The uncertainty is not just economic: behavior change among the people you serve is immediate and apparent. The most obvious is perhaps the shift to digital – anything that can be done online, is, and often for the first time.
Less clear is how people’s behavior and underlying values will change for the long term. COVID-19 has changed the experience of being a customer, an employee and a citizen. People’s behavior was already shifting – it’s just happening faster now, and it may never fully go back.
Relationship shifts
People are turning to brands that provide security, and that they can trust in a time of uncertainty.
Engagement shifts
While some have gone online for the first time, others who typically favor digital have been forced to visit stores when delivery slots were scarce.
Habit shifts
Alongside emphasis on hygiene and handwashing, people are seeking fitness classes online and returning to the weekly “big shop” for the first time in years.
Expectation shifts
People’s expectations of businesses and brands are rising — working out the implications will be critical to businesses’ survival.