MullenLowe U.S

Most people have just completed their second week of social distancing or working from home. As people settle into their “new normal,” we see some shifts in the types of content they are sharing, what they are consuming, and how they want to hear from and engage with brands. Here are some of the key changes in the way people and brands are using social this week.

COVID-19 is the most powerful agent of social change we have seen in our time. As of March 14, 80% of consumers had changed their behaviors due to the virus. With social distancing and self-quarantine becoming one of the biggest shared experiences of the digital age, our innate need for connection has many flocking to social media. Here are some of the key changes in the way people and brands are using social this week.

NBCUniversal has found a brand to debut the broadcaster’s new audio-led ad format it has dubbed “must-hear TV. NBCUniversal has found a brand to debut the broadcaster’s new audio-led ad format it has dubbed “must-hear TV.” An ad for Royal Caribbean debuting Thursday night will run as the first spot in an ad pod after the program has cut to black. The spot is intended to highlight the sound of the emotional highs of visiting Royal Caribbean’s CocoCay beach and water park as a part of the company’s cruise packages, and it’s the first test of NBCUniversal’s “must-hear TV” offering,which the company unveiled during the 2019 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

A new campaign from German audio brand Sennheiser pokes fun at rival brands’ glossy efforts to use influencers to promote their products. The first work for the company by MullenLowe, the ads start off in the manner of other headphone brands (we’re looking at you, Beats) with the products being pitched by celebrities in an “inspiring” manner. In one, a basketball player steps onto the court wearing headphones and telling us solemnly “to get to the top, you can’t Another ad featuring a fashion model unfolds in a similar cliched vein, as she tell us the headphones help her forget the “cameras, crowds and the haters,” while a social spot shows another basketball player who’s actually revealed to be a DJ.