Responding to COVID-19
We now face the implications of its long-term impact: can businesses recover and return to the way they operated pre-pandemic? How will they handle return to office? What role does flexibility play in the future of work?
COVID-19 Opinion Tracker
Pandemic Playbook: The public assesses business leaders’ response to the pandemic favorably, and wants more of the same when it comes to issues like net zero.
COVID-19 Opinion Surveys
COVID-19 Opinion Tracker - Edition 8
The eighth Kekst CNC international tracking survey shows surprising responses when it comes to the public’s confidence in their country’s economic situation, uptakes in vaccine roll-outs and the reputation of Governments and large businesses. This study shows that countries with strong vaccine rollouts have seen higher public confidence and an overall positive perception of government and business performance, particularly so in the UK and U.S.
COVID-19 Opinion Tracker - Edition 7
The seventh Kekst CNC international tracking survey finds that as vaccines roll out, businesses are facing increasing reputational risks in the latter stages of the pandemic. As an example, we find that the pharmaceutical industry has received contrasting opinions recently. In the UK, the pharmaceutical industry has seen a significant boost to its brand, placing it alongside highly rated industries like supermarkets and the NHS.
COVID-19 Opinion Tracker – Edition 6
The sixth Kekst CNC international tracking survey shows that the relationship between business and the general public will be transformed by the crisis. As 2020 has unfolded, individual corporates and sectors that had hitherto been unloved or the focus of severe criticism, have been at the heart of shared efforts to deal with the challenges of COVID-19. But our survey finds that a positive performance during the pandemic is not a blank reputational cheque.
Global Thinking Podcast: Reporting the News During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Global Thinking is joined by Joe Miller, Frankfurt Correspondent for the Financial Times; Nadine Hani, Business Anchor at Al Arabiya based in Dubai; and Suryatapa Bhattacharya, financial markets reporter with The Wall Street Journal in Tokyo. They discuss how the nature of a story has changed, the stresses of the move from physical to virtual newsrooms, and how this crisis has changed the face of news forever.
Subscribe
Subscribe to receive communications regarding Kekst CNC Covid-19 research and news. By accepting you agree to our Privacy policy.
All COVID-19 Insights
COVID-19 Opinion Tracker - Edition 9
The ninth iteration of Kekst CNC’s international tracking survey reveals a step-change in attitudes towards coronavirus, with more people saying governments should now prioritise protecting their economies, even at the expense of limiting the spread of the virus.
Public becoming more likely to say ‘Put the economy ahead of tackling the virus’ - Kekst CNC Tracker Wave 9 Results
London, 18 October 2021 - The 9th wave of the Kekst CNC tracker is revealed an uncertain British public that is increasingly focused on the UK’s uncertain economic future. Britain has seen a jump in the proportion of the public wanting to prioritise protecting the economy over limiting the spread of the coronavirus.
Divisions Grow Between Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Americans
Confidence in government decreasing and Americans predict next three years will bring increased taxes, living costs, an increased national debt and crime, according to latest Kekst CNC poll
Perception Eats Reality for Breakfast
“Nothing but the truth” is a nice concept and also the title of a number of books and movies. But it is actually far more important how reality and truth are perceived.
Vaccine Success Powers Economic Optimism in the UK While Confidence in Europe Plummets
London, 12 May 2021 - British people are the most confident that the economy will be stronger in three months’ time than any other country surveyed, according to the latest wave of the Kekst CNC COVID-19 tracker, a survey of public attitudes in the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, and Japan.
Americans Indicate Increased Likelihood to Take the Vaccine
NEW YORK, May 12, 2021 – Americans’ willingness to take COVID-19 vaccines has increased dramatically since February, as have their expectations for economic recovery and confidence in President Biden, the CDC, and all levels of government, according to the newest edition of a pandemic opinion poll surveying a nationally representative sample of 1,000 American adults, conducted by leading strategic communications firm Kekst CNC.
