COVID-19 AND THE STATE OF MEDIA IN NORTH ASIA · media time and heightened consumer attention,” said Ranjeet Laungani, North Asia Nielsen Media. “For brands looking to authentically

1

Copyright © 2020 The Nielsen Company (US), LLC. Confidential and proprietary. Do not distribute.

MARCH, 2020

COVID-19 AND THE STATE OF MEDIA IN NORTH ASIANIELSEN GLOBAL MEDIA

Nielsen whitepaper that outlines the near-term impact and changes in media-related consumer behaviour and media consumption in North Asia

2


The impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is widespread and will likely shape business and consumer

behaviour for months to come. And while the humanitarian and safety-related aspects of this outbreak are

top of mind globally, it’s unquestionable that social distancing, quarantining and staying home will have a

significant effect on media consumption, which could rise up to 60%, according to recent research from

Nielsen’s U.S. media team.

The implications of today’s reality for the media industry are straightforward: Content creators, networks,

studios, media agencies, advertisers and brands have significantly more opportunity to engage with

consumers simply because of the clear correlation between time at home and media consumption. So for

networks, for example, the increased TV time might warrant an adjustment to programming schedules—or

programming itself. And from an advertising perspective, brands and agencies will likely need to both adjust

which products are being marketed, as well as the tone in which they’re delivering they’re messages.

As the world adjusts to this new reality, Nielsen Media recently examined how COVID-19 has affected

media consumption across North Asia, which includes many of the countries, regions, and territories that

were first affected by the COVID-19 outbreak: Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and South

Korea. This region isn’t the only one affected, but it was one of the first to feel the effects of social distancing

and quarantining. We hope the insights from the early days of the global pandemic can help businesses

anticipate and respond to market needs and consumer behaviour amid times of significant disruption.

Media time rises and apps help consumers adjust to indoor living

As we expected, retail consumption changed as worries about COVID-19 spread around the globe, and it’s

far from unexpected that consumers also increased their media behaviour as they spent more time inside.

As with any significant shift in consumer behaviour, however, it is possible that some changes could hold

even after COVID-19. Across North Asia, we tracked four key media trends.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Media Consumption Across North Asia

https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2020/staying-put-consumers-forced-indoors-during-crisis-spend-more-time-on-media/

https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2020/nielsen-investigation-pandemic-pantries-pressure-supply-chain-amidst-covid-19-fears/

3


Expanded TV Viewing

In Taiwan and Korea, the two markets where Nielsen measures television audiences, linear TV viewing

grew in penetration and time spent. During the first three weeks of February, for example, Taiwan’s TV

audience grew by 1 million viewers, for a total viewing population of approximately 21 million. News

channels and programs were the primary beneficiaries of the increased penetration, followed by children’s

programming. Kids in Taiwan and Korea, now home from school and forced to stay indoors, quickly

gravitated to their TV screens and ramped up their linear program viewing. TV consumption also expanded

considerably in Chinese Mainland (source: CCData) and Hong Kong (source: Television Broadcasts

Limited).

Social Media Becomes THE COVID-19 Conversation Channel

Social media, now a part of everyday life for most consumers engaged with the world digitally, became the

primary source for buzz about all things COVID-19 as worries and news intensified. The level of social

media buzz about COVID-19 far overshadowed most other topics (in the Mainland, for example, COVID-19

chatter outpaced volume for the Spring Gala Festival 3:1), and peaked in the first two weeks of heightening

outbreak news in each market. To illustrate, social media engagement in Taiwan peaked in early February

and in Korea in late February. The peaks reflected announcements about local infections and local states of

emergency, respectively. After engagement peaked, netizens used social media less for discussion and

more for news.

New App Choices Support Indoor Lifestyles

Across markets, media-hungry consumers weren’t just glued to the TV screen. Digitally savvy consumers

have also gravitated to apps that meet the needs of their temporary indoor lifestyles, largely in the

entertainment and e-commerce categories. While video and gaming apps have topped the entertainment

options, consumers have embraced e-commerce for an array of needs: at-home delivery of goods and

services, food delivery and online education. Even in markets like Hong Kong, which is generally a brick-

and-mortar paradise with easy access to neighbourhood stores of all kinds, consumers ramped up their

adoption of e-commerce apps as COVID-19 pressures mounted. Conversely, we saw the usage of out-of-

home apps such as movie ticketing and navigation maps decline.


