As restrictions begin to ease around Australia, we are starting to see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. What meets us at the end of the tunnel seems to be the question on everyone’s mind, as we hope to return to some form of normality in both business and society. A lot of questions and uncertainty remain but one thing is for sure: brands can’t be passive. People expect brands to adapt to this new context and acknowledge its impact on people.

This week, Edentify conducted online qualitative research to understand what key things people will seek in life post pandemic.

New Priorities

Those that have been working from home have been able to find ways to re-adjust their work-life balance. These changes made people become more appreciative of quality time, helped some re-connect with their sense of community or even made them re-assess what truly matters in their lives.

This means that people are going to be even more attentive to brand values! Businesses need to review their ‘mission’ and/or ‘engagements’ now to be able to communicate them in a way that resonates with these changing consumer priorities. What are they doing for society/their consumers' lives/their own staff/the environment?

The Pursuit of Happiness

After all the negative experiences in 2020 and in particular Covid-19 (as outlined in our Covid-19 Worries: Me and Us article here) there will be a need to chase feelings of joy, freedom, vitality, and celebration. A prime example of this is the desire to travel. Though international travel is out of the picture for the immediate future, people aren't postponing their holiday plans, instead they are adjusting accordingly, looking at domestic options. More broadly, people are looking forward to embracing entertainment and leisure activities, combined with a proud will to spend their money to help local economies.

To connect with people post-pandemic, brands will gain by using communication that embraces these positive emotions that are sought after by consumers.

Health Consciousness

Physical and mental health are at the front of mind when thinking of life post pandemic. There is no certain timeframe for a vaccine for Covid-19, which means that people will have to remain being very health cautious for the months to come.

This also reflects how consumers will choose their brands in the future: with greater attention on their health and safety practices. Brands that are able to reassure in regard to health are more likely to draw appeal (accreditations; clear health benefits; safe packaging or delivery; etc).

Eventually, everything will be close to how it was before. However, there will be opportunities for brands that understand the positives that have come out of our life in isolation and help to carry these forward into our new normal.