At the beginning of the pandemic, the automotive (OEM) category pulled the emergency brake and endured a long, uphill battle against supply chain shortages, operational hurdles, and disruptions to long-term development strategies. By April 2020, car sales in the U.S. plummeted by 47%. As we turn the corner to a new year, many of these consequences have since resolved themselves but have left permanent scars on the automotive industry.
Covid-19 had consumers scrubbing every inch of their hands and homes throughout the pandemic. Cleaning and disinfectant products and brands jumped on the momentum to digitally advertise to consumers, showcasing how each product might help consumers stay safe during the pandemic. We’ll take a look at how top advertisers in the Household Cleaning Supplies, Cleaning and Disinfectant, and Hand Sanitizers categories performed in January of 2020 through August of 2021, and how things may shake out through the rest of the year.
If hotel prices are any indication, COVID-19 surges aren't going to keep travelers home this holiday season. The average daily rate for a hotel room in the US is $143.30— up 6% from 2019. In popular destinations like Hawaii, average daily rates are as high as $258.65, according to data from hospitality analytics firm STR. Which leaves many eager travelers (myself included) looking for alternative accommodations for family get-togethers or tropical getaways.
Buying a home is considered the American dream, but during a pandemic, that dream swiftly vanished, especially for real estate brands trying to advertise to consumers who, ironically, were stuck in their homes. We analyzed the top advertisers in the space to find out how their spend, strategy, and creatives adapted to the changing pandemic landscape, and a 2021 housing market which finds consumers paying top dollar for a scarce supply of homes.
Retail advertisers’ creative messaging has shifted during the Covid-19 pandemic as they continued to meet consumers changing needs. Top creatives in 2020 and 2021 were meaningful promotions highlighting new job opportunities, being present for the community, and even convenient pick-up options. Today, we’re taking a look at the retail category’s top three advertisers during the summer (June-September) of 2020 and 2021.
Before the pandemic, it was typical for many of us to make several weekly runs to our neighborhood grocery stores so we could throw together a last-minute dinner. And if we were too tired to cook, dining in at our local restaurant would also work in a pinch. Since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, those carefree grocery habits and preferences have evolved for consumers around the country. Initially, customers embraced these new behaviors out of necessity. However, as the pandemic persisted, these new habits ended up sticking around as life adjusted around this new normal.
Many businesses, small and large, have taken a hit due to the coronavirus outbreak. But one category, in particular, enjoyed predicted and substantial gains: online grocery delivery. The pandemic converted millions of Americans into first-time online grocery shoppers, fueling a 54% growth in web sales across the category in 2020. So how did grocery delivery connect with consumers during the height of the pandemic? Drizly, Instacart and Shipt emerged as the top three advertisers in the grocery delivery category during this period.
Still the top category in digital advertising, CPG takes on aspects of nearly every other vertical, with multiple sub-categories and products that span the entire digital landscape. We analyzed the top 5 CPG advertisers over the last 3 years, for seasonal, spend, and creative trends, to explain what keeps it at the top of the (individually wrapped) food chain.
With singles "vaxxed and waxed," will 2021 turn out to be the summer of love? Unfortunately, Pathmatics Explorer can't help us predict the future. But it can tell us how the top dating sites and apps are advertising. Pathmatics data shows us that dating apps overwhelmingly favor Facebook, Instagram, and Hulu, with over 90% of digital advertising budgets devoted to these three platforms. So who are the top advertisers in the dating industry, and how are they using digital to woo new customers?
The pharma and healthcare market is making moves to claim its space in the digital arena. By the end of 2021, industry ad spend is expected to surpass $11 billion, a 32% increase in just two years. Pharma and healthcare's gradual expansion into the digital space is primarily being driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, as consumers spend more time online instead of being exposed to traditional, static advertising.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every facet of day-to-day life. Rising unemployment rates, decreased recreational spending, and lockdown measures have taken a toll on our collective psyche and spending habits. The beauty and fashion industry did not go unspared from the pandemic's death grip; big-name brands were forced to shutter their storefronts and furlough thousands of corporate and retail-level employees. At the same time, a dramatic increase in online sales put pressure on key industry players to re-examine and invest in their respective e-commerce strategies.