4


Advertisers Were Overly Cautious (and this could be a missed opportunity)

Despite notably higher media consumption, a majority of advertisers pulled back on advertising campaigns

and deferring others in an effort to bring investment in line with consumption and sentiment. This was likely

a misstep, as the increased media time was likely the new “prime” time to brand build and interact with an

engaged audience—albeit with the right tone and product/ service offerings. Certain sectors, such as health

care brands, gaming companies and e-commerce operators, did lean in with disproportionate and

opportunistic ad spending but the shift wasn’t widely adopted enough to encompass the depth and breadth

of consumer interests or needs as the situation intensified.

“The knee-jerk reaction from advertisers at a time of crisis is typically to pull back or defer spends;

however, COVID-19 is characterized by a situation where increased time at home means expanded

media time and heightened consumer attention,”

said Ranjeet Laungani, North Asia Nielsen Media.

“For brands looking to authentically connect with the consumer during this difficult time and offer a

solution, this is a time to lean in.”


5Copyright © 2020 The Nielsen Company (US), LLC. Confidential and proprietary. Do not distribute.

Taiwan

6


Taiwan’s TV Landscape Shifts Dramatically As COVID-19 Situation Evolves

As we expected, confinement in Taiwan resulted in a significant increase in TV viewing, particularly among

young viewers who would normally be at school during the daytime hours. Overall TV ratings among the 4-

14 and 5-24 age groups spiked 57% and 27%, respectively, over the same period last year (for the 2-week

period just following Chinese New Year).

Taiwan

Variable TV Rating Reach 000s AveTime/Viewer (Min)

Target\Year 2019 2020 DIFF Growth% 2019 2020 DIFF Growth% 2019 2020 DIFF Growth%

4-14 6.19 9.27 3.08 50% 1264 1401 137 11% 151 208 57 38%

15-24 4.95 6.27 1.32 27% 1208 1245 37 3% 162 191 29 18%

25-34 6.9 6.86 -0.04 -1% 1686 1562 -124 -7% 183 192 9 5%

35-44 9.22 10.18 0.96 10% 2530 2498 -32 -1% 198 220 22 11%

45-54 12.91 14.11 1.2 9% 2755 2687 -68 -2% 236 260 24 10%

55+ 17.39 18.88 1.49 9% 5705 5857 152 3% 292 317 25 9%

Working Male 10.53 11.35 0.82 8% 4864 4826 -38 -1% 217 236 19 9%

Working

Female9.42 10.52 1.1 12% 3660 3739 79 2% 206 229 23 11%

Student 5.12 8.02 2.9 57% 1706 1881 175 10% 147 205 58 39%

Housewife 17.29 18.57 1.28 7% 2044 1908 -136 -7% 293 320 27 9%

Non-workers/

Retired16.48 17.98 1.5 9% 2874 2895 21 1% 298 326 28 9%

7


Unsurprisingly, the gravitation to TV has disproportionately benefited news channels. Children’s channels

and programs have also seen notable spikes in viewership.

Taiwan

So how did advertisers respond to the increased

engagement with TV? In short, brands in select

categories responded by ramping up their

advertising during a period that is typically a low

season for ad spend. With consumers clamouring

for cleaning and health-protection products, we

saw a rise in opportunistic ad spending (and spots)

from cleaning and bath supply companies.

We also saw an increase in digital ads for online

gaming companies, which we equate with the

increased numbers of kids at home during school

closures. E-commerce and food delivery operators

also ramped up their digital ad spending. And as

expected, we saw reduced ad spend from online

travel operators.

Rating share changes 2020COVID-19 has increased viewing performance of News channels significantly

1.93

2.88

2.25

0.94

0.51

0.37

0.18

0.15

0.13 1.77 2.08

4.02

1.9

0.96

0.61

0.29

0.17

0.16

0.15 2.13

Terrestrial Channel

Cable-News

Cable-Variety

Cable-Movies

Cable-Kids

Cable-Drama

Cable-Knowledge

Cable-Japan

Cable-Sports

Others

2 weeks after Chinese new year

2019

2 weeks after Chinese new year

2020

Source : Nielsen TAM Service

8


In the earlier days of the outbreak in Taiwan, social media usage skyrocketed among consumers who

expressed everything from fear to worries about the future to prayer. While social media buzz about COVID-

19 has remained steady since Chinese New Year, engagement peaked in early February. It then started to

taper off as more people began to use social media to stay informed with news than to express their own

personal experience.

“In Taiwan, we get a very well rounded view of how the consumer is engaging with media,”

Irene Chen, Nielsen Media Taiwan.

