Australians are starting to show fatigue as news cycles continue to be dominated by COVID-19 coverage.
In the last seven days, while the number of cases reported in Australia has increased, online behaviour shows a fall of interest around the virus.
This is a trend which also being seen in other countries including the UK and the US, according to Amobee’s Brand Intelligence Tool.
However, Australians are still stocking up on self-isolation essentials and embracing the latest video games.
The Australian love for coffee and cooking at home keeps growing, with interest for “stand mixers” up 177%.
After using a lot of hand sanitiser, everyone's skin is drying out. The new commodity is hand cream now, with interest increasing more than 1000% in the beauty category in the last week.
Newly-released video game Animal Crossing: New Horizon is entertaining couch-bound Generation Z, Millennials and Gen Xers, with interest up 62% compared to the previous week.
When it comes to online shopping, H&M and Free People are the most engaging brands amongst a deluge of eDMs and Facebook ads begging people to fill up their carts.
In the US, interest and online engagements of COVID-19 also dropped this week, down 5% compared to the previous period.
There is comparatively not as much interest around social distancing and self-isolating.
Based on Americans’ online behaviour, individual responsibility around staying home also seems not to be taken as seriously.
Over the last week, stories on the ban of reusable bags from most grocery stores as part of COVID-19 safety efforts has been trending in the country.
Just like in other parts of the world, interest in recipes and instant coffee has gone up, with an 80% spike in online engagement over the last week.
Pet adoption is also exploding across North America, with interest increasing 480% in the last seven days.
Brands are making positive headlines for acts such as Krispy Kreme donating free donuts to healthcare workers on Mondays.
McDonald’s is leading a highly competitive race in digital content and association with takeout options. Interestingly the takeaway focus has shifted from lunch to dinner.
Much like in Australia, engagement around toilet paper is above average.
In the UK, interest and online engagement of COVID-19 has also decreased this week, down 15% compared to the last seven days.
Online interest kept dropping even after the news broke that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had contracted the virus.
However, news that UK advisors suggested a lockdown until June to avoid the situation worsening was one of the top stories over the last week.
According to their online consumption habits, the British aren't as into cooking or coffee. Instead, the only outlier trending up in the food category for UK residents is flatbread, which is trending up 225% since last week.
Italians around the world have been consuming and engaging with Italian language content online.
Looking at the online behaviour of Italians in relation to COVID-19 news, there was a dramatic spike of interest registered at the end of February.
This is almost a month before the same worry level hit Australians.
As news of Coronavirus spread and more cases started to be reported globally, online interest of COVID-19 content for Italians around the world measured 10 points higher than English content consumed across Australia, UK, Canada, USA and South East Asia.
Trends in overseas markets can be be closely monitored by marketers in Australia to help anticipate what might come their way as the situation continues to change.
All insights and data were taken from Amobee’s Brand Intelligence Tool.
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