Swing to trusted media brands

Covid-19 Media Behaviours Report from Havas Media Group is based on a survey of  1,478 UK respondents and shows that the BBC has become the most trusted news channel during the outbreak. Sixty four per cent cited it as a factually correct source of information about Covid-19, followed by Sky News ( 29%) and The Guardian ( 15%).

More than half of respondents ( 53%) said they are using BBC News more than before, almost double that of any other channel.

The study shows that while media consumption has increased in response to Covid-19, with net gains for all channels with the exception of OOH and cinema; live TV, social media, streaming, VOD and newspapers have seen the biggest increases.

Almost half ( 49%) of respondents said they are watching more live TV because of the virus, 40% said they are visiting social media more, and 39% have increased their use of streaming platforms.

Almost a third ( 32%) of those surveyed said they are reading newspapers more often, whether physical copies or online. This was also the case among younger age groups, with 29% of 18- to 24-year-olds and 31% of 25- to 34-year-olds increasing their consumption of newspaper brands.

All social platforms have made gains, with Facebook and WhatsApp benefiting the most – 33% of respondents said they had been using Facebook more than usual, and 28% said they had increased their use of WhatsApp.

Eva Grimmett, chief strategy officer, Havas Media Group, said: “This study really highlights the role that trusted, meaningful media play in times of crisis. While most channels have seen an increase in consumption in response to Covid-19, our research reveals a much greater reliance on live TV and a need for trusted news brands such as the BBC. We’re looking forward to seeing how this behaviour develops as the situation evolves in the coming weeks.”