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Are We Doing Enough Demarketing in the Face of the COVID-19 Threat?

Recent statistics show disturbing trends in Americans' attitudes and behaviors in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Could better demarketing be the cure we need?

By David WyldPublished 4 years ago 16 min read
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Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

Introduction

Quick, name a doctor? Odds are that these days, the first name most folks would say would be Dr. Fauci! And that’s very reasonable, as in the wake of the global COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci has become perhaps the face of this historical event - being both the Director of The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and an influential member (and perhaps the most influential member) of the President’s Coronavirus Task Force and a constant on all our screens. For many Americans, Dr. Fauci has become the most trusted expert in this uncertain and worrisome time, even as every TV doctor - from Dr. Oz to Dr. Sanjay Gupta seems to be on all day every day!. And when epidemiology is suddenly on all our minds and in the news well, it is the news - 24/7, America seems to have found - and seems on the surface at least to be listening to - this most prominent of epidemiologists.

By Online Marketing on Unsplash

Who is a “Doctor?”

And we’ve had intense debate over the worth of opinions of various kinds of doctors in the midst of this most doctor-focused of crises. This was evidenced recently when Peter Navarro, who is a chief assistant to President Trump and directs the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy in the White House started a controversy. Appearing on CNN, Navarro, who holds an economics doctorate, seemed to directly question Dr. Fauci over the President’s continuing advocacy for the use of hydroxychloroquine, an existing anti-malarial drug, as a potential treatment for coronavirus. Dr. Navarro came under fire for his offering of a “second opinion” on Dr. Fauci’s caution against employing hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment, but he defended his position based on the fact that he was a doctor too! In the April 6th CNN interview, Navarro seemed to equivocate his doctorate with Dr. Fauci’s, stating:

"Doctors disagree about things all the time. My qualifications in terms of looking at the science is that I'm a social scientist. I have a Ph.D. And I understand how to read statistical studies, whether it's in medicine, the law, economics or whatever."

So yes, as a management professor with yes, a business doctorate - or even, just a business doctorate, I am, under normal circumstances, very careful - as are the vast majority of my colleagues - to “stay in my lane” and only comment upon those things upon which I have expertise. Public health would not normally be one of those “things.” It is definitely an area that I have only lightly worked with over my career. And yet, I see a disturbing trend today that could have major public health concerns. However, that trend is based on consumer behavior - an area about which I have very good knowledge.

By CDC on Unsplash

The Coronavirus Pandemic and Consumer Behavior

And today, we are living through a great, huge consumer behavior case study - all of us, collectively, both here in the United States and indeed around the world. As part of the “pandemic experience,” most all of us today have become voracious consumers of public health information. And for the most part, we are reacting to and acting upon that health advice and information to navigate through this most stressful and anxious of times. As such, our behavior and attitudes toward the threat of the coronavirus has become a classic experiment in how we modify our consumer behavior in reaction to information, stimuli, and yes, all the “noise” - the misinformation, the rumors, and worse that have become part of the pandemic experience.

The all too real problem I see is that for all the great things we are seeing being done today as our fellow Americans, overall, are following public health advice from federal, state and local authorities on social distancing, self-isolation and sheltering in place, there is a disturbing consumer behavior trend that is emerging. This potentially very dangerous trend that is quickly evolving could have a severe - and negative - impact on the trajectory of the coronavirus pandemic.

In this article, we will examine trend data from YouGov's International COVID-19 Tracker, an global survey effort from London-based, YouGov, an international research data and analytics group. We will see that our consumer behavior is showing cracks in compliance with the advice of the best public health minds out there. In short, there are warning signs present in the behavior and attitudes of many Americans that they may be growing tired of the restrictions that are in place today. To remedy this, I would propose that we need to approach the present situation from a demarketing perspective. And so we will look at what demarketing is and how it could still prove useful in the fight against the coronavirus, both in the United States and in other countries as well, with a more direct, serious approach to promoting better preventative behaviors and compliance with social distancing advice/mandates to better fight the spread of the coronavirus - both now and into the future.