“During COVID-19, we saw expanded TV viewing in news and kids programming (due to younger

demos being home) and advertisers, that were benefitting disproportionately from the situation

leaning in to drive up TV and digital ad spends. We also saw very high engagement on social media,

first as a platform for information sharing and then as a platform for news.”

Taiwan

Sharp increase in ad’ spotsCleaning supplies TV ad’ spots multiply 7 times

9


TaiwanThe end of Jan reach the peak SOV in TaiwanOnline volume continues to ferment but engagement has slowed recently

Emoji directly express posters’ mood


Hong Kong

11


Despite Heightened Media Use in Hong Kong, Advertisers Retreat

In Hong Kong, behaviour in the local community began to change as soon as the first case of COVID-19

was confirmed on Jan. 23, 2020. The changes involved behaviours, mind-sets and media consumption.

Many of those changes reflected the efforts that the government and private companies took to reduce the

spread of the virus. Importantly, many consumers in Hong Kong lived through SARS, which means they fully

understand the need to minimize social interactions.

As consumers began restricting their time outside, reliance on the public subway dropped by 14 percentage

points during the first two months of the year, the average amount of time consumers spent at home

increased by 12% (Source: Nielsen Media Index). Should this trend continue, it could be a tough year for the

outdoor advertising segment in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong

75 75

13

31

19 19

94

73

61

11

24

14 15

6 5

Bus MTR Light Rail Green MiniBus

Red MiniBus

Taxi Ferry Uber/GoGoVan

etc.

Public transport is likely to be adversely impacted in Hong Kong

Jan-Feb 2019 Jan-Feb 2020

12


As more consumers stayed home, TV viewing

increased. Ratings for all day and all time

periods increased by 43% in February 2020

compared with February 2019, while primetime

ratings during the same period increased by

44% (source: Television Broadcasts Limited).

Hong Kong

2019 2020

ALL DAY ALL TIME RATINGS (ADAT)

+43%+18%

TV undoubtedly a top choice of in-home entertainment in Feb2020

Jan Feb

+44%+10%

PRIME TIME RATINGS (PT)

Source: The Big Data Project (data copyright by Television Broadcasts Limited)

Audience : “All Individual” ; Platform : TV + TVBOTT ; Activities : Live + As Live ; Variable : TVR ; Daypart : All Day All Time (ADAT) , Prime Time (PT)

Data period : 20190101-20200229

13


As was the case in Taiwan, news was the top TV genre, with ratings up 121% in January to February 2020

compared with the same time slot for the same period a year earlier. Non-news content was also popular,

reporting a 20% uptick on ratings for the same time slot compared with a year ago.

Hong Kong

2019 Jan-Feb 2020 Jan-Feb

2020’s Highest TVR (20:00):

+30.7% vs. 2019

Total TV

Total News/Info Channels

Total Non-News/Info Channels


+120.8% vs. 2019


+19.7% vs. 2019

Source: The Big Data Project (data copyright by Television Broadcasts Limited)

TV sees a dramatic increase in viewership in Hong Kong

14


In addition to spending more time with TV, consumers in Hong Kong spent quite a bit more time online as

the outbreak intensified. Entertainment activities increased, as did shopping for surgical masks, hand

sanitizers and cleansing agents. Typically, Hong Kong consumers are very accustomed to traditional in-

person shopping. So as more consumers opted to stay home, online—and online shopping—activities

skyrocketed. Based on the latest round (Jan-Feb 2020) of the Nielsen Media Index study, when we asked

consumers how behaviours changed in the past seven days, we learned that internet usage grew to a

historical high of 99%, while the penetration of online shopping increased by 8%. Average spending on

online shopping increased by USD$114 over a three-month period (1).

“The forming of new behaviours linked to greater time online shopping were a standout for

consumers in Hong Kong forced indoors by the outbreak. Expanded TV viewing became the norm at

this time as the average consumer was looking to be caught up on the often tense and evolving

situation. Businesses that have pulled back significantly in their ad spends in the current crises

should look to re-engage quickly with the consumer as normalcy resumes.”

- Clare Lui, Nielsen Media Hong Kong

Hong Kong

593 550

320

730

593

378

Online Purchase of Food,Beverages, Groceries

Any Food Delivery Website Any Supermarket Website

Online Shopping

Jan-Feb 2019 Jan-Feb 2020

Despite the increased media consumption among consumers in Hong Kong, the spread of COVID-19

created notable uncertainties in the advertising world. Most advertisers and marketers have remained

cautious with their ad campaigns, and many have suspended the campaigns they have planned for the first

few months of the year. We, along with many in the industry, expect this sense of caution to continue in the

coming weeks.

