Strength in Numbers
It’s December 2020
and we’ve been through quite a year,
And with the holidays upon us,
we deserve a bit of cheer.
A moment free from exponential graphs
and grim statistics,
To reflect up on some positive
and joyful analytics.
So let’s put ‘doomscrolling’ on hold
(we can come back to it later),
And let’s celebrate the year that was
with some nice, uplifting data.
Zero yeast on market shelves
marks the great sourdough boom,
As 90,000 distanced schools
continue over Zoom.
Nostalgia for ‘The Office’
keeping work-from-homers zen,
Whilst Fleetwood Mac’s hit ‘Dreams’
has reappeared in the Top 10.
1 million plus TikTokers
take fifteen for mental health,
While 100 pub lunch dollars
might help redistribute some wealth.
3 times as many Aussies
trying to say goodbye to ciggies,
While 3 times as many Kiwis
buying toys for getting jiggy.
A rush to help small business
see’s 9% growth at Yelp,
And a record number of Googlers
ask the world ‘How can I help?’
With more than twice their listener base,
podcasts are gaining power,
South Australia ran on 100% green energy
(for an hour).
Air pollution down
by 30% across Australia,
And for the first time in 30 years,
you can see the Himalayas.
Happy holidays and all the best
for the remainder of this year,
It’s been a bumpy ride
but now the path’s becoming clear.
Just remember
as you look ahead to 2021,
For every cloudy day
there’s roughly 2 more days of sun.
Detail behind the data.
Zero yeast on market shelves.
Yeast was key among the list of supplies experiencing shortages in early 2020, as households around the globe decided lockdown was the perfect time to get their sourdough starters, started.
90, 000 distanced schools.
‘You’re on mute’ must surely be one of the most used phrases of the year, as organisations, families, friends, grandparents and schools fast familiarised themselves with the video conferencing platform.
Nostalgia for ‘The Office’.
Binging of video streaming content saw a steep rise, with a mix of new and old favourites. Households consumed almost 900 million hours of The U.S. Office in October alone, suggesting we might just miss the workplace a bit more than we’re willing to admit.
Fleetwood Mac reappeared in the Top 10.
A delightful social media sensation went viral in October as Nathan Apodaca cruised to work on a skateboard, cranberry juice in hand, to the tune of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Dreams’. Not only did the video drive Apodaca to internet fame, it put the track into the charts for the first time since 1977.
TikTokers take fifteen for mental health.
One of the latest TikTok trends, the #15minutes4mechallenge sees users take a quick survey to assess their mental wellbeing. Full disclosure: the science behind the survey is a little suspect, but the Gen-Z push to be more aware and open about mental health is great to see in action.
100 pub lunch dollars allocated.
The NSW state budget will include a $100 restaurant/pub voucher to get the hospitality sector back in swing. Ready to get back into your favourite local?
Source
Aussies try to say goodbye to ciggies.
You might think that the pressures of 2020 would only further anchor people to their vices and bad habits, but Quitline data shows a 310% increase in use of the quit app. Just another example of COVID-19 acting as a catalyst for positive change.
Kiwis buy toys for getting jiggy.
Just across the Tasman, we saw the incredible efforts of New Zealanders in staying home to stop the spread. Just how does that correlate with a spike in sex toy sales? It’s not for us to say, but the future generation of ‘Quaranteens’ have a lot to be thankful for.
A rush to help small business.
2020 presented unique problems for all manner of organisations. The hospitality, retail and service industries in particular faced enormous challenges. Seeing the fall and subsequent rise of Yelp is perhaps not in and of itself something to get excited about. But it does show a drive and willingness to support the small, local and independent businesses that need it most.
Googling: ‘How can I help?’
Google analytics reveals a number of all time high trending searches throughout 2020. Some, like ‘COVID-19’, and ‘Where to buy toilet paper?’ are to be expected. But other record search terms, like, ‘Help the community’, ‘Help the elderly’, ‘How to volunteer’ & ‘Food donation’ reveals a level of unprecedented global solidarity and support.
Podcasts are gaining power.
With an increase in time on our hands, the number of hours Australian’s have spent listening to podcasts has more than doubled. But what’s everyone listening to? Might we recommend an insightful little gem by the name of Catalyst Conversations (with your host Ben Bars)?
South Australia ran on 100% green energy.
For one hour in October, SA was powered entirely by renewables – a combination of rooftop solar panels and larger-scale solar farms. We’ve still got a long way to go to, but it’s an exciting milestone worth celebrating.
Air pollution down across Australia.
An ironic silver lining revealed itself this year as the impacts of the pandemic included a reduction in air pollution across the globe.
Himalayas, now visible.
Not only has reduced pollution led to cleaner, more breathable air this year, but it has also stripped away the clouds keeping some of our most beautiful landmarks hidden.
Ratio of cloudy to sunny days.
On average there are roughly 2 sunny days in Australia for every cloudy one. And yes, those sunny days are getting hotter, but for now let’s just appreciate the optimistic metaphor.
Like what you see?
Our talented creative team of designers, animators and copywriters are at your disposal for all of your new year communications campaigns that need that competitive edge. We'd love to work with you!