Who Will Go Where? The Changed World of Travel and Tourism After COVID-19
Vaccinations, quarantine periods, testing and case numbers are some of the factors that will shape post-pandemic tourism and travel. The future of travel rests heavily on the success of the vaccine rollouts, but is this enough to get travellers to go abroad again?
New Rules for a New Way of Working? Five Essentials for Businesses Welcoming Employees Back Into the Office
The ‘new normal’. A phrase that burned out in record time, going from bright new thing to cliché before anyone had worked out what it meant. But now, a full 12 months after lockdowns put normality on hold, the future is becoming much clearer.
Kekst CNC COVID Tracker Shows Increased Confidence in the Performance of Key Sectors
London, 1 March 2021 - The British public continues to show confidence in the performance of a number of key sectors of the UK economy, according to the latest wave of the Kekst CNC COVID-19 tracker, a survey of public attitudes in the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, and Japan.
The Future of Work: How COVID-19 Has Impacted Employee Behaviour
What will the future of work look like in the aftermath of this pandemic? How has and will COVID-19 impact employees’ behaviour? What are the expectations and demands for employers? These are some of the questions we discussed on our panel event, drawing on the findings of our global COVID-19 public opinion survey and the perspectives of our Kekst CNC experts.
The Continuing Storm: Global Threats in the Wake of a Worldwide Pandemic
“The Continuing Storm: Global Threats in the Wake of a Worldwide Pandemic” a Kekst CNC and CMi Forum webinar, chaired by security experts Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference and former German Ambassador to the U.S. and the UK, and Tom Hurd, Director General of the UK´s Office for Security and Counter Terrorism, was a must-attend for all those interested in global dynamics. The discussion was informed by Kekst CNC research, which provided an analysis of global threats as viewed by the public in six countries.
Global survey shows COVID-related concern at record lows in Sweden
The proportion of Swedes reporting strong concern about the economic impact of COVID-19 drops to 37% (from 65% in April), compared to 49% in Germany and 70% in Great Britain.
COVID-19 Opinion Tracker - Edition 5
The fifth Kekst CNC international tracking survey shows that in many countries business continues to be seen as having responded more effectively to the pandemic than government. However, there are signs that this faith in business may be declining after a very strong performance in the first months of the pandemic. Employees' priorities over the next three months are focused on pay, keeping their job, and health and safety measures.
International tracking survey reveals that British supermarkets now rated as highly as the NHS
London, 12 October 2020 – The fifth Kekst CNC COVID-19 international tracking survey shows that business continues to be seen to have operated effectively during the pandemic. The majority of the UK public believes that food retailers, online retailers, and the pharmaceutical industry have performed well on a net basis. So positive are the British public about their supermarkets, that they are rated as highly as the NHS in how they have responded to the crisis – a net +80% and a net +78%.
Episode 5: The Power of Narratives for Start-Ups
In the fifth episode, our host Dominic Laurie is joined by Saeed Amidi, CEO & Founder of Plug and Play, who shares his insights from Silicon Valley’s start-up ecosystem. While most industries have come to a standstill in recent months, demand for digital companies’ offerings has skyrocketed in recent months.
How Bots are Manipulating Conversations Around COVID-19 on Twitter
Automated social media accounts commonly referred to as ‘bots’ are actively influencing the COVID-19 ‘anti-mask movement’ on Twitter. Many have strong political allegiances and artificially increase engagements on politicians’ tweets.
The Impact of COVID-19 on ESG Priorities: Social Issues Begin to Shine
On July 8, Kekst CNC hosted a virtual ESG panel event to discuss the Impact of COVID-19 on ESG Priorities. We were joined by Rob Cameron, Global Head of Public Affairs at Nestlé and Tom Fekete, Head of Sustainable Investing for EMEA and Asia at BlackRock. We asked them to provide their reflections on the ESG findings from the Kekst CNC COVID-19 Tracker Edition 3 (15 June 2020) which summarised data from a representative sample of 6,000 people in six countries - the UK, US, Germany, Sweden, France and Japan about their environmental, social and governance (ESG) priorities.