By Frank Busch on Unsplash

The “Uh-Oh!” in the YouGov Data

There is an incredible amount of information in YouGov's International COVID-19 Tracker. It is a large scale, ongoing, and truly global look at the coronavirus pandemic. It has a great deal of utility for research in a variety of different areas by media and researchers all over the world - and I urge other “doctors” - of all kinds - to examine its utility for their own research purposes. However, our interest here is to look at Americans’ views on the threat posed by COVID-19 to them personally and then to examine the alarming trends that are developing in terms of Americans’ consumer behavior - namely that many of our countrymen and women may have hit their “limits of compliance.” If unchecked, these trends away from compliance - or perhaps the fact that we may have well hit a “compliance peak” - do not bode well for the U.S.’s fight against COVID-19. However, this notion of a compliance peak should be - indeed must be - an important consideration for public policy makers, corporate leaders, and other entities moving forward.

By Alexandra Gorn on Unsplash

Fear of Corona

Here’s what is clear. Americans do have a healthy fear of the coronavirus. As can be seen in Figure 1 (Americans Fear of Catching the Coronavirus) below, Americans’ fear of becoming a statistic in the COVID-19 pandemic is growing. However, while approximately half of Americans report being

Figure 1 - Americans Fear of Catching the Coronavirus

Source: YouGov's International COVID-19 Tracker (https://today.yougov.com/topics/international/articles-reports/2020/03/17/YouGov-international-COVID-19-tracker)

scared of catching the coronavirus, as can be seen in Figure 2 (American vs. International Fear of Catching the Coronavirus), our “fear factor” is far less than that found in countries like Spain, Italy, France and Germany - the other Western countries that now lead the world in COVID-19 cases.

Figure 2 - American vs. International Fear of Catching the Coronavirus

Source: YouGov's International COVID-19 Tracker (https://today.yougov.com/topics/international/articles-reports/2020/03/17/YouGov-international-COVID-19-tracker)

By Ani Kolleshi on Unsplash

Preventative Measures Against COVID-19

On a positive note, the U.S. public appears to be catching on to the notion of wearing facial masks while in public places, like stores, transportation centers, etc. As can be seen in Figure 3 (Americans Willingness to Wear a Mask in Public) below, there was an over fourfold increase in the willingness of Americans to wear a mask in the just over month that YouGov has tracked

Figure 3 - Americans Willingness to Wear a Mask in Public

Source: YouGov's International COVID-19 Tracker (https://today.yougov.com/topics/international/articles-reports/2020/03/17/YouGov-international-COVID-19-tracker)

the facial masking question. This is something to applaud our fellow citizens for, as the masking trend is indeed quite a profound behavioral change.

We must be mindful however that Americans' willingness to wear facial masks pales in comparison to that found abroad, particularly as compared to the numbers seen in East Asia, as can be seen in Figure 4 (Willingness to Wear a Mask in Public - U.S. vs. East Asian Countries). It must be remembered though that in China and Hong Kong, wearing masks in public was just a generally accepted cultural “thing” before, during and after the peak of the coronavirus threat in their locale.

Figure 4 - Willingness to Wear a Mask in Public - U.S. vs. East Asian Countries

Source: YouGov's International COVID-19 Tracker (https://today.yougov.com/topics/international/articles-reports/2020/03/17/YouGov-international-COVID-19-tracker)

However, the more concerning findings are in examining just how much America’s attitudinal and behavioral changes lags behind those found around the world in countries facing severe coronavirus outbreaks, including in comparison to India (see Figure 5 - Willingness to Wear a Mask in Public - U.S. vs. India) and in Europe [see Figure 6 - Willingness to Wear a Mask in Public - U.S. vs. Europe (Italy and Spain)]. As one can

Figure 5 - Willingness to Wear a Mask in Public - U.S. vs. India

Source: YouGov's International COVID-19 Tracker (https://today.yougov.com/topics/international/articles-reports/2020/03/17/YouGov-international-COVID-19-tracker)

Figure 6 - Willingness to Wear a Mask in Public - U.S. vs. Europe (Italy and Spain)

Source: YouGov's International COVID-19 Tracker (https://today.yougov.com/topics/international/articles-reports/2020/03/17/YouGov-international-COVID-19-tracker)

readily see, as much as Americans’ have changed their behavior in regard to this important way to help prevent the spread of the virus, we have a long, long way to go to catch-up with the rest of the world. Now certainly, the shortage of protective masks for health care workers and the desire - and even public calls by leaders - to preserve masks for use in treatment facilities by those on the front lines has to be a factor working against more widespread public adoption. However, if your email inbox and social media feed looks like mine these days, there is no shortage of companies now trying to add masks to their product lineups - even very fashionable ones! And yes, face masks may even become the next fashion accessory! So, as we settle into the peak-COVID-19 period and look towards a months - and

perhaps even years-long challenge in fighting against the coronavirus, it will be interesting to see if American attitudes toward facial masking catch-up with the rest of the world or continue to lag behind.

