The Covid-19 pandemic is proving that consumers have changed their shopping habits. A shift towards online shopping platforms and an increased willingness among shoppers to trial reduced contact solutions such as curbside pickup becoming a clear trend.
As consumers lean into “the new normal,” there are a wide range of challenges for brand owners to address. How do brands respond if consumers are concerned about touching plastic or metal packaging? With buyers increasingly cash-strapped, what happens to non-essential impulse buys? Does the brand have a multi-pack option, which allows buyers to make fewer trips to the shop?
The markets are evolving so quickly that brand consultants barely know what will happen in the next seven days, let alone the next seven months.
Many brands are reliant on glossy campaigns tied to traditional events in the calendar. But, we need to adopt a faster, test-and-learn based approach.
Brands need to get their products to market much quicker. This requires testing them with target consumers and rapidly learning and adapting from the results. For established brands with legacy business models, this shorter development cycle may pose a significant challenge. One way of breaking the resistance to trial and error is to work with smaller, more nimble partners that can iterate ideas quickly. It’s all about embracing the mentality of “done is better than perfect.”
We all need to think about ways in which non-traditional partnerships and campaigns might help us battle Covid-19 challenges.
Making an educated prediction on what is going to happen in the run up to Christmas 2020 is proving to be challenging. But one thing is for sure. Instead of dumping millions into one big marketing idea, spread your budget across a range of ideas and campaigns.
There are no two ways about it, the aftershocks of Covid-19 will continue to transform the way brands connect with consumers for years to come. For those brands willing to listen to consumers and quickly adapt to their new behaviors, the opportunities will outweigh the risks. Looking for help discovering your Green Shoots of opportunity? We’re here to help.
