Top 5 Brand Changes After COVID-19
by Adwright, 08 May, 2020
With the Circuit Breaker in place, Singapore’s COVID-19 pandemic cases are slowly declining. However, brands should still be ready to adapt to the after-effects once this COVID-19 pandemic is over. Here are a few things that brands will have to take charge and adapt to this new normal:
1. Face masks are here to stay
Face masks will continue to be part of daily life. Whether you are working in an office or a retail store, wearing face masks once you are out of your residence has been made a mandatory.
Fashion brands can now try to expand their product range to include face masks in their stores. They can come in different types of utility and designs – giving the consumers an option over what masks they wear. Face masks may have to take up space as a standard SKU and match it with new seasonal fashion line-ups. Fashion brands such as New Balance have also recently announced their entrance in the mask production market
On top of that, New Balance has also pledged $2 million in relief aid against the COVID pandemic. While it is great that companies are coming together to join forces against the pandemic, the real benefits lie in showing a softer and more humane side of brands to the public. This, as a result, will make brands more personable and distinct among its competitors.
In terms of technology such as smartphone manufacturers, your next model may have to identify users with a face mask on. There were reports on researchers at Tencent Xuanwu Lab researching ways on making Face ID available for mask wearers. Although the technology is still new, smartphone manufacturers should try to innovate and take things further by implementing a fully functional face mask recognition in newer phone models.
2. Hand sanitisers will be everywhere
Public spaces such as shopping malls, offices, and restaurants will have hand sanitisers fixture for people to keep personal cleanliness in check. Hence, public spaces will have to start planning for effective fixture placement to make these hand sanitiser welcoming and user-friendly.
Property firms and Interior design firms will have to find ways to incorporate hand sanitiser fixtures in a way where the public will be encouraged to use them. Open spaces, bright lights, these are some “welcoming” considerations to be made when finding an optimal spot to place hand sanitiser fixtures.
Manufacturers of hand sanitiser will have to think beyond producing hand sanitisers. They may have to start creating innovative product extension that suits their core product well and serve a purpose to consumers.
3. Distancing between you and me
Everyone is expected to leave some space between each other now. That empty space also meant one less person in a retail outlet, or one less person queuing to order food. Retail businesses such as shopping mall stores or restaurants need to find other ways to maximise their space well. It is no longer about getting high foot traffic.
Now it is important for brick and mortar business to consider going digital. Online platforms such as Facebook and Instagram have also made it much easier for businesses to interact and sell products to their customers directly. Businesses should start thinking ahead and plan their digital strategies. Even local food and beverage businesses have shifted their contact point online. Some businesses are operating from central kitchens and delivering their products to customers island wide.
Also, online is not the same as before, where businesses just sell their products and have them delivered to customers. Online live streams in recent years have been a hit for almost anything from live seafood to live auctions. Online-centric businesses can leverage on live streams to build a connection to engage with their audiences.
4. Preparing for rainy days and conservative spending
Expect tighter budgets and reduced spending after this pandemic as more consumers become more conservative with their finances. Wealth and investment advisors may have to start instilling “rainy days” narrative for their prospects as it is relevant now in this situation and whatever holds in the future. Consumers may now experience a downturn in finance and will look forward to advice regarding building up savings in the future. Rainy day savings has never been so relevant.
As people get used to cooking at home and eventually get better at it, grocery retailers can leverage on this shift in consumer’s demands. Grocery retailers can start planning promotions or set prices consisting of various ingredients to make cooking a budget meal easy for consumers. Ready-to-cook or ready-to-eat (RTE) products will also be popular among finance savvy consumers. Food producers can introduce new budget-friendly RTE products to entice consumers with its convenience.
5. Web conferencing and webinars become norms
Who would have thought about the concept of online live concerts, classes, and even meetings? The pandemic has pushed everyone to innovate further and utilise the wide spectrum of technology we have on our hands. Shifting classroom setting classes into online courses will become a standard offering. Property showroom will also benefit from online virtual tours as it becomes more of a necessity. Virtual tours can also extend to places of interest, museums and even countries.
Over the last few months, there has been an influx of new web conferencing apps from Zoom to the latest Facebook Rooms. Our privacy has never been so vulnerable. As a result, public concern over online privacy has been increasing over time. This may also be the best time to educate the public on the vulnerabilities of online safety. Cybersecurity companies should leverage this opportune moment to create informative yet interesting online safety messages to play advocate in highlighting online safety issue. At the same time, it can also help raise awareness of their cybersecurity products.
Are you prepared?
These are some considerations brands of all industries may have to start thinking about. To be prepared for what comes after this Circuit Breaker period, now it is the time to start planning before your competitors get a head start. Are you ready to look beyond this pandemic and make the right plans? Speak to our team, let’s brainstorm together and work out this pandemic as one! To find out more about the services that Adwright provides, call us today on +65 6227 7227 or email enquiry@adwright.com
