It’s mid of the year and things are back to normal. We can go out, we can meet face to face and travel is possible.

But things have changed. The coronavirus pandemic is likely to go down as one of the most significant events of our lives and has eternally changed the experience of being a consumer, a office goer, a traveller, a parent, and an individual.

We can expect to see behaviour change at measure for some time to come. What will have changed is the way we think? Sparked by loss of control, evangelised by social media, fortified by government. Such change includes six feet social distancing, wearing masks, sanitising hands, and working from home etc .

How will that affect the way we create, build and run the experiences that consumers need and want in these changed times?

Every organization must become a good listener sharpening their level sensitivity to consumer signals in the real world in real time in order to respond immediately. We should be aware there is going to be a whole lot of trials and errors.

The prescription

Here is some of the covid repercussions that we need to deal with:

The Loss of Confidence.

It used to be a spur of the moment decision, but now deciding on what to do—especially in relation to decisions such as going out, shopping, where to eat, where to meet or work —will all become an anxious procedure.

Congregation of people and places can be seen as a potential threat. Many large ticket purchase decisions postponed in the wake of these uncertainties. Consumers will now be jittery dealing with the loss of control over once simple decisions.

Every business is now a health business

With a heightened sense of well-being n and fear, health is going to be an obsession beyond anything we have seen. Spotless Sanitation, is becoming an obsession that is here to stay—along with sanitizers remaining a way of life in every corner every day.

Health experiences will be in demand, and other way around “health should be considered in every experience”. A recent survey in China found that a healthy feature is now the top consideration for customers looking to buy a new car with demands like air conditioner with germ filter, anti-bacterial upholstery etc .

Home Safe Home

Home is now the hotspot of life and experiences. In Wuhan, China post lockdown restaurants are witnessing abysmal walk- in’s as customers more likely to cook at home than go out.

There will be a rise in the amount of home spending—Life@home , movie@home, cook@home , Health@home, exercise @home, concerts@home etc.

Virtual Reality

The shift towards virtual will affect ways of communication across learning, working, shopping, and consuming. “If I can do it online I may as well” . Its already clear is that many users yet to adopt digital fully are now having to. Digital payments have gone up considerably and currency handling has come under stress.

This pandemic is the single largest catalyst now permanently shifting the laggards online and having made the investment in effort and learned new habits and interfaces, many will not go back.

Reset , Restart

The virus itself doesn’t distinguish, but there will be wide ranging outcomes across the board and across the borders.

It appears that no-one will take the blame for this catastrophe, however everyone needs to fix it.

This pandemic unlike any other in our living memory and is likely to harbinger a worldwide reset of our common practices, which in turn affects the way we live perform our daily duties, work, buy stuff, go out etc.

L.D.L

Listen
Listening to the speedy signals from customers in terms of what they want and how they feel is already important but set to become even more so.

Deploy
Take account of the new customer reality and respond with conscious care and support. This is not a sui generis behaviour, change will continue to challenge as the new plays out.

Learn
Consumer and their social groups will explore hacking new ways to live and innovate their life. Watch that with novelty as they can form the vary basis of product development.

And. Repeat LDL

Question yourself if you are future-fit for the “new normal” into which the world will settle or repeat the prescription.

Glad to talk to you, please reach out-
Prathish@trancendconsulting.com

+919845178092