If one aspect of consumer behavior is undeniable, it’s adaptability. So much about people’s lifestyles has changed in an extremely short space of time, and brands are now put in the position of refocusing their marketing strategy on new needs and behaviors.

To understand what brands are advised to do during this period, we review some of the ways people’s lifestyles have changed during the isolation period:

Consumers, especially Millenials, have begun to focus more on immediate needs than wants, making shopping more rational than emotional. There is already a trend towards more practical shopping – cost is being looked at and there is a tendency to stock up on products, especially food and medical products. Even so, people don’t just want to buy but are still drawn to the shopping experience itself.

Given how consumers have adapted their behavior, companies have identified both immediate and long-term marketing strategies that could serve the goal of surviving the crisis. One of these is to minimize OOH communication efforts, with all that this entails, and focus on online communication, especially in video format, the most engaging type of content, especially during this period.

Studies* also show that people still want brands to be present in their lives or to use their position to have a positive impact on society.

We can already see examples of social responsibility actions adapted to the current context, but even brands that are not in a position to support a cause financially can compensate with the emotional benefits of the power of good stories. These are all the more important in times of crisis when they can help to calm anxious consumers.*

As a brand, it’s important to identify new social norms in such times, just as it’s important to empathize and invest in the relationship with your audience. The brand can even play a mentoring role in such critical situations, an example would be exploring the home universe, helping consumers find ways to spend their time constructively.

Source: *Ipsos Creative Fightback 2020

Cosmina Chelariu

Junior Copywriter Minio Studio