By Jakob Owens on Unsplash

The “Compliance Peak”

The most concerning finding however in my analysis of the YouGov tracking centers upon a disturbing and even potentially very dangerous trend that emerged in my research. This is the unmistakable fact that despite all of the health information we have been constantly given over the past two months in regards to the coronavirus, Americans’ consumer behavior in regards to actually acting on public health advice seems to have peaked in many ways - and in fact, compliance is beginning to show signs of dangerously waning - especially compared with the other Western countries fighting against the disease. In fact, as can be seen in Figure 7 (Americans Avoiding Crowded Public Places), American’s avoidance of crowds peaked in late March at 77%, and in spite of continued urging to remain isolated and practice social distancing, the YouGov survey showed that such avoidance behavior actually

Figure 7 - Americans Avoiding Crowded Public Places

Source: YouGov's International COVID-19 Tracker (https://today.yougov.com/topics/international/articles-reports/2020/03/17/YouGov-international-COVID-19-tracker)

declined in early April to 72%! Yet, as can be seen in Figure 8 (Avoiding Crowded Public Places: America vs. International), the level of avoidance in the U.S., at its peak, did not even approach that found in European countries similarly struggling with COVID-19, like Italy and Spain.

Figure 8 - Avoiding Crowded Public Places: America vs. International

Source: YouGov's International COVID-19 Tracker (https://today.yougov.com/topics/international/articles-reports/2020/03/17/YouGov-international-COVID-19-tracker)

Likewise, the YouGov tracking data on willingness to go to work shows a final disturbing trend underway in the U.S. As can be seen in Figure 9 (Americans Avoiding Going to Work), in the U.S., the “fear factor” of the office/work environment seems to have peaked. So, will Americans be more

Figure 9 - Americans Avoiding Going to Work

Source: YouGov's International COVID-19 Tracker (https://today.yougov.com/topics/international/articles-reports/2020/03/17/YouGov-international-COVID-19-tracker)

willing to actually go back to their physical place of work and get back to a more “normal” way of life and work over working and living in isolation, as has been urged not just by President Trump, but a number of governors who support “reopening the country” sooner rather than later? The data certainly seem to indicate so. And in contrast to other global “hotspots” such as Italy and India, Americans’ sentiments toward getting back to work - even if built out of the sometimes frustrating work-at-home, online work experience - are far different than those found globally (See Figure 10: Avoiding Going to Work: U.S. vs Italy and India).

Figure 10 - Avoiding Going to Work: U.S. vs Italy and India

Source: YouGov's International COVID-19 Tracker (https://today.yougov.com/topics/international/articles-reports/2020/03/17/YouGov-international-COVID-19-tracker)

By Alessandro Bianchi on Unsplash

Analysis

All in all, we Americans should congratulate one another as we have been through one of the most profound collective experiences in recent American history - and indeed many historians and social scientists have equated the societal upheaval created by the coronavirus pandemic to be a modern-day equivalent of the Great Depression and World War II in scope, scale and duration. However, as the YouGov data shows - and any trip to your local Walmart or grocery store only reinforces - we still have a long - perhaps very long - way to go toward adapting our behavior to help quash the spread of the coronavirus. And yes, there can be no doubt that both in this acute time and, over the long term, we will need to adapt to a “new normal,” with continuing concerns for safe spacing, cleanliness and hygiene, etc. in our public interactions in the post-pandemic world.

Diagnosis: We Have a Demarketing Problem

And so as yes, as a management professor/consultant with yes, just a business doctorate, I feel that I have limited expertise to comment on public health in general. However, like Dr. Peter Navarro, I too can read statistics and see charts and draw inferences from them. And to me, this is a problem that is in my wheelhouse. That is because what we face today is, at its essence, a demarketing problem. And yes, demarketing has a much bigger role to play in effectively changing the attitudes and more importantly, the behavior of Americans going forward.

By freestocks on Unsplash

Think about it. So much of modern business, and indeed, modern life, is driven by marketing. Each and every day, we are bombarded by marketing messages, both subtle and not so subtle, calling on us to simply and continuously do more:

  • To shop more
  • To buy more
  • To go more
  • To do more
  • To watch more
  • To travel more
  • To live more, and of course
  • To spend more!

