Life After Lockdown

Life After Lockdown

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  CCompliance StSafety IsIn Store RiInsight Retailer OlOnline LIFE AFTER LOCKDOWN Changing Shopper Behaviour THE CREATIVESCIENCE BEHIND LIFE AFTER LOCKDOWN Changing Shopper Behaviour THE CREATIVE SCIENCE BEHIND
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  is a datethat will be etched on many a brand and marketing managers brain for years to come. This was the day that all of their best laid plans and exciting marketing campaigns that had been months in the making came to an unprecedented stop, not too dissimilar to a high-speed train hitting a 50ft thick concrete wall. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the country that people ‘must’ stay at home and certain businesses must close. What followed were scenes many of us thought had been filmed for a Hollywood blockbuster – panic buying happened literally overnight. Supermarkets had their shelves wiped clear of many household staples; particularly toilet roll, pasta and tinned tomatoes. Retailers tried to cap purchasing on lots of items to try and make stocks last longer but within days empty supermarket aisles were a common sight up and down the country. March 23rd 2020March 23rd 2020 CnConsumer TrTrade As shoppers panic bought as much ambient food as they could, brands sales soared – great news! But with unplanned demand, many brands had to rapidly re-think their supply chain to try and keep stock on supermarket shelves and prevent retailers from stocking competitor product to meet shopper demand – not so great news! As a result, pretty much all FMCG product advertising seemed to disappear from stores, outdoor ad shells and TV in a flash, shelved because the marketers didn’t want to create demand for products they could not provide during the lockdown. Some brands flexed their creativity and made ‘fast-ads’ with social media content and stock imagery, even re-recording voice overs to try and stay relevant. Whether these approaches worked, only time will tell. Will shoppers have been swayed by cheaper, un-heard of brands during the hard to find their favourite’s drought, and has shopping for food many compared to being like a ‘lucky dip’ over such a length of time, made this adapted behaviour a new habit? StSafety 2
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  Unfortunately it isn’tas simple as just pulling out the plug for 30 seconds and switching back on our marketing campaigns and messages, we need to be mindful of how many peoples lifestyles have changed and be able to make our way through the constantly changing rules and advice about how we shop and consume products. We are all learning to adapt on a daily basis, be that remote working, face coverings, household bubbles or trying to keep a safe social distance from one another – which I challenge anyone to do in any of our supermarkets despite the best efforts all the retailers have made. It’s August and we’ve by no means seen the back of COVID-19, with many local authorities imposing regional lockdowns as the dreaded ‘R’ number rises. The threat of a second wave, will have our demand planners running numerous scenarios to ensure we’re not caught out a second time. However, we must try and grasp some relevance and begin conversations again with our consumers and get them shopping our product categories once more. Re-starting our marketing or adapting our plans to the new normal. Re-starting our marketing or adapting our plans to the new normal. ScSocial The global pandemic has brought so much pain and suffering to so many families that makes our marketing woes seem trivial, but as the country begins to re-build the broken economy people need to be encouraged to shop for food amongst other things. RtRetail NsSupport NationalA/C 3
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  As more peoplework remotely, we see ‘on the go’ consumption reduced. The top up shop on your way home from work no longer takes place because you’re already home and the weekly big shop may have moved from in-store to online or click and collect. TgTargeting McChannels Media The fear of going out to the shops and the risk of not being able to get the food you need has forced more people to use online ordering and the big question is will they now stick to doing their food shopping that way? It’s easier – less physical stress It’s safer – less chance of being infected It’s cheaper – fewer impulse buys It’s more convenient – more delivery drivers recruited mean it should be easier to get a slot (I stress - should be!). The other thing that lockdown and the lack of some food products has forced is, more meal planning and more scratch cooking and baking in the home. With lots of families re-discovering or discovering for the first time the joy of cooking and eating together. So, what does this mean for brands and how does it affect our marketing plans? OlOnline 4 Shopper behaviour has changed!Shopper behaviour has changed!
