We’re all currently thinking the same question “How is life going to be after lockdown?” both in general and in a business context. Well fear not, I can help answer this courtesy of some brilliant insight work undertaken by Mail Metro Media, in particular, their Head of Insight Luke Hand- you can find the original study and further information here: https://www.mailmetromedia.co.uk/news/mail-metro-media-masterclasses-for-small-businesses/
For full transparency, this was presented by the Federation of Small Business https://www.fsb.org.uk/ as part of a look into the impact of lockdown on small businesses, exploring consumer sentiment during COVID-19, media consumption shifts and how businesses and brands can still be very relevant.
I’m keen to share this as I know it will affect a lot of us and in doing so, I hope it might help unlock some ideas as to how best to respond to life after lockdown. The top ten are:
- Celebrate The Everyday – 65% of people will appreciate the simple things more than they did previously – how can brands ensure their products enable and form part of these everyday moments?
- Health and Appearance – 33% believe their appearance has worsened – an enforced sedentary lifestyle has resulted in people feeling worse about themselves and their health – how can businesses help them allay some of their fears of lockdown?
- Communities in the Spotlight – 65% of people believe the impact of coronavirus has helped communities come together – the limit on travel has made people appreciate local shops and services more – ensure you stay front of mind, once travel restrictions are lifted
- Home is Where the Heart Is 49% of people appreciate their home more than they ever did before the pandemic – we’ve all spent so much time in our homes and gardens and this will set to continue – how can brands maximise the enjoyment of indoor and outdoor space?
- Enable New Experiences 52% of people can’t wait to let off some steam – with sectors re-opening, 2/5 people are ready to embrace new opportunities/experiences, so ensure businesses in leisure/travel/recreation are ready to react accordingly
- Be Accessible to All/Playing It Safe with 38% of spending to be online post-lockdown and 3 out of 5 cautious about going out, small businesses who have eCommerce ability should continue to promote availability of their products online and traditional bricks and mortar businesses should ensure they communicate it’s safe to return
- Ongoing Importance of Flexibility and Reassurance 91% of people believe travel companies should be telling people about their cancellation/refund policies – a lot of us will be looking forward to getting away domestically or abroad for the first time in a while. Businesses in the travel/hospitality sector need to demonstrate and communicate how they are being flexible and adapting to changing regulations
- It Pays to be Practical 70% of people want help from brands to help them navigate the economic uncertainty – there’s been an explosion in people searching for ‘how to’ or ‘how do I’ content – if your business is providing a solution, how could your marketing communicate this to create awareness?
- Importance of Humour 58% of people would prefer uplifting advertising at this time – let’s be honest, it’s been a fairly rubbish year for everyone with the stark and dour Government Corona adverts hardly enlivening the party. The right use of Humour in a brands’ advertising could be the perfect tonic to get a response.
- Newsbrands in Demand 4 out of 5 adults engage with an online newspaper website every week – although a news publisher is behind the above insights, it’s still a channel worth considering to reach your audience, especially with the increase in news consumption in current times
I’m looking forward to discussing how the above will impact my clients’ business and how we should be planning to make the most of the opportunities’ afforded. Please do get in touch here Contact if I can help turn any of the insights above into actionable campaigns to help get your business moving again in our post lockdown world.
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