COVID-19: How Brands Are Pivoting to Deliver on Changing Consumer Needs
With consumers taking actions like stockpiling necessities, shifting their shopping online, and dialing back on spending, COVID-19 has created a changing and uncertain environment for the companies that serve them. In just a matter of weeks things have changed rapidly and will continue to change as the future of the pandemic unfolds. Given this dynamic, now it is more important than ever for brands to stay in touch with their target audience to understand their changing needs and adapt to meet them.
The following blog shares three ways we have seen brands pivot to deliver on changing consumer needs. And, recognizing it’s also a time for businesses to tighten spending, ideas for how your brand can quickly and cost-effectively understand how to connect with your consumers during this time.
1. Brands Are Delivering Reassurance
For most consumers, COVID-19 has brought a new level of uncertainty about their future which is driving the need for reassurance about important aspects of their lives – their health, financial status, and systems that support their communities. Brand are tuned into this heightened need and have redirected their messaging to deliver reassurance where its relevant.
In the food industry, Little Caesars is an example of a brand that has shifted to deliver a “No Contact” message to reinforce the safety of their pizza handling. Little Caesars’ website highlights how the company is delivering consumers the “peace of mind” that their ovens reach 475 degrees and food handling is without contact, now and always.
During a time when job and financial security are so uncertain, auto brands have added options to help provide financial reassurance to their drivers. Campaigns like Hyundai’s Assurance Job Loss Protection promote payment deferment and relief for new and current auto owners who have lost their job due to impacts of COVID-19.
And when it comes to community support, America’s largest retailer, Walmart, shifted its messaging with a new ad called “Neighbors” which delivers reassurance to Americans that the support of their community is there through Walmart and its associates.
2. Brands Are Delivering Connection
With the introduction of social distancing and stay-at-home orders, consumers are craving connection with the world outside of their home and brands are adapting their offerings to fit this need.
Connecting with the people and the activities that are part of daily life has become a vital need for everyone in America. Zoom has benefited from this need and recognized the important role it could play helping American educators deliver classes and connect with the millions of children they teach. Zoom has offered free video conferences for educators and a new way for students, peers, and their teachers to connect that will likely last well beyond this pandemic.
Brands are also delivering virtual experiences during this time of social isolation. One example of this is CK Mondavi wines. With the limits of no travel, CK Mondavi wines offers virtual education tastings for some of their brands, giving consumers the opportunity to visit their tasting rooms, learn about products, and have fun from the isolation of their homes. This is just one example of how brands are getting creative to deliver consumers experiences they can enjoy from the safety of their homes.
3. Brands Are Giving Back
Marketing with a purpose is not new, but COVID-19 has created even more of a need for brands to purposely market to the communities and consumers they serve.
And when it comes to using profits for good, we have seen brands widely recognizing and giving back to essential workers who are putting their health at risk by showing up every day to do their jobs. Chipotle donated 100,000 free meals to medical staff, Donato’s gave away 10 million slices of pizza to first responders, and Sam’s Club advertising recognizes the retail heroes who maintain their stores every day. These are just some of the examples of how brands are giving back to those on the front lines to help with this pandemic.
The insurance industry has also taken a strong stand in recognizing the sacrifices Americans are making with social isolation and staying home. As traffic has dwindled, brands like Geico, AllState, and Liberty Mutual are returning millions of dollars in premiums to their policy holders in recognition that driving has come to a halt – an opportunity to give back and also provide some financial reassurance to the policy holders they serve.
Connecting with Your Consumer
Consumer needs, motivations, and behaviors are being influenced in the short term by this pandemic but there will also be lasting influences well beyond the end of the stay-at-home orders. Now is the time to act and understand how your brand can better serve consumers and fortunately there are quick and cost-effective ways to understand how your consumer’s needs are changing.
Some resourceful ways to understand what’s changing for your consumer are reviewing social media comments, analyzing changing search terms that are related to your category brand, or dialing into your customer service calls to see what types of questions consumers are asking. Another great source for insights is connecting with your sales team to understand what they are hearing from retail buyers or direct consumers. And finally, even with social distancing, it’s possible to field consumer research using tools like Zoom and online surveys to quickly and affordably field custom research.
Don’t wait to learn and act in this time of change, as the saying goes “Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction”. The environment is shifting and those companies that are in tune and adapting to changing consumer needs will be the ones that survive and thrive in the future.
Linkage Research & Consulting, Inc. offers an ongoing cost-effective market monitor that is fielded monthly with 1,000 nationally representative US consumers. If you are looking for an opportunity to connect with your consumer, contact us at info@linkageresearch.com or visit https://linkageresearch.com