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  After being isolatedfor over 12 weeks, the first thing lots of humans want to do is re-connect and be in the company of others. For the last few months, we have been posting our daily workouts and food creations and sharing our feelings and opinions across multiple social media channels. ‘Zoom’ meetings and get togethers have become part of our daily lives almost as much as we would send a text or email, but even with all the latest technology and 24/7 access we still want human to human connections – this is something the lockdown has demonstrated, as we’ve all seen in the news reports of illegal raves and images of jam- packed beaches as the sun shone. As the country attempts to get back to some sense of what life was like before March 23rd, how do brands embrace ‘togetherness’ without encouraging large crowds and putting people’s health at risk? How do we share our brand love and food stories human to human post lockdown? This will be an evolving process, thinking creatively to find solutions and trialling different approaches. Take experiential for example, this is a marketing mechanic that goes against all the medical advice we have been broadcast each day at 5.00pm over the last few months. Lots of people, close contact, physical interaction – always a crowd pleaser and an engaging way for brands to showcase their products, generate awareness and encourage trial. Well, the sentiment still remains but the way we carry out experiential for now at least must evolve. 5 Humans by nature are social creatures, we crave interaction with others and enjoy being part of larger gatherings, be that family or like-minded people who come together over a shared belief or pastime. In our opinion there will be two main shopper behaviours to contend with: Togetherness Firstly LLocations Ct Creative Firstly Theme
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  And what aboutgetting samples into people’s hands, might vending machines get a makeover with video screens showing interactive content dispensing products and money-off coupons for the exchange of our personal data? We are already seeing green shoots and the first examples of brands getting out there and giving it a go. ‘Suzuki at the drive in’ is a great example of a solution to bring people together whilst still maintaining some form of social distancing (remaining in your own car) showing nostalgic movies The latest android and Apple devices now come with built-in QR readers and most of us carry our mobile phone with us everywhere we go. Does this open up an opportunity to experiment with augmented reality (AR) or even VR to allow future consumers to get up-close to our brand stories on their own terms and in the safe numbers of their household bubbles. that hanker back to happier times pre-Coronavirus. A good cinema experience requires good food and partnering with Just Eat to offer an in-car snack service with face mask wearing food servers shows how you can still have minimal contact in a safe way. As the government allow further trials of socially distanced events, such as sports, theatre and music, these should all give us opportunities to consider how our brands interact with multiple future consumers and shoppers. DgDigital StStrategy LgLogistics Could we see a rise in contactless experiences?Could we see a rise in contactless experiences? 6
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  Whilst a largeamount of people will rush out into the world post lockdown to embrace human interaction the same amount will cautiously hold back for the fear of a second wave of infection. The Fear Factor Second The obvious place to start up a conversation is via social channels, according to Kantar figures since lockdown: 48% of consumers are using social media more 46% are spending more time on the internet 38% have increased their consumption of online videos But with so much information filling up our timelines, brands need to be creative to stand out and above all we need to reassure them that we understand their fears and share their concerns. MMessaging StSafety OlOnline 7 These hesitant shoppers might have been shielded for over three months with very little human contact, they could well have found new routines and discovered that ‘making do’ works just fine. Consumer spending fell despite the strong performance of grocery shopping and online sales, according to Barclaycard data which measures nearly half of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions. With the fear of a possible second wave growing as more regional councils impose local lockdowns and the newly infected appearing to be amongst what seemed to be the un-touchable under 30s; how do brands help reduce the anxiety and bring positive stories to the fore? How do we make people feel safe enough to interact once again? Slow paced and consistent communication is a good place to start, re-engage consumers with why our brands play important roles in their day to day lives. If they haven’t bought from us for a while, let’s encourage them to do so to get them back in to the habit of purchasing again.
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  SmSampling Now I knowyou might think this is less sexy than an hilarious meme but today’s creatives can surely bring door drops bang up to date, they don’t have to be boring, think textured paper, adding sound chips or even fragrance. The figures supplied by Royal Mail show branded mail delivered to individual homes can have great effect with 92% of people reading door drops that are delivered to their home and 67% are prompted to buy as a result. Or another effective mechanic to consider particularly for NPD is door drop sampling, where you leave a full-sized sample on the doorstep together with some money-off coupons for future purchases. Whilst us Brits are using Facebook and Instagram more than we did before the outbreak, another way to breakdown barriers and take our stories in to the safe space of these consumers homes is a tried and tested (some might say, old fashioned) way - door drops. DdDoor Drop EnEngagement 8
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  If your targetaudience has changed behaviour to online shopping or switched brands during lockdown, the key thing here is making these unsure shoppers comfortable and regaining their trust. A great way to restart a conversation and remind them why your brand should be on their shopping list, be that online or a physical shop, could be providing a safe and immersive brand experience in the consumers own home. How will your brand rise to the post lockdown challenge? ATOM are shopper marketing and promotions experts. We specialise in human to human connections, creating partnerships that get a reaction using our own Creative Science methodology. If you would like to know how we can help you get a reaction for your brand post lockdown drop us a line to arrange a virtual consultation. Vinney Ashurst is Business Director at ATOM, part of Fluid Group. D Design Mf Manufacture Qa Quality St Safety Pk Packaging El Ethical Labour C Compliance Lg Logistics Fe Asia Eu Europe Product St Strategy Op On Pack Dg Digital Sc Social Rt Retail Cn Consumer Tr Trade Pe Pan-European L Legal Cp Couponing Dd Door Drop Sm Sampling In Incentives Rd Rewards Ls Schemes Loyalty Promotions Online Voice Support Growth Channels Events Production Driving Trial Is In Store Ol Vc Jp Planning Journey Ri Insight Retailer Na National A/C Cg Category Md Merchandising M Messaging Mc Media Ev Fd Design Fixture Pd POS Design Pp POS Dt Bb Buyer Boxes Ct Theme Creative G Guerilla Mg Management Event Do Demographics Tg Targeting L Locations Bk Bookings Sf Staffing P Permits Cs Stands Custom Ms Stands Modular Sm Sampling Experiential Ba Alliances Brand Lc Licensing F Film Sp Sport G Gaming Mu Music Tv TV Cb Celebrity Co Contracts No Negotiations L Legal Gd Guidelines A Approvals Tk Toolkits PartnershipsShopper Marketing