Brand Behaviors to Lead in the New Normal

Brand has taken center stage. 

Authentic brand offerings have not only broken through during this crisis, but have created lasting consumer impact as they pivot and prioritize the needs of customers and communities while ‘doing the right thing.’  

As the COVID-19 crisis evolves and the economic impact becomes more pervasive, marketers and brand leaders will need to rethink their capabilities and processes to better connect with consumers through the uncertainty, especially as consumers’ purchasing decisions change. 

Simply reacting to the situation, for example, by switching gears to produce masks, will soon not be enough. Brands who lead post COVID-19 will need to make sure what they do now will continually reinforce and enhance their brand’s connection to customers.

Take Inventory of the Brand 

Companies should take a hard look at their value proposition in light of a dramatically altered environment and redesign the customer experience in line with this new reality. Revisit what your brand stands for and engage your customer beyond the transaction to continue to create new bonds of trust and confidence.

Invest in Digital and Analytics 

This crisis has permanently accelerated digital past its inflection point to a new phase in which technology-driven responses need to happen instantly, and at scale. Integrating digital and AI across your organization will enhance your analytics to maximize your digital sales and improve decision-making. It will help you better understand your consumers in this new reality and identify new opportunities to accelerate business innovation and growth.

Enhance Customer Experience with Insights

Consumer sentiments have changed. Fine tune your customer segmentation and monitor changes to behaviors through insight tools and social listening. This will allow you to continually adjust and provide personalized campaigns focused on customer needs. 

Stay Agile 

This will be a fast-paced environment with fluctuating market dynamics. Brands need to embrace dynamic decision-making and pivot fast when necessary. This also means prioritizing investments where you can capture demand now, while also balancing initiatives to capture new opportunities.

The current situation is demanding and hard decisions will need to be made. Ultimately, brands that can successfully navigate the post-COVID recovery phase and truly connect to customers, will lead the new normal.