Demarketing, in contrast, asks us to not do more - or in fact, to stop doing what we have benn doing. And for corporate and governmental leaders today, demarketing is what we need to focus on today to help fight against the coronavirus, both in the short and long term.

By Frederick Tubiermont on Unsplash

What is Demarketing?

The demarketing concept originated with a 1971 Harvard Business Review article, authored by Philip Kotler and Sidney Levy. In this seminal article, the pair defined demarketing as “that aspect of marketing that deals with discouraging customers in general or a certain class of customers in particular on a temporary or permanent basis.” Now, when the article was published, the concept mainly dealt with how companies should deal with shortages of their products or how they could make their products seem more exclusive. The thought was that you wanted to keep some demand alive — either to intentionally have reduced levels for higher prices (think a high-end hotel), or to deal with temporary situations where demand outstrips supply (think whatever the “hot” Christmas toy might be).

In recent years however, the use of the demarketing concept has been applied in a far different fashion. As Kotler himself wrote in a 2017 article for The Marketing Journal, entitled “Welcome to the Age of Demarketing:”

“Most of the commercial world spends its time trying to increase the demand for products and services. But we also need a science of 'Demarketing' to help reduce the demand for certain products and services. It would be applied to reduce the demand for “vice” products such as hard drugs, cigarettes, and fatty foods. It would also be used to reduce the use of scarce resources, such as water, clean air, certain fish, and certain minerals.”

In this case, what companies — and other organizations, such as non-profits, governmental agencies, health organizations, etc. — would be seeking was not just to decrease demand, but to extinguish it, if at all possible! When it comes to efforts to promote good behaviors (i.e. healthy living, environmental consciousness, child abuse, etc.), there really would be no incentive to keep any level of demand going. Rather, for activities such as drug use, smoking, overeating, and yes, polluting, demarketing could be used for the betterment not just of the individual, but of society as a whole.

And so, we have seen demarketing happening routinely in our society, even if many Americans have never heard of the concept. In fact,. when you go to use “demarketing” in a sentence outside of a college classroom or some very knowledgeable marketing folks, most times, somebody will stop you in mid-sentence with a response something like, “Dewhat” or “Whadyajustsay???” However, demarketing is widely used across society today, from efforts to reduce drug abuse and all forms of addictions, sexual assault, obesity, and many more societal ills. As Kotler stated in his 2017 article — which, oh by the way, he wrote when he was just 86 years young — that demarketing “works best when there is high citizen consensus that the consumption of some good or service should be reduced.”

By Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Applying Demarketing to the Coronavirus

There can be no doubt whatsoever that we will need to affect both immediate and long-term attitudinal and behavioral changes in the population, both in the U.S. and indeed around the world, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and what will be the lingering threat of the coronavirus - at least until highly effective treatments and/or a vaccine is developed. Indeed, looking forward, there is likely no aspect of business - and indeed our lives - that will be unaffected by the threat and reality of this disease for many years to come.

And so that is why I think we need to see more direct, even more virile, demarketing efforts aimed at changing Americans’ attitudes and behaviors that can help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. If you look at the public messaging from the federal government through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this has largely consisted of the “bouncy” public service ads (PSAs)…

...and “talking head” expert ads that we have all seen repeatedly since the outbreak occurred.

However, such ads are likely not “tough enough” to persuade Americans to radically change their attitudes and behaviors in regards to things like public facial masking, avoiding crowds, etc. that can actually help prevent the transmission of the virus. Contrast what we see today in public messaging about COVID-19 versus that of the ultimate “vice behavior” - smoking. While other countries are far more direct in their product label warnings on cigarettes and their public messaging on smoking, even in the U.S., the PSAs to warn about the dangers of smoking are far more direct and powerful.

And so in the end, both governments and even companies should “step us their marketing game” and employ stronger demarketing measures to help convince Americans to have greater compliance with health directives aimed at helping to prevent the spread of the diseases and yes, “flatten the curve” - and even perhaps prevent that dreaded “second wave” of coronavirus outbreak. There are many, many creative minds out there. It’s high time to act. Now! Waiting may cost us more sickness, more death, and yes, more time spent in quarantine with those that you love - or at least you did before the quarantine!

________________________________

David C. Wyld ([email protected]) is a Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University outside New Orleans. He is a noted business consultant and speaker/writer on contemporary management issues.

economy
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About the Creator

David Wyld

Professor, Consultant, Doer. Founder/Publisher of The IDEA Publishing (http://www.theideapublishing.com/) & Modern Business Press (http://www.modernbusinesspress.com)

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