Digital Advertising: Incl Impact of COVID-19 - Canada - December 2020

OVERVIEW
What you need to know 
Key issues covered in this Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
Top takeaways 
Market overview 
Impact of COVID-19 on digital advertising 
Summary
Figure 1: Short-, medium- and longer-term impact of COVID-19 on digital advertising, December 2020
Opportunities 
Video streaming and social media are appealing mediums   
Getting consumers to laugh  
Consumers are receptive to brands exhibiting noble acts during COVID-19  
Challenges 
Repeated ads can get annoying  
Viewers are being exposed to ads of no interest to them 
How the crisis will affect wellbeing and drive experiences  
Figure 2: Mintel Trend Driver Technology
THE MARKET – KEY TAKEAWAYS
An evolving retail landscape and its effects on digital advertising
Challenging times for news organizations
Projected increase in immigration will help to drive growth
The Canadian economy recovers slightly after a shaky spring
MARKET FACTORS 
An evolving retail landscape and its effects on digital advertising 
Challenging times for news organizations 
Figure 3: Rogers Media quarterly revenues, Q1 2018-Q4 2020
Figure 4: Postmedia quarterly total revenues, Q1 2019-Q4 2020
Projected increase in immigration will help to drive growth 
Figure 5: Immigrants as a proportion of Canadian population, 1871-2036
The Canadian economy recovers slightly after a shaky spring 
Figure 6: Canadian unemployment rate, November 2019-November 2020
COMPANIES AND BRANDS – KEY TAKEAWAYS 
Addressing current social issues
Food service brands highlight their delivery options
Uniting during lockdown
Opportunity to leverage zero-party data
COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES
Addressing current social issues 
Figure 7: Dove Instagram post, June 2020
Figure 8: Nike Instagram post, June 2020
Food service brands highlight their delivery options 
Figure 9: McDonald’s acquisition email, December 2020
Figure 10: Wherever You Live | McDonald’s, March 2020
Uniting during lockdown 
Figure 11: Heineken – The Balcony Orchestra, September 2020
Figure 12: Heineken | UCL | Never Alone, October 2020
Figure 13: Heineken – Cheers to all, February 2020
Figure 14: Heineken – Cheers to all, February 2020
Opportunity to leverage zero-party data  
Digital voice assistants have room to expand into marketing  
THE CONSUMER – KEY TAKEAWAYS
A third were exposed to social media ads
Consumers need a laugh
Consumers don’t want to see the same ads repeatedly
Most realize ads come at the cost of free content
Half are more likely to do business with brands that helped during COVID-19
DIGITAL AD EXPOSURE  
A third of consumers were exposed to social media ads 
Figure 15: Exposure to online ads, August 2020
Figure 16: First Visitors, August 2020
A third of consumers also came across video streaming ads
Men more likely to be exposed to most forms of digital ads 
Figure 17: Exposure to video streaming ads, by age and gender, August 2020
Figure 18: How to Shave: Tips for Getting the Best Shave from Dollar Shave Club, January 2021
Podcasts and audio streams may be a great place to attract younger consumers
Figure 19: Exposure to audio-related ads, by age and gender, August 2020
The effect of social media on younger women 
Figure 20: Exposure to social media related ads, by age and gender, August 2020
Figure 21: Melissa Alatorre Instagram post, November 2020
Email ads, banner ads, pop-up ads and sponsored search results still effective
Figure 22: Exposure to select digital ads, men vs women, August 2020
TV ADVERTISING  
Consumers are looking for a laugh 
Figure 23: Attitudes toward TV commercials, August 2020
Figure 24: Celebrate 40 years of Disney and Make-A-Wish With New Short Film, November 2020
Figure 25: The Greatest Gift is Family, December 2020
Commercials can lead younger groups to research a product/service 
Figure 26: Attitudes toward TV commercials, 18-44s vs over-45s, August 2020
South Asian Canadians are receptive to TV ads 
Figure 27: Attitudes toward TV commercials, South Asian Canadians* vs overall, August 2020
Figure 28: Rogers Instagram post, June 2020
Signalling parents via relevant commercials 
Figure 29: XC60 – The Parents, September 2020
Figure 30: Attitudes toward TV commercials, parents of children under 18 vs non-parents, August 2020
Figure 31: Waze Ads – Bring More Customers to Your business!, May 2020
ONLINE AD BEHAVIOURS AND OBSERVATIONS  
Consumers don’t want to see the same ads repeatedly 
Figure 32: Select online ad behaviours, August 2020
Figure 33: Digital ad success (select statements), August 2020
Many notice ads following them 
Figure 34: Select online ad observations, August 2020
Discounts attract younger women 
Figure 35: Select online ad behaviours and preferences, August 2020
Figure 36: Forge of Empires Instagram post, July 2020
Stimulating engagement among new Canadians will lead to sales  
Figure 37: Select online ad behaviours, New Canadians vs overall, August 2020
Figure 38: Digital ad success (select statements), New Canadians vs overall, August 2020
ATTITUDES TOWARD ADVERTISING 
Consumers realize ads come at the cost of free content 
Figure 39: Positive attitudes toward ads, August 2020
Half are more likely to do business with brands that helped during COVID-19 
Figure 40: Attitudes toward COVID-19 and ads, August 2020
Figure 41: Honda Canada Instagram post, June 2020
Figure 42: Vans Canada Instagram post, April 2020
Many prefer ads that promote sales/discounts over entertaining ads 
Figure 43: Select attitudes toward ads, August 2020
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES AND ABBREVIATIONS
Data sources
Consumer survey data
Mintel Trend Drivers
Abbreviations and terms
Abbreviations