleased to hear brands taking action like making donations of goods and services."

Overall, 40% of respondents want to know what brands are doing in response to the pandemic. On the flip side, 15% said they "do not want to hear from brands at this time."

Results come from a March 18 online survey of 1,000 people 18 years and older via Suzy, a real-time market research platform.

Brands that advertise messages related to cleaning in their ads are of great importance to consumers, with those 25-34 years old at 45%, followed by 35- to-49-year-olds (44%); 50- to-64-year-olds (48%) and those 65 and older (52%).

Consumers also want to hear from brands that are offering paid time off to employees who are unable to work -- with 18- to-24-year-olds at 63%, followed by 25- to-34-year-olds at 61%, 35- to-49-year-olds at 56%, 50- to-64-year-olds at 49%, and those 65 and older at 41%.

The survey also found that 49% of respondents said they are not going out to eat, while 27% say they are ordering food delivery and/or takeout; 44% are not comfortable going outside for non-essential items; and 37% are buying items online and are not going to stores.

The top states where people are not changing their routines are Hawaii, Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska. Fifteen percent of respondents said the coronavirus is not impacting their lives.

Advertising market projections have been lowered due to COVID-19 concerns. One estimate from eMarketer now projects a 7% worldwide growth rate (down from 7.4%) to $691.7 billion.