Kantar has launched its Covid-19 barometer that looks at the impact of the pandemic on media habits and the attitudes of 25,000 people across 30 different countries.

The research uncovered the following findings:

• There is very little expectation that brands should stop advertising with only 8 per cent of respondents identifying it as a priority for brands. As many brands consider ‘going dark’ to save costs Kantar estimates that a six-month absence from TV will result in a 39 per cent reduction in total brand communication awareness, potentially delaying recovery in the post-pandemic world.
• Whatsapp is the social media app experiencing the greatest gains in usage as people look to stay connected. Overall Whatsapp has seen a 40 per cent increase in usage; in the early phase of the pandemic usage increases 27 per cent, in mid-phase 41 per cent and countries in the late phase of the pandemic see an increase of 51 per cent.
• There is a crisis in trust. Traditional nationwide news channels (broadcast and newspaper) are the most trusted sources of information with 52 per cent of people identifying them as a ‘trustworthy’ source. Government agency websites are regarded as trustworthy by only 48 per cent of people, suggesting that government measures are not providing citizens around the world with assurances and security.
• Also reflecting the loss of trust from recent election cycles, social media platforms are regarded by only 11 per cent of people as a source of trustworthy information.

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