A new world order is in place and the needs, wants and desires of consumers have also changed. Gone are the days when consumers wished to travel and they would pack their bags the very next day. Today stepping out of the house to buy groceries is the only travel plan that anybody is allowed to make. Social distancing, Covid 19 are the buzz words that everyone is talking about. And with that comes the question of how brands should react to the situation at hand.
As the consumer is at the center of everything that a brand does, the exploration begins here. What do consumers like you and me want the brands that we swear by, to do?
BE COMPASSIONATE
Firstly, we, the consumers, want the brands to care about us, genuinely! As with human relationships, in these tough times, showing that the brands care for us, goes a long way in strengthening the relationship. It could be a simple message or an action the brands are taking to make sure that we are safe. E.g. Zero contact delivery of Dominos or Indigo waiving of its charges for change in travel plans. That, for us, is COMPASSION from brands which will make us fall in love with them all over again.
BE CRISP
Secondly, there is an information overload from all the brands, about Corona Virus’ ill-effects, causes and the precautions to be taken. We, as consumers, are tired of consuming so much information and do not want to have long conversations with brands. We want direct, clear messages. Keep it short and simple, tell us what the brand wants us to do. Be CRISP and we’re all ears.
BE CREATIVE
Thirdly, we have reached a saturation point as far as information regarding Covid 19 is concerned. Frankly speaking, social distancing messages, how to work from home articles etc. have become blind spots for us. If you, as brands, can bring in a fresh perspective and present it in an interesting manner, then we are willing to look at you and spend time with you. In fact, we will go all out to search for the brand, find the brand message and share it with our friends. For e.g. Big B’s Family ad on Corona Virus. That’s CREATIVE, emotional storytelling and that’s how we will notice the brand in
the crowd.
BE CAREFUL
Lastly, we as consumers are aware that these are unusual times. Brands are coming up with never – before seen or heard offers – free learning sessions, free webinars, free online courses etc. We understand that the brands are being considerate and would like to make our lives a little more meaningful. We also understand that not all good things last forever. However, we are humans after all! So, please be mindful of the fact that we might get used to all the discounts, freebies, benefits that the brands are throwing at us. Set our expectations right from the beginning. Be CAREFUL so as not to disappoint us in the future.
Now that you have a peek into what we, as consumers want today, let’s get started!
by Artthi Ponnuswamy