UAE to Enjoy Loyal Traveller Rebound
Dubai, 28th July 2020 – Publicis-owned global strategic communications firm, Kekst CNC, today publishes results from the fourth edition of its COVID-19 Opinion Tracker, revealing that the UAE enjoys strong favour among loyal travellers against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, which has brought tourism-dependent economies around the world to a standstill.
COVID-19 Opinion Tracker - Edition 4
The fourth edition of our international COVID-19 Opinion Tracker shows that the public’s view of business is showing signs of deteriorating. Throughout the first three months of the tracker, business has performed well in the public’s eyes. It has been seen as stepping up during the crisis, and is perceived as having handled the pandemic well. Though this still stands, business brands are in a delicate position as the focus shifts to lay-offs and economic damage.
British Public Say No Chance of Being Back to Normal by Christmas
London, 25th July 2020 – The fourth Kekst CNC international tracking survey has shown that only one in ten (11%) expect things to have returned to normal by Christmas, as predicted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week. Almost three-quarters (72%) disagree that this will be the case.
British Public Welcomes Compulsory Masks in All Indoor Public Spaces
As England prepares for the implementation of compulsory mask wearing on 24 July, a preview of the fourth Kekst CNC COVID-19 international tracking survey reveals the British public, across every demographic, political group and region surveyed, welcome compulsory mask-wearing in indoor public spaces.
In Act Two of COVID-19, Understanding Businesses’ Reputation is More Important Than Ever
At our first Kekst CNC focus group, broadcast on Times Radio last week, we asked a group of uncommitted voters across England what they thought about “ESG”. Not surprisingly, few understood what the term meant. An acronym that businesses and investors use on a near-daily basis, focused around environmental, social and corporate governance practices, has no cut-through with the greater British public.
Webinar: The Impact of COVID-19 on ESG Priorities
What impact has COVID-19 had on ESG? Has it become more important or less? Have priorities of investors – and the public – shifted? Is climate protection still ‘number one’? And how are leading businesses in this space changing their ESG policies and priorities?
Are You Prepared for a Post-Pandemic Crisis?
Today, most offices and many industrial facilities remain shuttered. Employees are scattered in a state of enforced refuge and we are all leaning heavily on technology for continuity-of-business. The onslaught of Coronavirus has upended the way we operate. It has asked tough questions of organisations large and small across the world and hard decisions are made on a daily basis often in response to quickly changing Government guidance.
COVID-19 Opinion Tracker - Edition 3
Kekst CNC’s COVID 19 Opinion Tracker has become a key measure of public opinion throughout the current crisis, and an important tool for companies as they seek to understand changing attitudes towards established institutions, particular sectors, corporate and individual behaviour and considerations such as ESG. The third wave of our tracking survey has found that across the United States, the UK, Germany, France, Sweden and Japan the public believes that Germany has dealt best with the pandemic crisis, while the United States and UK are the worst responders.
Concerns About the UK Economy Grow, but the British Public Still Puts Health First
London, 15 June 2020 – As pressure ramps up on government to reboot the economy, the third Kekst CNC COVID-19 international tracking survey has shown that the British public are gradually becoming keener on prioritising the economy – the first time this has shifted since the start of the pandemic.
Germany Most Praised, United States Most Criticised for Global COVID-19 Response
London, 15 June 2020 - The third Kekst CNC COVID-19 international tracking survey has found that across the United States, the UK, Germany, France, Sweden and Japan the public believes that Germany has dealt best with the pandemic crisis, while the United States and UK are seen to have dealt with COVID-19 the worst.
