Life reinvented, Indonesian behaviour one year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic

• 77% of Indonesians surveyed believe that the vaccination is key to returning to a normal life
• 76% of Indonesians surveyed are working from home and studying
• Daily entertainment activities of +28% since the beginning of the pandemic

Jakarta, Indonesia, 23 June 2021 – Nielsen today released results from the COVID-19 themed survey on how Indonesians respondents have changed their everyday behaviours. They revealed that 77% of Indonesians surveyed believe that the vaccination is key to returning to a normal life with 87% willing to have the vaccination. 

The pandemic has led Indonesians to become more price conscious. While 72% of people surveyed are still brand loyal, over half are focused on the cost. Nielsen Ad Intel reports that financial advertisers have reached spend-conscious Indonesians, increasing their media spend from $7.79 billion (IDR)  in Q1 2020 to $1.465 billion (IDR) in Q4 2020. Insurance, financial institutions and banking are driving this 88% increase in spend. 

Hellen Katherina, Executive Director of Media, Nielsen Indonesia said, “The pandemic exponentially challenged marketers, requiring them to take a hard look at the strategies they’ve historically used to reach audiences across the consumer journey. Over a year into the pandemic the survey revealed that understanding these trends, embracing uncertainty and remaining agile are keystones to a successful advertising and messaging strategy in 2021.”

The majority of Indonesians are working from home and studying (76% of respondents indicated) but they are feeling more confident in doing outdoor activities, 71% are gathering with friends and relatives, 69% are attending religious activities, 51% are dining out in restaurants and over half are regularly visiting shopping malls. 

Engagement in digital entertainment is not slowing down either, in fact the pandemic has accelerated in the adoption. Daily entertainment activities of +28% since the beginning of the pandemic. Social media is the most popular choice with 90% of Indonesians surveyed accessing platforms. This was closely followed by 83% of Indonesians watching videos online, 77% watching TV, 75% listening to audio content and 67% playing online games. 

The Nielsen COVID-19 survey was conducted online, by 354 Indonesians. It covered 11 cities over the time period 14 April to 21 April 2021.