When we look the impact of COVID-19 on the media industry it’s a mixed picture. Whilst some areas, like video streaming services, have thrived as a result of increased time at home, others have come to a complete standstill, such as OOH advertising and cinema. But which trends in media will persist?

In this article we explore 3 key areas of the media landscape:

  1. Linear TV
  2. Streaming services
  3. Advertising

The role of linear TV

Short-term changes

As people have been forced to spend time at home and routines have been upended, viewing of linear television has enjoyed a resurgence. According to the BBC, viewers were watching 44% more linear channels in May compared to this time last year, rising to 67% for young people. A trend that flies in the face of pre-pandemic viewing behavior.

The rise of linear television in this period should really come as no surprise. It’s allowing for shared moments at a time when human connection is in short supply. Thinkbox observed a 30% increase in shared viewing in this period.

Content preferences have also shifted, reflecting the pandemic situation, with programs that allow for nostalgia and escapism proving popular with viewers. 

Long-term trends

We expect the rise of linear TV to be short-lived. As a direct response to the lockdown, it’s unlikely that this behavior will persist as the pandemic subsides. As economies reopen, and consumers given more freedom to socialize, we expect to see linear TV consumption patterns return to pre-pandemic levels, as the long-term trends we’ve seen towards VOD and SVOD continuing.

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Streaming

Short-term changes

Streaming providers have been one of few beneficiaries of the COVID-19 crisis. With more time on their hands at home, people are turning to paid online streaming services – and some for the very first time. A survey for the Consumer Technology Association carried out in March found that 26% of US consumers are using video streaming services for the first time. A combination of new users like these, and others that have added to their existing subscriptions are creating big returns for streaming giants. In the first quarter, Netflix more than doubled the number of new subscribers it had expected. Disney Plus is another success story. Just 8 months after launch, it has over 54 million subscribers globally. This puts it in touching distance of its 2024 target, a whole 4 years early.   

Medium and long term

In the long-term, it’s difficult to predict exactly how streaming will fare. One school of thought is that as the economic impact of the crisis hits consumers will re-evaluate their discretionary spending, and cut back, which could see subscriber numbers fall, particularly amongst those with multiple subscriptions.

Others argue that as consumers tighten the purse strings, they’ll be scaling back on more significant purchases. This could mean that spend on streaming services will be protected as a worthwhile investment, particularly if the focus on the home remains, with working from home continuing in the long term.

One trend that we expect to remain is the emphasis on shared viewing on demand. We’ve seen streaming providers innovating to meet this need with features like Netflix Party, that allow users in different locations to synchronize playback and communicate via a group chat. Meeting the desire for shared experiences but enabling different audiences in one household to watch what they like, we see this trend being important in future.

Another development to watch out in the medium-term is the future of film. During the pandemic Universal Pictures made some of its film releases available on demand on Comcast, Sky, Apple and Amazon for a one-off fee. With the emphasis on value for money and continued social distancing, will this be an attractive option to consumers in the medium, and a way to offset lost revenues from cinemas?

Advertising

Short term

The drop in advertising spending during the pandemic has been well documented. According to a report from Publicis, Q1 ad spend was down 15% in China and 9% across Europe, as companies sought to cut costs and postpone campaigns. And with this continuing in Q2 and into the second half of the year, the World Federation of Advertisers predicting a 31% decrease in investments across 2020.

In response to the pandemic the tone of ads has changed too, with many brands emphasizing their contribution to the relief effort or how they’re supporting customers in this difficult time. In the short-term, we can’t expect an immediate return to pre-pandemic marketing strategies. Our recent research Brands Exposed research, with 4,000 consumers across 10 countries found that levels of worry around the pandemic influence how consumers respond to ads, with overt sales messaging being rejected by those that are most worried, in favor of more reassuring advertising. This indicates that in the short-term, brands will need to make a concerted effort to understand the sentiment of their customer base and position their ads accordingly.

Medium to long-term

Advertising has always had to shift in response to behavioral changes, and this will be no exception. A recent Goldman Sachs report predicts that “the crisis will only accelerate the secular shift in advertising budgets towards digital.”

In the medium and long-term, we expect to see brands funneling more money into digital advertising, reflecting the increase in time that consumers are spending on digital channels. Social media usage is up 21% globally. It’s likely that advertisers will also look to move ad spend towards ad supported streaming services, at the expense of TV.

In the long-run, we also expect to brands continuing to place a sustained importance on responsibility and honesty, in response to rising consumer expectations, as suggested by our Brands Exposed research.