Lessons Learnt From Swedish Companies’ Q1 Reporting
Being in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic does not make corporate financial reporting any easier. However, while challenging, the situation has not yet led to any radical changes in how companies present quarterly reports, apart from one major aspect –financial guidance. JKL Kekst CNC has analysed quarterly financial reports from January-March 2020 that were published by the 50 largest listed companies in Sweden. We compiled the financial guidance and outlooks provided and evaluated how each company communicated the effects of COVID-19 on their results. From this analysis, there are lessons to learn for the upcoming reporting season.
Episode 2: Reporting the News During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 crisis is the focus for almost every company across the world. That is true for media organisations as much as anyone else. At very few times in modern human history has the news agenda been dominated by a single story for so long.
The FTSE 100: Communications and COVID-19
As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, both the media and general public looked to the most powerful businesses and their leaders, as a source of information and strength in the time of crisis. They faced unprecedented levels of public and media scrutiny; firstly from the outside, challenging their participation and help of the relief efforts to tackle the growing pandemic, and also on the inside, being publicly held to account for how they were communicating the safeguarding of their employees and their livelihoods.
COVID-19 and ESG: Watch out for Japanese Corporations
Three months into the novel coronavirus crisis, it has become clear that ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) investing is not about to be placed on the backburner during the pandemic. In the first quarter of 2020, a net US$40.5 billion went into funds scoring high on ESG criteria while traditional mutual and exchange-traded funds saw net outflows. Indeed, 94% of sustainable indices outperformed their parent benchmarks in the first quarter 2020, according to a BlackRock study.
COVID-19: European Activist Investors Continue to Pursue Targets
Public activity as measured in hard numbers by ActivistInsight, is down significantly in Q1 2020. However, it is a tenuous metric, especially during times of severe dislocation. The market turmoil caused by COVID-19 creates an abundance of opportunities for activists: valuations have plummeted almost across the board and stark differences between companies´ ability to cope with the crisis are becoming increasingly apparent.
Corporate Responsibility in a Post-COVID-19 World
When we do finally emerge from the COVID-19 crisis, the world will employ a magnifying glass to assess how businesses responded to the crisis – and the steps taken to recover and rebuild. Leaders are already recognizing that rebuilding a “new normal” affords businesses an opportunity to recover in a more responsible, sustainable and, ultimately, better way.
Back to the Office – The Changing Face of Employer Communications
This week the UK government set out its three-phased approach for gradually lifting the current lockdown restrictions and returning the nation back to what previously might have been described as “normal.” But while policymakers are hopeful that a COVID-19 vaccine will be successfully developed, the Prime Minister and his scientific advisers acknowledged that there is no real assurance that we will not be living with COVID-19 for a long time to come.
Americans Divided on Need for Fundamental Economic Change Post-COVID-19 Crisis
New York, New York, May 12, 2020 – International opinion survey, conducted by Kekst CNC, shows narrow gap between Americans who want fundamental change to the economy and those who want return to pre-crisis state. Data shows rising call to avert economic damage and a continuing decline of confidence in federal government response
COVID-19 Opinion Tracker - Edition 2
The second edition of our international COVID-19 Opinion Tracker shows that the public continues to prioritise health over the economy in most countries. The survey findings have significant implications for business leaders as well as policy-makers around the world. It shows that even compared to just a month ago, people are expecting the impact of COVID-19 to last longer.
With Government Poised to Ease Some Lockdown Restrictions, British Public Say: Put Our Lives Above The Economy
London, 11 May 2020 – The second Kekst CNC COVID-19 international tracking survey has shown that while other countries like Sweden, Germany and the United States have become more enthusiastic about protecting the economy, 73% of Britons (down only 1%) say the government should still prioritise saving lives even if that means a major recession or depression.
Episode 1: COVID-19 – The People’s View
Global Thinking is a new podcast by Kekst CNC. Special guests and our experts around the world will be sharing their insights on the latest opportunities and challenges relating to communications.
Media Relations During COVID-19: Is There Room for Non-Coronavirus Stories?
