The Shit Show

No doubt about it: Q4 was a sh*t show

The fourth quarter of 2020 seemed to drag on forever, especially for marketers who were facing make-or-break decisions as they tried to connect with consumers who were dealing with their own unprecedented challenges.

Along with all of this, everyone’s minds weighed heavy with divisive politics, social unrest, and economic upheaval. In McKinney’s latest installment of its ongoing “Consumer Sentiment in the Age of Covid” research, we zeroed in on consumer attitudes and behaviors in Q4 — or the Shit Show, as we affectionately came to call it. To receive your copy of the latest report, “Q4: Where Do We Go From Here,” click here.

And while the research was specific to Q4, one thing is still abundantly clear: Nothing is predictable. Consumers continue to reel from the ups and downs of this new uncertainty, and while brands can’t solve everything, they can help make things a little better for them. McKinney addressed all this and more in their Advertising Week panel, “Welcome to the Shit Show.” During the panel, the directors of strategy from McKinney’s three offices — Jasmine Dadlani, Cat Eagan, and Anita Schillhorn — were joined by McKinney’s executive director of media, Swap Patel, to discuss what brands could do to win in the most tumultuous fourth quarter we’ve ever seen.

And now, “Welcome to the Shit Show”!