In a grim statement made by the Health Ministry, “Corona is here to stay and we should learn to live with it till a vaccine is discovered”, we are overwhelmed by fear, especially in a populated and diverse country like India. The various geographical and living habits has sent a shockwave of fear through the different communities in the country.
At this point in time, the role of brands and advertising as a whole is as critical as ever since consumers are looking up DIY hacks to tackle this unprecedented time. This is particularly scary for F&B retail brands. To give you an example, my aunt’s family is a household consisting of 16 people. They have completely stopped buying spices from the market and are beginning to make their own. On an average, 15,000 rupees was dedicated to purchasing spices every month. Now it has gone down to almost half of the initial expenditure; 6 to 7,000 rupees. Dairy products are now following suit and they have decided to make it at home.
This is an era of a socially conscious consumer and their decision making is driven by how much they can trust a brand. A report by Edelmen Trust Barometer 2020 revealed a fascinating insight that 81% consumers want to be confident that the brand is doing the right thing for consumers, thus building trust in that brand. Google released 5 critical insights of APAC to help advertisers think like the consumers based on the search and consumption. Read on for a combination of both into an actionable intelligence.
- Is this brand helping me with critical information and content that I need to get by?
With the reshaping of priorities, the consumer is highly sensitive to information and action is immediate. As a brand, the objective of any content activity should be to give detailed information about the current operations while reassuring that they are here to help.
- Hey! How are you? It’s been a while! How’s your health? How long has it been? 2 years?
As social distancing is becoming the new normal, people have become more closer to each other. People are having cocktail parties on Zoom to ensure the social distancing without missing the fun with friends. Brands can play a vital role in enhancing the shared experiences, virtually.
- How do I build my triceps at home without any equipment?
The last 2 months have been about a lot of unlearning and relearning for the consumers. This is very evident for those who work out. But similar observations are also evident across different categories of habit. A simple example would be the number of groceries runs per week. There is an exponential reduction in it. Brands can adjust their operations and help the consumers adjust to their new routines.
- When will this end? What should I do? I miss my life!
There is a feeling of anxiety that is eating up people from inside, resulting in different modes of outlet. This is evident in the number of domestic violence cases which are rising since the implementation of lockdown. Brands need to be very vocal about this anxiety and can facilitate ways to cope by taking a stance on holistic wellness.
- I will trust more carefully from now on!
With initiatives to tackle fake news, consumers are concerned about who they must trust with respect to information. A recent campaign #MatKarForward on TikTok roped in celebrities to fight against fake news. Overall, consumers are more concerned about what they are receiving as information and also of the mouthpieces which are disseminating them.
