For the second time round, the UK is shutting every non-essential shop, restaurant and leisure space in a last effort to halt the fast-spreading coronavirus. And let’s be honest...we all knew it was coming.
But for FMCG & retail brands this time it isn’t just ‘take two’. This time, it’s completely different, and potentially more dangerous. The UK is entering lockdown during the most significant commercial period of the year – the lead up to Christmas. For brands, this means value adoption and consistency, the need to understand changing consumer trends and habits, the importance of the continuation of at-home virtual experiences and, perhaps most significantly, the need for a boosted effort of mental health sensitivity, engagement and innovation.
Christmas carol concerts, dance shows and markets will have to wait another year.
Long, chilly, scarf-wrapped, walks will be our new social highlights.
Whilst the first lockdown saw hot tub sales increase rapidly what will be the must have Christmas gifts of 2020?
Black Friday will take place entirely online this year.
… but what about the Oxford Street John Lewis I hear you say?
What does this mean for brands and what must they do to continue to engage shoppers? What can brands do to stay within their consumers’ minds and boost online ‘footfall’?
We provide 4 key tips for brands to adopt for the next lockdown:
1. The continuing need for brands to quickly adapt their communications activities around their core values
As many successful brands have learned from the first lockdown, it’s how they enhance their consistent brand values, proposition and personality in these challenging times that determines whether they stay within the minds of their consumers, and ultimately keep them buying or not. Instead of completely changing their brand values and personality, successful brands have amplified the elements of their identity that were most relevant to consumers at the time through high engagement and well targeted communications.
Already, Asda is continuing to successfully shift and adapt it’s communications around it’s price-cutting ‘Asda prices’ values whilst still recognizing the current situation, with it’s new ‘Asda Price Christmas’ – stating that, “it’s the Christmas we all need, at the prices we all want.”
As demonstrated by Asda, it is vital that what a brand originally stands for (Covid aside) isn’t forgotten. Brand value consistency is key.
2. Understanding changing consumer behaviors and purchasing trends.
There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding behaviour and purchase trend forecasting.
In a year like no other, brands need to be aware of how dramatically habits and lifestyles have altered and shifted, and how this will therefore affect what people are looking to purchase around the gift-giving period. However, at the same time, whilst habits and lifestyles have changed dramatically, our core human desires, needs and wants haven’t… So to forecast consumer purchasing behaviours is a little trickier this year.
Will people redirect their purchases toward home improvement, instead of experiences and days out? Will they buy online streaming service subscriptions to binge on the whole series of Gossip Girl (…guilty) instead of party clothes, makeup and accessories?
According to Harmony Murphy GM Advertising UK at eBay Advertising, “to successfully understand and engage with audiences in the run up to Black Friday and Christmas, marketers must ensure that they harness the freshest data insights possible and look to target consumers in real-time, with products or messages that are truly relevant to them in that moment.”
Argos, for example, did a brilliant job within the first summer lockdown of understanding new purchasing trends around the outdoor product category. They very quickly produced a video campaign highlighting a family at home in their garden using an array of products from the Argos catalogue from a bubble-blowing machine to unicorn inflatables to summer themed bunting. Perhaps for lockdown 2, Argos could demonstrate potential at-home related Christmas gift ideas which can be ordered online and delivered to home.
3. An importance of the continuation of virtual brand experiences through ease, entertainment, implementation and emotional triggers
There will be even more innovation around virtual and digital at-home brand experiences, meaning brands will need to continue their efforts to promote and sell based on this at-home occasion. According to Liz Richardson, Managing Partner of HeyHuman, “as we enter a long winter, it's the job of brands to create engaging, entertaining activations in people's homes to keep them on the map.”
While brands must keep providing entertaining at-home solutions, they must also be sure to make these experiences easy and accessible, promoted in a clear and concise manner for the most footfall, awareness and interest.
For example, XYZ have created a reality tech platform called Connector which combines physical and digital components that allow participants to explore a brand experience through their smartphone or computer in the same way that they would move around a physical event. This has been used successfully by Levi’s, where consumers have been able to visit a pop-up shop and experience the brand through their phones. This has enabled Levis to achieve virtual ‘footfall’ in a way they would have never imagined they could do. This is especially beneficially for the gift-giving season, with parents and young adults looking to find designer clothing to put on their Christmas wishlists.
4. An ever-increasing need for mental health support and sensitivity
According to a study led by the University of Glasgow, the first lockdown had a major impact on the UK’s mental health with young adults experiencing suicidal thoughts increasing from 12.5% to 14% (Collinson 2020). With huge concerns that this second lockdown will further impact mental health, brands can have the power to spread awareness about mental health and provide helpful platforms for their follows to engage with. Brands can therefore inform and educate their followers and encourage them to perform self-help techniques such as walking, meditation and yoga. However, they must do so in a way that is credible and authentic for them.
Shoe brand Asics’ recent ‘In My Shoes’ audio series provided moving and educational content around mental health, designed to be listed to on the go. This activity tapped into the brands purpose of getting people to move more during this second lockdown for the benefit of their mental health. The brand also organized a virtual solidarity run to raise awareness for World Mental Health Day. This is a great example for brands to follow during lockdown 2.
Consumers during the summer lockdown focused on spend for outdoor activities, such as kayaks, walking boots and fishing rods.But will people do the same again in darker, colder months or will they look to other solace inside the home with products such as jigsaws, alcohol and indulgent cakes (or a few too many mince pies!)? And what might the commercial and health implications of this might be…
Ultimately, with Christmas looming and a second lockdown now in full swing, brands must work hard to adapt their core proposition within a cluttered online space, forecast trends and behaviours for the most optimal reach, continue capitalizing on the at-home occasion and provide a sensitive case for mental health. The most successful brands once the lockdown has lifted and in years to come will be the brands who made the effort to respect, adapt to and promote their offering with a consumer-centric focus.
