The study, which was conducted during the months of May and June 2022 on 14,200 people in 14 countries, confirms that from all social classes, generations and regions combined, 75% of Moroccans say that the pandemic has changed them.
The survey, entitled MARCO 2022: Consumer Habits after the COVID-19 Pandemic, collected respondents’ opinions on various themes ranging from brand responsibility, to the environment, to information sources, to the place of social networks, to crypto-currency and Metaverse.
The most notable transformation revealed by this survey lies in the demands of Moroccans towards brands and companies. They are very assertive, and not only in terms of product quality or value for money.
Environmental protection, sustainability, employee well-being and diversity values are all criteria that guide Moroccan men and women’s choices, with women taking a much stronger stance on these issues that engage the responsibility of brands.
Thus, 84% of Moroccans consider it very important (63%) or important (21%) that a brand or company treats its employees well.
Women are more sensitive to this, with 89% considering it very important or important (21%). Geographically, 88% of respondents in the Atlantic region are more sensitive to the treatment of employees.
According to the survey, the promotion of diversity by a brand or company is considered very important (59%) or important (32%) for 91% of Moroccans. The percentage is highest in the southern regions of the country with 95%.
When asked to choose between trendiness and responsibility, 51% of Moroccans agree that brands should be responsible, with a much higher percentage of women than men, 60% of whom prefer more responsible brands, compared to 47%.
Regarding the respect of the environment by brands, low-income households show more sensitivity. 91% of Moroccans consider it very important (67%) or important (24%) that a brand or company respects the environment. Again, more women than men consider this issue to be very important (76%).
The MARCO survey also confirms new trends in the use of social networks, which have become a “leading” source of information. Moroccans surveyed say they consult Facebook (53%), Whatsapp (51%) and Instagram (46%) very often as sources of available information.
Men are more likely to consult Facebook with 55%, while Instagram is the number one source for 62% of women, who also like Whatsapp with 58%.
Television comes in 4th position and it is men who watch it more often for information (33%) than women (27%). It is in the 40/65 age group that the small screen is the most important for 75% who watch it a lot or often. Of all those surveyed, 44% say they rarely watch television for information.
In this same age group, radio is also important since it comes in 4th position with 32% who listen to it very often. Online newspapers 29%, Twitter 29% and LinkedIn 25% are also more important for the 40/65 year olds, while the written press only represents 20% for all respondents.
However, when it comes to the reliability of information, television continues to take the lion’s share with 68% of Moroccans who consider it very reliable (39%) or reliable (29%). It is also worth noting that the written press only gets 28% who consider it “very reliable”.
Among 18/25 year olds, television is only in 3rd position ahead of Whatsapp (44%) and Instagram (40%) but among 40/65 year olds, traditional media continue to be the most reliable.
