Lockdowns and various restrictions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in many changes and challenges to the way we all live and work.
It has led to businesses and brands having to quickly adapt and respond to meet different demands, and in many cases, to simply to survive.
Now, as we look ahead to life with (hopefully) less restrictions, we’ve noted a number of insights which suggest certain lockdown trends could be here to stay – something for you to keep in mind when planning future campaigns.
Good news and ‘doing good’ is the way to go
Despite everything, people in the UK are still interested in coronavirus, but research by Attest revealed messaging from brands needs to be upbeat.
Just over 45% of consumers are receptive to receiving good news and inspiration around the pandemic, with only 18% of people being bored by COVID-19 related messaging from brands.
Similarly, according to Google, the past year has triggered consumers to reevaluate their relationship with brands in general. Those ‘doing good’ or ‘being helpful’ are prioritised and favoured.
Localism has accelerated
Necessity has encouraged many people to buy more from local stores and use local services in lockdown. Meanwhile, social and environmental motives for keeping things local has strengthened these habits.
In the UK, 43% of consumers believe that local businesses are good for the economy, while 57% of people said that after restrictions following the first lockdown were lifted, they were more likely to spend money at a business that offered locally produced products than they would have done before the pandemic.
With statistics such as these pointing towards a sustained interest in localism, Justine L’Estrange, Strategic Insights Manager at Google has noted that it will clearly continue to pay for brands and marketers to highlight authentic, local aspects of their products and services.
Consumers want to feel valued
Attest also revealed that a quarter of UK consumers said they want their favourite brands to make them feel “valued and special” right now. A further 25% want brands to make them feel “inspired and motivated”.
Innovation in customer service during the pandemic has been one way retailers have achieved this. For example, econsultancy reported that businesses including Pandora, Moss Bros, and Selfridges implemented appointment booking for in-store visits (outside of lockdowns), ensuring that customers feel safer when shopping in-person. To serve customers who still might prefer to shop online, retailers like John Lewis, Bensons for Beds, and Ted Baker have also been offering live video chats with sales staff – keeping the experience personal.
Start-ups have become more common
Lockdown has given those on furlough, out of work, or just with increased spare time, an unprecedented opportunity to explore business ideas that perhaps once seemed nothing more than a pipe-dream.
According to the Office for National Statistics the number of new companies being created in the UK, compared with 2019, soared in the second half of 2020.
It would appear that the pandemic has provided the thinking space – and ultimately the push needed – for many people to set-up on their own.
This could mean more businesses to market to, network with, or perhaps even new competition to look out for. Ether way, we think it’s a real positive to see!
Businesses are adapting
Lastly (and on another positive note), despite the current downturn in the economy, according to the BDO’s Output Index, economic activity remains significantly higher now than it did in April 2020.
This, they believe, is largely because businesses have had time to adapt to the restrictions, enabling many more to continue providing at least some level of service. The BDO’s Services Output Index for January also remained 24.14 points higher than it stood in April 2020 when the first nationwide lockdown took hold.
Can we help?
Despite the continuing uncertainty, there remains plenty of opportunities for businesses who are adapting and responding to trends such as these. Furthermore, as the restrictions ease, hopefully this will enable even more businesses and individuals to follow suit – especially if many of those trends stick around.
If you’re looking to do things differently, we can help you to communicate your message to new audiences and exiting customers – let’s chat.