“The impact of COVID-19 is absolutely substantial,” said David Yeung, Vice President of Marketing

Communications, Consumer Group, at HKT Limited. “Almost all industries have been badly hit, with lots

of closure in the news for retail outlets, restaurants, etc.. Under such circumstances, many

marketers have no choice but to suspend marketing campaigns and activities for now. The key to

survival is to adapt to the changing business environment very quickly and to ensure threats are

turned into opportunities by tapping into technology and data."

Online as a convenient platform for food ordering and purchases


Chinese Mainland

16


Media Across Chinese Mainland Hits New Heights

Chinese Mainland was the first to experience the strains of the COVID-19 outbreak, and media consumption

among consumers has risen dramatically since the early part of the year. While increased TV viewing each

day was expected, the degree of increase has been unprecedented, rising by 70 minutes to 7 hours and 40

minutes amongst current TV viewers (3). The news and drama genres have experienced the most

viewership growth.

“Advertisers that have been compelled over time to tell their stories in compressed ad formats (from

largely 30-second slots down to almost 5 seconds in recent years) now had the opportunity to tell

longer stories and in a form better suited for news and drama.”

- James Gong, Nielsen Media Chinese Mainland

Chinese Mainland

Before Outbreak After Outbreak

69%

25%16% 18%

39%

-28%

13% 17%

-22%

-65%

1%

-59%

-12%

9%

-80%

-60%

-40%

-20%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000Before Outbreak After Outbreak year-on-year

Source: CCdata

Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Outbreak TV Viewership

17


As news of the outbreak intensified, so did conversations across social media, as chatter about COVID-19

between Jan. 20 and Feb. 20 far exceeded conversations about many other hot topics during the same

period.

Chinese Mainland

COVID-19

Spring Festival Gala

Kobe Bryant

Product campaign of famous brand

Hot Drama Blind Date Oscar0

10,000,000

20,000,000

30,000,000

40,000,000

50,000,000

60,000,000

70,000,000

Source: Sina Weibo

Despite the circumstances, Nielsen social intelligence data suggests that Chinese consumers are making

most of their indoor situations. As consumers adjusted to their new reality, conversations online shifted to

“what to do at home,” “spending time with family” and “cooking delicacies.”

Toward the middle of March, consumer sentiment in the mainland had improved considerably as the

outbreak passed its peak. As a sense of normalcy began to return, advertisers started to evaluate investing

in media research to gauge the improving consumer sentiment and release pending digital ad campaigns

that they had placed on hold during much of February. As Zod Fang, Head of GroupM Knowledge, GroupM

China puts it, there is opportunity ahead: "Moving forward China will enter into the recovery stage soon. The

Chinese government is releasing more and more policies to stimulate the economy and consumption. This

will lead to greater demand. Therefore, brands need to get prepared. Work with agencies to have an overall

plan including sourcing, logistics, marketing and sales etc. to fully seize the opportunity."

Social Media Conversations in Chinese Mainland About COVID-19 Soar


South Korea

19


Increased Media Use in South Korea Spiked Later than Elsewhere in North Asia

As we saw across other areas of North Asia, consumers in South Korea were quick to increase their digital

media usage as news about COVID-19 spread, especially across social media following confirmed cases in

Daegu on Feb. 19, 2020. Notably, news that person-to-person transmission was linked to a specific religious

group sparked a spike in social chatter about the group, called “Shinchonji.”

South Korea

0

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

600000

700000

01/0

1/2

020

03/0

1/2

020

05/0

1/2

020

07/0

1/2

020

09/0

1/2

020

11/0

1/2

020

13/0

1/2

020

15/0

1/2

020

17/0

1/2

020

19/0

1/2

020

21/0

1/2

020

23/0

1/2

020

25/0

1/2

020

27/0

1/2

020

29/0

1/2

020

31/0

1/2

020

02/0

2/2

020

04/0

2/2

020

06/0

2/2

020

08/0

2/2

020

10/0

2/2

020

12/0

2/2

020

14/0

2/2

020

16/0

2/2

020

18/0

2/2

020

20/0

2/2

020

22/0

2/2

020

24/0

2/2

020

26/0

2/2

020

28/0

2/2

020

01/0

3/2

020

03/0

3/2

020

05/0

3/2

020

07/0

3/2

020

09/0

3/2

020

COVID19

Source: Nielsen Media Korea Buzzword2020.01.20~2020.03.08Unit: The number of postings(Blog, club, Knowledge Q&A, Community, SNS, Video)

