Massive Consumer Study Reveals Real-World Behavioral Impact of COVID-19 Across Industries

A Survey of 5,000 Consumers via Resonate’s Intelligence Platform Provides an Unprecedented Look at How Buying and Decision-Making Is Changing


RESTON, Va., April 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Resonate, the leading provider of A.I.-driven marketing data and intelligence, today unveiled the findings of a flash survey of 5,000 consumers that provides unprecedented insights into how the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak is fundamentally changing the buying habits and sentiments of American consumers. The Resonate Coronavirus Connected Flash study -- the largest, most comprehensive of its kind to date -- posed more than 100 questions to nearly 5,000 consumers to evaluate how American citizens are viewing and adapting to the current crisis across a broad spectrum of industries and categories.

“The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has thrown every sector -- from travel to retail to financial services -- into disarray, and brands are struggling to understand the new reality and adapt to continual new information,” said Bryan Gernert, Chief Executive Officer of Resonate. “At Resonate, we have the ability to instantly tap into the consumer psyche, at scale, to uncover the real human impact of COVID-19. This helps companies understand how their customers and prospects will react during this crisis so they can tailor their messages accordingly. Because this research is connected to our National Consumer Study, and integrated into their ecosystem, it’s dynamically updated and continuously scaled for use. That’s the only way companies can address today’s consumer.” 

Sample insights from the wide-reaching survey include the following:

  • Consumer Sentiment and Behavior: 80% of people are more worried about their financial health vs. their physical health. Many consumers still aren’t taking social distancing seriously. Two-thirds (65%) of people say they’ve left their home 1-3 times in the past week to visit a store, restaurant, or other retail establishment. 18% have done so 4 or more times, with only 17% saying they have not left home for those reasons at all.
  • Financial Plans: 61% of consumers say they’ve decreased their spending as a result of the COVID-19 situation. 34% of people are less likely to remodel or refurbish their homes. 32% are less likely to purchase a house. 24% are less likely to take out a personal loan. 20% are less likely to leverage new financial services at all.
  • Retail Behavior: 55% say they’re more likely to purchase products online in the next 90 days, and 41% are more likely to purchase groceries online. Surprisingly, only 10% say they’re more likely to start a subscription to a service such as a meal delivery kit in the next 90 days, and 21% are more likely to cancel an existing subscription service.
  • Travel Plans: Among people who have cancelled airline or hotel reservations as a result of the COVID-19 situation, only 15% say they’ve rebooked. Two-thirds of people (67%) think it will take until at least Fall 2020 for their travel activities to return to normal. 26% expect it won’t be until 2021 or later.

“This recent survey represents a first-of-its-kind effort to help organizations understand and tangibly navigate the American consumer attitude and behavior shifts brought about by this pandemic,” continued Gernert. “It is important for all industries to recover as quickly as possible from this crisis, which is why we are offering this data -- a $50,000 value -- to the entire marketplace free of charge.”

Learn more about Resonate’s unprecedented Coronavirus Flash study and download the findings here.

About Resonate
Resonate is a pioneer in A.I.-driven consumer data and intelligence, delivering deep understanding, dynamic insights, cross-channel engagement and analysis in a single, simple-to-use SaaS platform. Resonate has deep consumer insights and contextually relevant data across more than 13,000 attributes, including values, motivations and other psychographics, describing more than 200 million U.S. consumers. Hundreds of companies have used Resonate to reveal and engage “The Human Element,” a 360-degree understanding of the individuals in their target audience that extends beyond traditional demographics, psychographics and behavioral data to uncover why consumers choose, buy or support certain brands, products or causes. Empowered with unparalleled insights, leading brands, agencies and organizations use Resonate to identify, engage and analyze these audiences, driving growth and increasing customer lifetime value.

Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Resonate is privately held and backed by Argentum Capital Partners, Revolution Growth, Greycroft Partners and iNovia Capital. For more information, please visit www.resonate.com.

Media Contact:
Kyle Kuhnel
Broadsheet Communications (For Resonate)
kyle@broadsheetcomms.com