Over the past few months, COVID-19 has had a significant impact on how we think and behave when it comes to food and beverage (F&B). When lockdowns were implemented in countries around the world, non-essential retailers were closed, dining-in was prohibited, and supply chains were tested. As a result, buying behaviors and attitudes have changed and F&B retailers are having to respond rapidly. Those that are able to act quickly will be able to emerge triumphant past the crisis, with many new strategies remaining relevant even after the pandemic. 

As countries are opening up, a common question among businesses is ‘what next?’ Governments around the world are trialing different measures to reopen the market, while trying to minimize the likelihood of a second wave of mass infections. Businesses are on one hand rapidly trying to adapt to the latest governmental policies, and on the other, thinking about how they should change to cater to a marketplace that in some ways looks very different. We’ll explore 3 key trends, with our thoughts on what is likely to stay post-COVID when it comes to F&B:

  1. Consumer behavioral changes
  2. Business adaptability
  3. Unfulfilled consumer needs

‘Stay home projects’: behavioral and purchasing patterns arising out of having to eat at home

Short term changes

While purchases of luxury products have largely decreased during the pandemic, there was a sharp rise in everyday products. With the closure of physical stores, and restaurants doing takeaway only, more people embarked on different ‘stay home projects’, experimenting with homemade recipes.

According to social listening data from Circus Social, people in Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Indonesia ended up making more homemade snacks during this period. In China, the sale of egg whisks on online retailer Tmall increased five-fold year on year. In Singapore, essential baking ingredients such as yeast and baking soda were wiped off the shelves in most supermarkets during the first month of the Circuit Breaker, and many consumers looking for alternatives online. This shift has had a huge impact on supermarkets and grocery retailers, forcing them to look for alternative sources of supply and diversifying their supply chain strategy.

The surge in interest in ‘stay home projects’ has also led to a dramatic increase in the viewership of inspiration channels as well as recipe searches, with Instagram-worthy home café recipes trending on social media shortly after they were posted. This presented opportunities for brands to think about showcasing their products through strategic product placements on these channels. This may not be a novel strategy, but it has become highly relevant given the larger share of eyeballs on these channels during this period. In addition, we see F&B brands offering home cooking meal kits, riding on the wave of ‘stay home projects’ and engaging with partners to showcase the ease of using these meal kits online.

Long term trends

We believe that many of these trends will persist even after lockdown. More people, including newbies in the kitchen, have found a love for cooking and baking, while homecooked meals have also brought many families closer together. With the increased appreciation towards ‘home projects’, we are expecting more people to cook at home than in pre-COVID times.

Improving e-commerce channels and offline-to-online services will be also important to meet the needs of consumers in the future. F&B retailers will need to up their e-commerce game. While brick and mortar stores will still remain relevant in the post-pandemic world, this period has shown the importance of having a strong e-commerce presence and robust supply chain. Consumers will become more used to shopping for groceries online, especially for products that they cannot typically find in the brick-and-mortar stores. If F&B brands want to extend their reach to a wider audience through e-commerce, the time to do so is now.

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Adaptability: the virus has become the catalyst for tech and sales model evolution for F&B retailers

Short term changes

With every crisis, there is opportunity. COVID-19 has accelerated the evolution of the food retail space, and retailers are adapting in order to realign with the shift in purchasing priorities and new lifestyles.

When bubble tea stores were mandated to close during the Circuit Breaker in Singapore, some partnered other restaurants to continue their sales. Some cafes offered coffee subscription plans for the caffeine-deprived, and others introduced ‘Circuit Breaker meals’ to go along with their drinks. Restaurants that were limited by physical space, or located in less accessible areas, are now able to be on a more level playing field with other restaurants, as long as they have presence online and support home deliveries.

For some brands, the pandemic had a positive impact on their business as they discovered new opportunities online. More consumers got to know some establishments through social media and review sites, meaning that these brands are now able to reach more customers than ever before. However, being able to realize these positive outcomes depended on how fast retailers could adapt to the F&B landscape in lockdown. Whilst some partnered with established food delivery apps such as GrabFood or Deliveroo, others drew on their own staff for deliveries and adopted alternative ways of ordering, such as using SMS/WhatsApp, Instagram messages, or their own websites. During lockdown, consumers were more tolerant of the usability of the platform – instead being able to demonstrate that you were adapting quickly to meet consumer needs was more important.

Long term trends

In the long run, restaurants need to reassess the competitive landscape in order to continue to stand out post-pandemic. Every aspect of the typical sales funnel, such as brand awareness, consideration, and trial, would have shifted due to the purchase behavioral changes during the stay home period. Previously unknown brands may have gained popularity as they reached more consumers’ homes. Consumers will also have different assessment standards for restaurants post-COVID, such as hygiene standards. Retailers therefore need to reconsider their USPs to stand out amongst new competitors in the market.