Trended Social Buzz About COVID-19

20


South Korea

Source: Nielsen Media Korea Buzzword2020.01.20~2020.03.08

Popular Words on Social Media

20/01/2020to 16/02/2020

17/02/2020to 08/03/2020

21


Across mobile apps, consumers amplified their use

across several key categories: games, video, food-

ordering and e-commerce. It was somewhat less

expected to see increased use of job and education

apps, but the uptick makes sense given the

replacement of many in-person classes with online

lectures. Also expected was the significant decline in

the usage of transportation and outdoor entertainment

apps, such as maps/navigation and movie ticketing.

South Korea

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Week Commencing 20/01

Week Commencing 02/03+8.4%

+42.8%

+123.8%+3.9%

-31.3%

-79.5%

Wee

kly

Avg

.Tim

e S

pent

(Min

.)

+5.7%

Source: Nielsen Media Korea Mobile behaviour

Mobile App usage in Korea supports an increasingly indoor lifestyle

22


With respect to TV viewing, activity (viewing time) did not change much when the first case of COVID-19

was reported in South Korea on Jan. 23, 2020. That changed in the third week of February, and then

skyrocketed in week four, coinciding with the country’s alert level being elevated to its highest warning

threshold

“South Korean consumers quickly adapted their mobile app preferences to cater to their indoor

lifestyle and were glued on to their TV sets, across age groups, to monitor the evolving situation as

the crises heightened. It was an opportunistic time for advertisers to make their brands available and

engage in constructive conversation”

- Dohyun Yoo, Nielsen Media Korea

South Korea

(National, All Platform, Total Individual)ATV = Average time viewing

2 15 27 29

602

3,736

7,134

217

231

225

223235

260

250221

220

242

213 209 214201

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

-

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

Jan. Wk4 Jan. Wk5 Feb. Wk1 Feb. Wk2 Feb. Wk3 Feb. Wk4 Mar. Wk1

Cum. Infection 2020 2019Cum. Infection(case)

ATV(mins)

TV viewing expands in 2020 versus 2019, in line with rising infections

On Feb. 23rd,Announced the

highest alert level

23


This year’s TV viewing behaviour, while driven by COVID-19 worries, represented an opportunity for media

companies and advertisers during a period that isn’t characterized by heavy TV viewing. The heightened

average time spent viewing between noon and 18:00 was notably a

South Korea

134

92

73

139

219

286

371

132

95

70

130

215

282

366

154

96

69

141

222

286

367

115

69

65

130

211

274

357

500 400 300 200 100 0

Mar. Wk1

Feb. Wk4

Feb. Wk3

Feb. Wk2

143

89

70

127

228

303

392

168

95

73

133

238

316

413

200

115

79

155

266

345

447

190

113

82

141

255

336

428

0 100 200 300 400 500

<10 yr

10-19 yr

20-29 yr

30-39 yr

40-49 yr

50-59 yr

> 60 yr

Mar. Wk1

Feb. Wk4

Feb. Wk3

Feb. Wk2

2019 ATV by Age (Unit : mins) 2020 ATV by Age (Unit : mins)


(National, All Platform, Total Individual)ATV = Average time viewing

24


South Korea

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Feb. Wk1 Feb. Wk2 Feb. Wk3 Feb. Wk4 Mar. Wk1

AMR(%)

Time

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

Feb. Wk1 Feb. Wk2 Feb. Wk3 Feb. Wk4 Mar. Wk1

Drama & Movies Entertainment News Education

Information Sports Kids Others

AMR


(National, All Platform, Total Individual)AMR = Average minute reading


Japan

26


JapanThe News Cycle Drives Japan’s Higher Media Consumption

News consumption in a crisis is to be expected, but daily digital news consumption in Japan increased by

the millions as worries about COVID-19 spread toward the end of February. Page views across Yahoo!

News spike to nearly 244 million on Feb. 27, 2020, 38% higher than the daily average. The increase was

driven by an additional 27 million people users, 24% more than the daily average during the month of

February as per Nielsen Digital Content Ratings.

