Signals #7: Understanding the coronavirus crisis

Things have moved quickly: the progression from outbreak to pandemic, the imposition of lockdowns in many countries and, now, the gradual re-opening of society and the economy.

As we look towards the uncertain period ahead, our focus is on understanding the dynamics of the current situation as we start to adapt to new realities.

This latest edition of Signals presents new research on the pandemic and its aftermath from our teams around the world. We draw on our latest opinion studies, social listening data and expert analysis. You can download previous editions of Signals from the dedicated Signals hub page.

Featured topics include:

• The public mood – Our latest 16-country coronavirus poll finds a majority of people in nine countries think that opening businesses now puts too many people at risk of contracting COVID-19 and we should wait at least a few more weeks.
• Research insights – In the fourth wave of our analysis of G-Med’s Global Physician Online Community, we share the voices of doctors from around the world through social data analytics and medical crowdsourcing. Meanwhile, using social listening data, we explore the massive surge in video gaming during the crisis as a way to connect with others.
• Points of view – In Customer Needs in Times of Crisis – Lessons and challenges from the automotive industry we identify the challenges faced by car manufacturers and dealerships in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, and highlight opportunities for automotive and other industries to adapt to rapid shifts in consumer expectations.
• Country insights – In Jordan, uncertainty regarding the country’s economic future has led to a fall in the Jordanian Consumer Sentiment Index for the first quarter. In India, new polling finds Urban Indians responding cautiously to the easing of lockdown, with only half saying they are comfortable about returning to the workplace. In Japan, we identify six potential areas of lasting change in people’s behaviours and attitudes when the pandemic ends, and look ahead to what may be expected from companies and brands in response to the crisis. And our round-up of the latest opinion polling from the US finds growing support for the US economy reopening, but experiences and fears vary widely by race and partisanship.