'313 per cent rise in interest in working online during lock down': Report

Gipsi, the HI and AI insights division of Tonic Worldwide has released a data report through which it attempts to decode consumer behavior amidst the ‘covid lockdown’. 

 

The data was sourced between 1 February and 15 April across metros. Digital conversations, interests and searches have been analysed with unique perspectives giving actionable insights.

The report states that there was a 220 per cent jump in online meeting app searches. Memes related to work from home increased to 27 per cent. 

 

Online grocery shopping saw a 32 per cent increase in interest compared to pre-lockdown, working online saw a 313 per cent increase in interest, WhatsApping saw a 40 per cent increase, banking witnessed a 4 per cent increase in interest and praying online saw a 73 per cent increase in searches.

 

Doordarshan saw a 60 times higher viewership due to re-runs which are indulging the consumers in nostalgia. The report also stated that consumers are looking for motivational content for a hopeful future.

 

HQ (hygiene quotient) is also top of mind with 1,08,579 conversations around it and 643 per cent increase in ‘how to wash hands’ searches. 

 

There is a 28 per cent and 110 per cent surge in searches for cooking recipes and easy-to-cook respectively

 

With time available, people are taking to the internet for free courses online. There's a 22 per cent increase in searches for free online courses, 108 per cent increase in online training platforms. 

 

Unmisha Bhatt, CSO and director – India and MENA region, Tonic Worldwide, said, “In such sensitive times every move of a marketer will go through scrutiny from consumers. Data science should be looked at as a big boon in times like these. Just tracking weekly numbers will be a mere waste of the data. Brands will have to go beyond using data just for performance metrics and seeing digital as just an extension medium. They will have to consciously invest in ‘actionable insights’ not just ‘data’.”

 

Anjali Malthankar, national strategy director, Tonic Worldwide, said, “Brands in the time of Covid need to prepare for the ‘Post Covid lockdown World’ and not just worry about how to engage topically. Lockdown has forced Indian consumers to leapfrog and embrace digital, brands need to be ready for this. Digital is a very measured medium, any marketer’s dream come true. The most important step to taking your brand digital is to first, take your consumer understanding digital!”