A global lockdown - Who would imagine. Yet here we are, on the verge of the lockdown measures being lifted up.
The normality we are returning to is not the same normality we were used to. People's behaviours have changed in all levels possible and this will definitely reflect their buying habits.
As marketers, we need to evolve and adapt to this situation, just as we did at the beginning of the COVID period. I had the opportunity to discuss with Yiannis Gavrielides, CEO of Covve and Michalis Tyrimos, CEO of Launchpad on the effect COVID had on their businesses. The discussions can be found here and here.
They both shared really interesting information and opinions on what the future withholds. I am sharing below three points I believe we should keep in mind once planning for the after- COVID era.
Digital will prevail
The digital shift we are witnessing will not go away. People have now seen the “comfort” digital can offer and the ease of access to services and products. In addition to the (possible) fear that will remain for the next period of time, those that invested in digital will be leading the way.
Honesty and Communication
The communication channels that most of the brands have opened with their audience will remain open. Those that treated their followers with honesty and informed them with their actions and COVID reaction, now have a different reach to them.
Privacy < Safety
The past few years have been all about privacy. Cambridge Analytica, GDPR and all the personal information saga that we have been dealing with. People have taken a “hit” in terms of their safety. We are all now extra careful with health measures rather than privacy consents. An important point to take into consideration since it will affect consumer behaviour.
We are all at a very uncertain behaviour timeline and we will be in it for a while. It’s good to keep monitoring and pivoting at any given time. Planning ahead though needs to always be in the back of our heads.
After all, if today is here, tomorrow will always be the day after.