One question we are getting a lot right now from clients is this: is there any appetite at all for non-COVID-19 stories in the news media? The pandemic is the focus for almost every company and organisation on the planet. However, by the same token, there are still many interesting initiatives going on inside those institutions that at any other time would be highly newsworthy.
China’s Lurch Toward Its Own Version of GDPR
The people of Wuhan, China suffered a second and unexpected indignity after enduring the outbreak of COVID-19. Several residents of the original epicenter of the virus found their names, addresses, daily movements and other personal data leaked online. It was an apparent attempt by vigilantes to protect the rest of the population from those presumed to carry the virus.
COVID-19 Opinion Tracker - Edition 1
COVID-19 is having a significant impact on both business and society internationally. Kekst CNC have published the first edition of the COVID-19 Opinion Tracker to support our clients and the industries they serve to navigate these difficult times and to anticipate what the coming weeks and months will hold.
UK Ready to Sacrifice Economy to Save Lives
Kekst CNC survey shows support for government intervention and responsible corporate behaviour LONDON, 14 April 2020 – The first Kekst CNC COVID-19 international tracking survey has shown that the UK public holds the strongest views - compared to the United States, Germany or Sweden - that the government should limit the spread of coronavirus and save lives, even if that means a major recession or depression and the loss of many jobs. Asked what the government should prioritise, 74% said limiting the spread, and only 13% protecting the economy.
Americans Acutely Concerned About COVID-19 Financial Loss & Recent Government Response
International opinion survey, conducted by Kekst CNC, shows Americans by far the most concerned about the personal financial impact of COVID-19 — and least reassured by recent government response. Data shows both Democrats and Republicans back government bailouts for businesses
Cyber Security: Coronavirus is Christmas Come Early for Hackers
Cyber criminals are social chameleons – constantly adapting and searching for opportunities to use their technical expertise to exploit primal emotions. With the widespread outbreak of COVID-19, people are afraid and hungry for information. At the same time, employees around the world are relying more than ever on technology and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to work remotely. As a result, the pandemic offers unmatched technical and psychological vulnerabilities for cyber criminals to prey upon.
How to Support Middle Management in Crisis Communications
Most corporate executives perform the function of middle management: connecting strategic leadership to the operational core and, most importantly, acting as a conduit for communication within a company. They serve as translators, providing feedback in many different directions.
FTSE 100 Financial Reporting During the COVID-19 Pandemic
COVID-19 has spread across the world, leading to unprecedented lockdowns and an unpredictable business environment for companies everywhere. This paper provides an analysis of FTSE 100 COVID-19 inancial reporting between the start of 2020 and 3 April and highlights the uncertainty facing UK-listed companies and the investment community as we move into uncharted waters.
Beyond Media Interviews: Communicating During COVID-19
In these turbulent times, clear messaging and good communication matter more than ever. Whether supporting staff through this difficult period, providing customers with up-to-date information or offering the public valuable insights into the fight against COVID-19, it is important to get the tone, message and medium right.
Social Media Communications in the Coronavirus Outbreak
Coronavirus (COVID-19) is the first global pandemic to unfold in the era of social media, with an unprecedented volume of conversations going on around us. Every 45 milliseconds, a COVID-19 related tweet enters the conversation
Of Course the Media Must Hold Government to Account, but Reporting This Pandemic Is Not a Game
There is nothing about Covid-19 that is business as usual. Yet for some, a ‘business as usual’ mindset remains the default position. When the virus is defeated, there will be time enough for Parliamentary probes and public inquiries but in the heat of the battle, stopping for a squabble about the Government’s messaging is only impeding the fight.
A Pragmatic Guide to Remote Leadership in Times of Crisis
COVID-19 has fast-forwarded the practice of working from home and collaborating virtually with colleagues. What would have taken years to become common practice in large corporations has happened overnight. Rather than relying on meeting in person, millions of workers are turning to a variety of technological solutions to stay connected.