COVID-19 IMPACT

The Fastest Intel for a Dynamic Advertising Landscape, Period

The Numerator Advertising Index

Numerator is now publishing a weekly Advertising Index to provide needed visibility to shifts that are occurring in media spend driven by the Coronavirus.

The Numerator Advertising Index leverages Numerator Ad Intel’s fast, complete and granular data to track media spend versus a year ago across media types and categories. This provides visibility into how categories are changing their overall spend and shifting their advertising dollars across media types with the spread of the Coronavirus and ensuing changes in consumer behavior. This report will be available during the duration of the outbreak only.

Digital media types show ad spend on par with this time last year

  • The Online Video media type was led in ad spend by Progressive whose ads accounted for nearly half the ad spend in the media type
  • The individual ads in the Online Display media type with the most recorded occurrences were from The Ad Council, Google, Yahoo, and Geico
coronavirus advertising index

The same 10 categories repeated as the leaders in ad spend in the week ending September 13th

  • The categories just outside the top-10 were RX: Pain Relief, Hospital, and Subscription Video Services
  • The Consumer Property & Casualty category was led in ad spend by Geico, Progressive, Liberty Mutual, and USAA
coronavirus advertising index

A week after observed growth in Mobile and Online Display advertising in the Footwear category, TV and Online Display advertising also increases

  • The Footwear category was led in ad spend by Nike who accounted for over 50% of the categories ad spend
  • The Armed Forces category is growing year over year with significant increases in Online Video advertising
coronavirus advertising index

Advertising in the Cruise Lines category has been limited to a few ads running in the Online Display and Mobile media types

  • While advertising is down in the Private Banking category compared to last year, Fidelity is taking advantage of the absence of competition and has actually increased their advertising compared to this time last year
  • While Restaurant advertising remains down year over year, week to week increases in ad spend were shown for Cracker Barrel, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Denny’s
coronavirus advertising index

Multiple RX categories show strong week over week growth

  • The RX: Bacterial & Viral Infections category more than tripled its ad spend from the prior week and was led in ad spend by Descovy, Biktarvy, Epclusa, and Dovato
  • The Baby Needs category significantly increased its ad spend in the Online Video category, primarily fueled by Pampers’ advertising in the media type
coronavirus advertising index

Facebook leads all advertisers in COVID-19 themed advertising

  • New creatives for COVID-19 themed ads continue to decline in addition to ad spend
coronavirus advertising index
coronavirus impact on advertising

The Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Advertising Strategy

We’ve been tracking changes in print and online promotions and adjustments made in advertisers’ media spend and messaging. 

Learn More >>

Get weekly updates into how brands are shifting their advertising spend in response to the Coronavirus

Request Demo Form
Get updated insights every week

NUM-WR-2020 Coronavirus Updates