Unfulfilled need: starving for experiences – an area brands can focus on during and post COVID

Short term changes

As the pandemic subsides, will restaurants still retain their delivery model? Yes and no. Less popular food places, and those restricted by physical location or the space required for social distancing may continue to improve their online platforms to expand their reach through deliveries. But, high-end restaurants and cafes may not. While taste is a critical component of the F&B experience, it has to go in hand with the service, the ambience, and even the company while dining in. Psychological research has also shown that the sense of taste plays only a small role in the whole dining experience. It is a multisensorial experience, which can be best presented in the curated setting of a restaurant, with its choice of plating, lighting, background music, and interior design.

Even though there are do-it-yourself packs for bubble tea or cocktails, for most the ambience of eating or drinking out is unbeatable, so F&B retailers will need to consider how they deliver the experiential aspect, whilst social distancing continues, in order to differentiate from other brands.

Medium to long term trends

Post pandemic, consumers who have been starved of in-restaurant F&B experiences will be hungry for these – and may not mind paying a premium. How can F&B retailers tap into this need while keeping in mind the greater expectations for hygiene standards?

Against, this backdrop, there’s an opportunity for F&B outlets to increase and monetize service personalization. Having more attentive service, customizable menus and dishes, or even food that can ‘interact’ with the diner – basically things that cannot be recreated at home – can be considered by F&B retailers.

If you are anything like me, amidst the coronavirus and the global lockdown (even as some markets like Vietnam and Vienna are slowly returning to ‘normal’), you would be doing one of 3 things:

  1. Staying at home and minimizing social contact
  2. Trying to make home-based working happen while balancing all kinds of other personal life commitments
  3. Try to keep things light-hearted by looking at memes

While we all know that going back in time is not (yet) possible, brands can certainly try to move things forward by thinking about what they CAN do with the rest of the year. Dealing with uncertainty requires strategy and guidance, as detailed by our MD Phil Steggals in his recent article. That said, where do brands find guidance?

We at Kadence are big advocates of brands creating their own futures, rather than try to predict it. Earlier in the year, before the whole pandemic went global, we brought together trend watching experts from across our global boutique to identify four key trends that we believe will define the next 12 months, inspiring innovation across Asia, the US and Europe, that we outlined in this report.

While it may be still early in the year to review our own work (spoiler alert: we’re on the money!), we certainly think our identified trends are definitely relevant to the current times, and can guide brands to think about the rest of the year (and even beyond!)

First things first, a quick recap of the 4 trends:

  • The shift towards 360-degree wellness
  • The move from brand purpose to purposeful design
  • Consumers left craving connection
  • Personalization reaching a new frontier as it moves offline

The shift towards 360-degree wellness: Trend vs. Manifestations

One of our key trends to watch for 2020 was the shift in how consumers are thinking about their wellbeing. We’re seeing consumers moving away from focusing purely on physical health and appearance, to now recognizing the importance of their mental health too.

As an article discussing mental health issues in a recently re-opened Wuhan shows, this trend is definitely a strong one: Along with the countless new online fitness platforms that have sprung up over the past 6 weeks, the conversation is increasingly steering towards how people staying at home needs to pay attention to their mental health too. Already there are reports about how anxiety over job losses is impacting the American population, while closer to home, Singapore has decided to keep allied health services, such as psychology and social work, open because they are defined as ‘essential services’. Dealing with a global situation requires both physical and psychological strength, which is what this trend is all about.

What can my brand do with this in the #newnormal?

Regardless the industry you are in or the product/service that you offer, highlighting a mental benefit or creating one (within credible limits) will definitely benefit your brand’s standing with consumers, even after the situation improves – this trend is here to stay.

From brand purpose to purposeful design: Trend vs. Manifestations

Brand purpose is undoubtably one of the big trends of the past few years. We’ve seen ads against toxic masculinity, deforestation and discrimination, as brands have tried to convince consumers that they share their values and have a higher purpose than simply selling products. And with research from Havas Media showing that meaningful brands outperform the stock market by 134%, it’s easy to see why so many brands were quick to adopt this strategy.

But we’re starting to see a shift. As consumers begin calling these campaigns out for being all-talk and no action, companies are realizing the need to move beyond surface-level brand purpose and to start embracing what we refer to as purposeful design, creating products and services which allow consumers to make the world a better place.

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There are numerous examples in this space that demonstrate how many big global brands actually ‘get’ it, and have quickly sprung into action in this global crisis: from Louis Vuitton (along with many other high-end luxury brands) producing pertinent medical supplies to Singapore gaming brand Razer pivoting from its core business to produce face masks, these show brands taking action on their beliefs, which can in turn inspire consumers to come forward and do their part as well.