100,000,000

120,000,000

140,000,000

160,000,000

180,000,000

200,000,000

220,000,000

240,000,000

260,000,000

01/0

1/2

0

01/0

3/2

0

01/0

5/2

0

01/0

7/2

0

01/0

9/2

0

01/1

1/2

0

01/1

3/2

0

01/1

5/2

0

01/1

7/2

0

01/1

9/2

0

01/2

1/2

0

01/2

3/2

0

01/2

5/2

0

01/2

7/2

0

01/2

9/2

0

01/3

1/2

0

02/0

2/2

0

02/0

4/2

0

02/0

6/2

0

02/0

8/2

0

02/1

0/2

0

02/1

2/2

0

02/1

4/2

0

02/1

6/2

0

02/1

8/2

0

02/2

0/2

0

02/2

2/2

0

02/2

4/2

0

02/2

6/2

0

02/2

8/2

0

Daily Average179,455

+38%Yahoo! News PV (000)243,944

15,000,000

17,000,000

19,000,000

21,000,000

23,000,000

25,000,000

27,000,000

29,000,000

01/0

1/2

0

01/0

3/2

0

01/0

5/2

0

01/0

7/2

0

01/0

9/2

0

01/1

1/2

0

01/1

3/2

0

01/1

5/2

0

01/1

7/2

0

01/1

9/2

0

01/2

1/2

0

01/2

3/2

0

01/2

5/2

0

01/2

7/2

0

01/2

9/2

0

01/3

1/2

0

02/0

2/2

0

02/0

4/2

0

02/0

6/2

0

02/0

8/2

0

02/1

0/2

0

02/1

2/2

0

02/1

4/2

0

02/1

6/2

0

02/1

8/2

0

02/2

0/2

0

02/2

2/2

0

02/2

4/2

0

02/2

6/2

0

02/2

8/2

0

+24%

Daily Average21,727

26,984Yahoo! News UA (000)

Page views grow considerably for Yahoo! News in Japan

Spike in Unique Audience for Yahoo! News in Japan

Source: Nielsen Digital Content Ratings

27


Japan

As consumers spend more time indoors, online media consumption peaked. According to NTT

Communications, one of the major ISPs in Japan, internet traffic on weekdays (from 9:00 a.m. to 16:00 p.m.)

in the first week of March increased by 35% and also went up 40% in the following week compared to

average weekly usage. NHK news attributed this increase in traffic to online video, educational programs,

and online classes due to the expansion of remote work and school closures.

At home desktop consumption of content saw a meaningful upward shift. In the last week of February and

the first week of March, Nielsen saw media consumption growth in the weekly time spent on websites in the

“Entertainment –Videos/Movies” category, according to Nielsen, with 8.7% and 4.9% growth respectively

compared to the average of the first 3 weeks in February.

01:37

01:40

01:43

01:46

01:49

01:52

01:55

Average 02/24/2020 - 03/01/2020 03/02/2020 - 03/08/2020

Weekly Time SpentEntertainment-Videos/Movies

During this time, we see advertisers taking a cautious approach in Japan in the early days of the outbreak.

While some reduction in digital campaigns is expected this time of the year (the first two months are

generally soft), we continue to see a downward trend in Japan in 2020, even more than what seasonality

would otherwise suggest.

28


Japan

There is a considerable pull back in digital campaigns. We saw about 5,065 million impressions on digital

advertising campaigns (excluding native ads) in the week of March 2, which was 20.5% smaller than during

the week of March 4, 2019, according to Pathmatics. At this stage, advertisers are erring on the side of

caution in this market.

“Even as content consumption around news spiked in Japan as the situation intensified and being

in-home led to greater desktop content consumption, advertisers pulled back spends significantly

and quickly in line with consumption sentiment in Japan. This means that advertisers may have

missed an opportunity to connect and build their brand proposition with a more engaged audience”

- Jun Miyamoto, Nielsen Media Japan

5,500,000,000

6,000,000,000

6,500,000,000

7,000,000,000

7,500,000,000

8,000,000,000

OCT NOV NOV NOV NOV DEC DEC DEC DEC DEC JAN JAN JAN JAN FEB FEB FEB FEB

2019-2020

2018-2019

Weekly Impressions (Nov-Feb)2018-19 & 2019-20

6,373

5,065

0

1,000,000,000

2,000,000,000

3,000,000,000

4,000,000,000

5,000,000,000

6,000,000,000

7,000,000,000

3/4/2019 – 3/10/2019 3/2/2020 – 3/8/2020

Weekly Total Impressions (000,000)*excluding Native Ads

Source: Pathmatics


Documents

COVID-19 AND THE STATE OF MEDIA IN NORTH ASIA · media time and heightened consumer attention,” said Ranjeet Laungani, North Asia Nielsen Media. “For brands looking to authentically