7 Branding Tips to Align Your Brand to the Post COVID New Normal
Have you been working from home for a large part of the last year and more? Could you imagine, just two years ago, that it was possible for you and millions of other people in the world to do this effectively? So clearly a lot has changed – and very significantly at that. People have found new ways of working, spending leisure time, shopping, eating, and dressing. The changes are huge and brands have to adjust to the new normal if they are to survive and remain relevant to their consumers.
Life has changed for everyone.
People have changed the way they perceive brands. As many as 71% of consumers say they don’t trust brands that put profit before people. As many as 50% of consumers changed at least some of their regular brands and some of that proportion changed all the brands they had been using. The changes have been fundamental and there will be no ‘going back’. The pandemic has been a sobering experience and there is a lot of FOMO – people are realizing that life is short and they have a lot to get done!
And it’s not all doom and gloom. 73% of Americans feel that there have been positive takeaways from the pandemic. For instance, many love the work-from-home gig and don’t miss either the commute or their boring cubicle. They are enjoying shopping virtually, the flexible work timings and spaces, spending time at home with family, and not having to deal with potentially problematic colleagues.
7 tools to overcome branding challenges of the new normal.
Brands that adapted quickly and effectively to the changed needs of people, altered logistics, and supply chain issues survived better than those that did not. Even the brand conscious became cost-conscious as the pandemic and resultant lockdowns impacted incomes and businesses. People were buying more casual clothing and spending less on their commute. They were buying online rather than visiting actual stores and were eating out less.
So your first challenge is to acknowledge the change and to adapt. For instance, a ticketing platform selling theater and cinema tickets managed to survive by branching out into online streaming. People weren’t able to or were uncomfortable visiting movie theatres but they still wanted to be entertained!
Another change is that people are now thinking more about their own health and also want brands to be more environmentally aware. Brands that are perceived as honest, transparent and people-oriented rather than centered only on the profit motive have done better. So your brand’s values and ethics count for a lot. So, for instance, people have been appreciative of brands that shifted to eco-friendly or minimal packing. They liked brands that quickly added items like innovative no-touch sanitizer to their inventories or were able to offer contactless delivery and payment options. To give you an example, a friend shifted her bed & breakfast model to ‘glamping’ to stay relevant.Now with things being so different, your brand has to be able to inspire its community with its ethics as well as its vision going ahead. Check out this episode of Inspiration to Millions where I share the 7 ways for brands to overcome these new challenges and to adapt to new consumer habits. Watch the episode now to learn more.