• by Valerie Moizel , Op-Ed Contributor, January 4, 2022

One of the greatest life lessons I learned from my father is that being “in denial” can sometimes be a powerful coping tool. In fact, denial can sometimes be incredibly helpful in getting us to the other side of some difficult times or tough situations.

Don’t get me wrong -- my father wasn’t suggesting that people ignore their problems or avoid responsibility. It was more of an acknowledgement that some of life’s problems are too far out of our control or way too overwhelming to tackle. What’s the benefit in dwelling on something that you can’t make go away?

Nearly two years into this depressing global pandemic, and with a highly transmissible third variant spreading around the world, now seems to be one of those times for denial.

As a society, let’s face it: we’re exhausted. 

Leading a creative agency, I have been engaged in near constant discussion about how to sensitively communicate through this era.

Do brands benefit from denial? Is this a time to give people an emotional escape? Or is it better and more effective for brands to tackle the harsh realities head on? Do people want the authentic, unvarnished truth?

With the holiday season traditionally being a time of great escape, now seemed an opportune time to ask (and answer) some of these questions in ways that might offer some guidance for the year ahead -- to hopefully provide a roadmap for the most effective -- and the most tactful -- paths forward.

These questions are the heart of my company’s first “Feelings Report." Published quarterly, these reports aim to go beyond data and trends and dig into the raw consumer emotions of the moment. 

To learn about consumer emotions in this highly complex and emotionally charged COVID-19 pandemic moment, 1,000 vaccinated Americans were surveyed. Why vaccinated? The answer is simple: they are the majority.

According to recent statistics, 70% of Americans are fully vaccinated (2-3 doses) and 80% of Americans have received at least one vaccine dose. Over time, these numbers will continue to increase.

Furthermore, the states with the largest unvaccinated populations also have the lowest spending power. For these reasons, and for the purposes of this study, the vaccinated U.S. population was the focus.

Here are some key findings:

- 75% of people surveyed said they adjusted their holiday plans this year due to COVID-19

- 46% blame unvaccinated family and friends

- 45% blame all unvaccinated Americans

- 16% blame overcautious doctors

Twenty-two percent of those surveyed said the unvaccinated should be allowed to travel, see family, and enjoy the holidays without restrictions.

More broadly, and across a variety of holiday-related questions, two groups emerged: “The Romantic” and “The Warrior.” Between these two groups, those surveyed were split almost perfectly at 50/50.

Generally speaking, The Romantic wants to get past their grievances and disappointments. They believe they have behaved responsibly, they are excited to move on, and they crave the feeling that their life is getting back to the way it was (even if/when it isn’t).

Generally speaking, The Warrior has embraced their grievances and disappointments. They, too, believe they have behaved responsibly, but while they may be personally easing back into the world, they also believe the Country is not ready to move on.   

Between these two groups, a variety of ad concepts were tested. 

Some examples:

An ad depicting hordes of maskless shoppers in a shopping mall or spectators at a football game generated feelings of fear, skepticism, and anger. 

It made both Romantics and Warriors feel that we will probably see a big COVID-19 resurgence in the New Year, it made them angry that a brand would encourage people to be unsafe, and it felt too detached from their reality where most people are still being cautious. 

An ad showing a small family of four celebrating the holidays indoors together produced feelings of joy, anticipation, and mild introspection. While the family was not wearing masks or addressing the pandemic in any visible way, there was no obvious disregard for COVID-19 safety either, and both Romantics and Warriors appreciated seeing the family enjoy the holidays and expressed excitement to see their own families this year.

Where things became more interesting was a series of ad concepts that featured situations where the characters in the spot could be interpreted as being unsafe. One concept showing a young, unmasked girl meeting her grandparents at the airport perfectly split the group.

Romantics felt delighted by the prospect of families reuniting, while Warriors felt upset by how out of touch the idea was, given the danger and impact of COVID-19 with Seniors.

This is significant because all the ad concepts featured scenarios where the characters could have theoretically been safe (the girl and the grandparents could have been recently tested, the grandparents could have worn masks while traveling, etc.). '

However, the lack of overt safety caused Warriors to assume the worst. But for Romantics, any introduction of overt COVID-19-specific elements (masks, etc.) would have ruined their illusion and escape.

What are the takeaways?

One of the biggest takeaways was to be more intimate with your storytelling. A small family enjoying the holidays together was pleasing to both Romantics and Warriors.

Another takeaway was to be wary of the “back to normal” approach. As much as Romantics may want to wish away COVID-19, the current reality is still harsh, and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. 

Trying to give these Romantics their escape risks upsetting Warriors who are firm in their convictions.

For any brands that want to meet these Romantics in their comfort zone, one idea is to consider creating a fantasy so elaborate that it cannot be mistaken for the real world (for instance, using animation or fantastical CGI). This farfetched reality might escape the ire of most Warriors.

These COVID times are certainly unprecedented, and it’s clear that not everyone is processing them the same way emotionally.

However, understanding these evolving and highly complex emotional states is imperative to every brand’s success in 2022. That’s something no brand can deny.