Page 26 - WhitePaper_MC&I Benchmark in Covid19 Era

We believe that marketers may re-evaluate MC&I marketing efforts as a result of more recent
social justice events, including the Black Lives Matter movement, to defend their reputation and
address issues of systemic racism.

What information/guidance marketers seek and AIMM proposed research plan
Marketers are seeking reassurance of the product demand ROI of MC&I consumers. Consumer
intent and behavioral purchase data are critical to proving rebounding demand across brands
and categories. There is vital urgency for hard evidence of what segments, types of creative, and
media decisions can speed up brands’ pre-COVID growth trajectories.

AIMM wants to bring forward business and cultural insights that may help marketers understand
the opportunities they are missing by deprioritizing or eliminating MC&I segments and offer up-
to-date ideas on how best to market to these segments during pandemic and afterward.

To suffi ciently address MC&I segments, marketers seek guidance and reassurance of current
and future value potential in three key areas. AIMM’s plan to address each key area is outlined
below.

1) MC&I Purchasing in Recovery and Reset Growth Phases
a) Monitor consumer behavior changes due to COVID-19.
b) Monitor upticks in consumer spending as they happen.
c) Monitor future intent across all MC&I advertisements, including in-language.
d) Anticipate the right time for MC marketers to re-enter categories for each segment to
boost overall growth.
2) Past MC&I Recessionary Learnings
a) Understand MC&I consumer resiliency and timing of rebound across categories post-
Great Recession.
i) Brand switching vs. loyalty behaviors.
ii) Rebound level among brands that maintain presence vs. brands that eliminate and
later return.
3) Value of Culture During the Pandemic
a) Test the value of cultural insights in coronavirus communications through CIIM.
i) The COVID-19 CIIM test would consist of about 18 to 24 branded COVID-19 ads with
and without culture and would help marketers better understand what resonates
strongest with MC&I consumers.
b) Prove the incremental value of cultural insights in COVID Response and Relief messaging
by measuring ads with and without culture embedded using CIIM.

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