Advertising best practice, evidence and insights

NASCAR’s brand benefits from inclusivity efforts

News • 08 July 2020

NASCAR, the auto-racing series, is likely to witness numerous benefits as a brand from its decision to ban the Confederate flag at events and boost its inclusivity efforts, according to a new study.

Marketers should invest in response to current societal issues

News • 01 July 2020

Marketers should turn their investment decisions towards the present moment and respond to major concerns around racial injustice and COVID-19, according to Bozoma Saint John, the new CMO of streaming giant Netflix.

Patagonia latest brand to pull Facebook ads over anti-hate campaign

News • 24 June 2020

Outdoor clothing brand Patagonia has cut all ads on Facebook and Facebook’s photo-sharing platform Instagram as part of a boycott organised by civil rights groups in the US.

How to connect and communicate in these challenging times

Article • WARC COVID-19 Series, June 2020

Shows how behaviours are changing during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and provides a behavioural road map for how to communicate today and in the foreseeable future.

The future of packaging 2025

Article • WARC Exclusive, June 2020

Sustainability, e-commerce, technology and sociocultural shifts in health and hygiene will shape the transformation of food and drink packaging in the next five years.

The impact of coronavirus on millennials and Generation Z

Article • Euromonitor Strategy Briefings, May 2020

Looks at how the outbreak of COVID-19 and its global impact is expected to become another generation-defining crisis for millennials and Gen Z.

What's new in New Zealand? A look at life after lockdown

Article • Rory Gallery, Ed Gunn, Daisy Conroy-Botica, Callum Orr, Nick Salter, WARC COVID-19 Series, Special Group, June 2020

A snapshot by Special Group of what happens when people try to return from almost two months in isolation to a brave new world.

Johnson & Johnson group president: Marketers must stand up to confront racial injustice

Article • Geoffrey Precourt, Event Reports, ANA Webinar, June 2020

Major corporations like Johnson & Johnson, the healthcare giant, are increasingly taking a stance on critical issues such as racial injustice.

GWI Coronavirus Research: Multi-market research wave 4

Article • GlobalWebIndex, Research on WARC, June 2020

Examines how consumer sentiment is being impacted as restrictions continue to ease in many parts of the world and more countries enter a recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

#BeingReal about Instagram ad models: The effects of perceived authenticity – How image modification of female body size alters advertising attitude and buying intention

Research Paper • Heather Shoenberger, Eunjin (Anna) Kim, and Erika K. Johnson, Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 60, No. 2, 2020, pp. 197-207

This research suggests that perceived authenticity plays a significant mediating role for the effects of model image modification and body size on consumers’ advertisement and product evaluations.

P&G’s Pritchard calls on brands to prioritize diversity and inclusion in a crisis

Article • Stephen Whiteside, WARC COVID-19 Series, May 2020

Procter & Gamble, the consumer packaged goods manufacturer, is continuing to emphasize diversity and inclusion even as COVID-19 disrupts the marketplace.

Future 100 Update by Wunderman Thompson Intelligence

Article • WARC Exclusive, May 2020

After the release of The Future 100 annual trend report in January 2020, news of a novel coronavirus started making headlines – this report tracks the new behaviours, cultural shifts and industry changes stemming from these sudden changes.

Advertising in 2030: Expert predictions on the future of advertising

Article • Kate Scott-Dawkins and Mark Syal, Research on WARC, May 2020

With so little certainty around what brand marketers should expect over the coming decade, this research sets out to identify the boundaries of expectation and the areas of conventional wisdom and agreement.

The future of convenience retail

Article • Malcom White, WARC Exclusive, April 2020

Convenience retail is a major growth engine in the retail sector, despite the competition of larger experience-oriented retail formats.

The evolution of social media through COVID-19

Article • Mobbie Nazir, WARC COVID-19 Series, April 2020

Explores the ways in which coronavirus is changing social media marketing.

Moving into a sustainable, post-pandemic world

Opinion • Helen Brain, April 2020

It’s safe to say that 2020 has already been a whirlwind year. We’ve faced the Australian bush fires, widespread flooding in the UK and rising air pollution contributed to deaths globally.

GWI Coronavirus Research series 7: Work behaviours

Article • GlobalWebIndex, WARC COVID-19 Series, April 2020

Details data collected by GlobalWebIndex between April 8-14 in the US and UK, dedicated to work behaviors in the coronavirus outbreak.

Reframing 2020 as China springs back from COVID-19

Article • Chris Baker, Totem Media, WARC COVID-19 Series, April 2020

China might just be the best chance global companies have for any growth in 2020; brands that want to thrive post-recovery need to quickly connect with customers to understand their ‘new normals’, states Totem Media's founder Chris Baker.

Three trends in APAC consumers' expectations of brands

News • 03 April 2020

Consumer expectations for brands in the APAC region are changing rapidly, according to a new report from Google.

Social class is key in Asia's new marketing reality

Opinion • Jacob Wright, April 2020

BBH’s Jacob Wright believes the current pandemic is going to bring class differences in Asia centre stage and brands need to acknowledge this divide moving forward.

Viewpoint: Improving sustainable fashion marketing and advertising – A reflection on framing message and target audience

Article • Biatriz Guedes, Aurore C Paillard-Bardey and Anke Schat, International Journal of Market Research, Vol. 62, No. 2, 2020, pp. 124-126

Fashion, as one of the largest industries in the world, causes serious social and environmental issues.

GlobalWebIndex Coronavirus Research, Wave One

Research Paper • GlobalWebIndex (GWI), WARC COVID-19 Series, March 2020

Details data collected by GlobalWebIndex between March 5-12 in the US and UK regarding the coronavirus outbreak, which is causing fluid and unpredictable changes to our day-to-day lives, and businesses everywhere are understandably worried about the impact it will have on them.

Taking stock – the role of FMCG brands in a time of crisis

News • 24 March 2020

Australia’s fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) producers have a role to play in reassuring consumers during the country’s latest period of crisis, and in giving them something to look forward to, a new report says.

COVID-19: Impact on the Australian FMCG landscape

Article • WARC COVID-19 Series, March 2020

The FMCG industry is already playing a leadership role in these unprecedented times of uncertainty and insecurity.

What the rise in social activism means for brands

Article • Heather Dansie and Lisa Cowie, WARC COVID-19 Series, March 2020

Research by Starcom UK and Twitter into the motivations behind social activism, and consumer expectations of brands in relation to issues such as climate change and poverty.

Consumer attitudes