As vaccination numbers rise, no one is more excited to welcome back consumers than department stores. Brick-and-mortar retailers were already struggling before the pandemic as malls fell out of fashion and Amazon expanded its online shopping empire. And as you would expect, a deadly virus didn’t make things any easier. Sales plummeted when COVID-19 closed stores for weeks on end. Barney’s, JCPenney, Neiman Marcus, and Lord & Taylor were among dozens of iconic retailers that filed for bankruptcy during the pandemic.
It's been a year for ride-share advertisers, and the drivers that keep them on the road. With quarantine in full force, the customer base dried up, with few, if any, willing to catch a ride with a stranger, mask or no mask. However, it didn't only affect the consumer, but the drivers too, as the contract employees shed their chauffeur status for whatever job was available. Flash forward to 2021 - the pandemic is in a new phase as the country is flush with vaccines - and with renewed demand, drivers are getting back in gear.
Nothing screams "summer" quite like an ice-cold beer or refreshing rum punch — and this year, vaccinated Americans will finally be able to share a drink with friends. With bars reopening and summer barbecues back on, global beverage sales are projected to increase 3% in 2021. So how are big beverage brands preparing for a post-vaccine summer? Diageo, Bacardi, and Brown-Forman have all increased spending in the last year, so let's take a closer look at their advertising strategies.
There may not be any spectators at the Tokyo Olympics this year, but the show _will_ go on, and the advertisers are here for it. From television to OTT to digital, brands have had an extra year to gear up for the worldwide Summer event, and are using the opportunity to gain the attention of a public who, after a long 15 months, are looking for something to celebrate. Between official sponsorship opportunities and general Team-USA cheer, advertisers have a lot to work with when it comes to Olympic themed advertising--and they've shown up in full force this year.
At the start of lockdowns, sales of hand sanitizer surged 838%. Cleaning brands simply couldn't keep up as store shelves were wiped clean by anxious shoppers. Distilleries even pivoted from making bourbon and vodka and started pumping out the disinfectant instead. The sanitizer-buying frenzy has eased since then, but popular cleaning brands Clorox, Lysol, and Purell are betting we won't abandon our germaphobe tendencies after we're vaccinated — at least, not yet. All three brands are advertising more now than they did during stay-at-home orders.
Money transfer and payment apps are seeing an unprecedented spike in adoption and usage. While these initial surges aligned with retail business closures and statewide stay-at-home orders, the gradual proliferation of contactless payment apps reflects consumers' mounting desire for both convenience and safety in how they manage their financial lives. Today, we'll review how PayPal, Venmo, and Cash App pivoted their digital creative and spending strategies to account for shifting trends in consumer spending habits throughout the pandemic and our fundamental understanding of money.
Throughout the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing measures expedited the adoption and implementation of digital mental health apps and tools. To meet the rising demand for psychiatric and teletherapy services amid a worsening global mental health crisis, telehealth providers took center stage and emerged as one of the fastest-growing categories throughout the pandemic. Today, we'll examine how some of the industry's key players approached their respective ad strategies from the initial days of the pandemic through Spring 2021.
As the global pandemic sent shockwaves throughout the world, lockdown measures ignited a boom in remote work. While many industries struggled to weather the COVID storm, video conferencing and collaboration software vendors, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Slack, reaped the rewards. In fact, the use of remote collaboration software surged over 176% in May of 2020. Today, we'll explore how these three brands adapted their respective ad strategies to usher in a new era of business and work culture.
Amazon created the first Prime Day to commemorate the company’s 20th anniversary on July 15, 2015. Promoted as “bigger than Black Friday,” the day-long event promised exclusive sales to Prime members on a wide variety of products. Despite the early criticism of the deals offered, the sale day became an ever-growing cultural and economic phenomenon. Every year shoppers could expect deals on everything from apparel to books to household wares and smart home tech.