What can my brand do with this in the #newnormal?

We want to believe that it should not take an international calamity for brands to be #woke and realize that ‘purposeful design’ should be at the heart of their operations from here on out. To be more specific, innovation in this space can fall into two categories – products and services which enables people to make a positive impact to the causes they care about and those which enable people to reduce their impact on the world around them. Regardless the product/service, is there a way that your brand can remain relevant in the #newnormal, and satisfy consumers increasing need for being better versions of themselves?

Consumers are left craving connection: Trend vs. Manifestations

This trend we identified focuses on consumers craving connection and a sense of belonging, in an increasingly divided and lonely world. People are now single for longer, meaning that more people are living alone, particularly in urban centers. A Washington Post wrote about how, in Japan, it’s predicted that 40% of households will be single person households by 2040. This trend is echoed in the West – in the US, half of young people aged 18 – 35 say they don’t have a steady romantic partner.

With global lockdowns in place, the way we work and socialize has been forcibly brought into the online world. Zoom meetings are becoming so frequent for work that ‘zoom fatigue’ is a real phenomenon, while social interactions online are a poor compromise because they literally lack the physicality that’s so much of a fundamental human need. These examples show how technological developments, hailed for their power to bring people together, have not always brought positive change, and are essentially stop-gap solutions for quality connections.

That said, though, connections made during this period inevitably become more ‘intimate’ as well (whether intended or not): bedrooms are shown to colleagues as background in work calls, while ‘bring your kid to work’ takes the reverse route because the child is very likely going to pop into the video camera during a conference session anytime. Even ‘live’ shows and music performances take on a ‘closer’ tonality as viewers are now given the chance to peep into a celebrity’s home! All these point to the possibility that consumers will demand not just more, but also better, connections in the post-COVID future.

What can my brand do with this in the #newnormal?

While there are experts who still feel that brands can still meaningfully enhance their customer experience digitally during the crisis, we would propose looking ahead and think about ‘connection’ in the broadest sense of the term, and see how both your brand can put that front and center. This is not about ‘omnichannel’ or ‘O2O’; this is interrogating what kinds of meaningful connection your offering can provide your customers, as this pandemic leaves us with the realization that effective, rather than efficient, interactions are what they really crave.

Personalization reaches a new frontier as it moves offline: Trend vs. Manifestations

We predicted that 2020 would see personalization reach a new frontier as it increasingly starts to occupy offline, as well as online spaces, thanks to the proliferation of new technology.

We already see brands tapping into location and health data from smartphones and wearables to provide personalized products, services and marketing campaigns to consumers on the go. But the rise of facial recognition, and its integration into smart home technology, will take this to another level, making personalization part of our homes, our shops, our day-to-day offline experiences.

While there aren’t any specific examples of how this trend manifests itself during the COVID situation, we are at least seeing some examples of brands and corporations speeding up the interfacing between offline and online, which may be a good start to push forth this trend. From major Hollywood blockbusters being released for online viewing faster than normal, to tech giants like Google and Facebook quickly updating/launching video chat functionalities to gain competitive edge, it shows brands can make necessary changes, if they want to.

What can my brand do with this in the #newnormal?

This advanced nature of this trend suggests that now’s as good a time as any to think about how your brand is really making sense of all that data to personalize not just messaging and comms, but also offline outreach/products and services that are relevant and pertinent to consumer needs (i.e. see above: Connections, Purposeful Design and 360-degrees Wellness), who may start to have expectations about brands embracing new technologies quicker, once the pandemic ends

We at Kadence are big advocates of brands creating their own futures, rather than try to predict it. Earlier in the year, before the whole pandemic went global, we brought together trend watching experts from across our global boutique to identify four key trends that we believe will define the next 12 months, inspiring innovation across Asia, the US and Europe, that we outlined in this report.

How should you position your advertising as consumers emerge from lockdown with new expectations of brands and a different lens on marketing?

Discover the key learnings from our proprietary study, Brands Exposed, with over 4,000 consumers across the UK, US and 8 Asian markets by watching the webinar below.

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Lots of ink has been spilled on various reports and news stories about this pandemic. From its early days in China to its devastating death tolls globally as it spreads to how some markets like Germany and South Korea are slowly opening up their markets to re-establish ‘life as normal’, there has certainly been no lack of opinion, professional or editorial, on the impact of this international viral outbreak.

As the stages of recovery vary across markets, the tonality of different write-ups is gradually shifting towards one that is more forward-facing (and some would even say, hopeful!). Different articles are springing up, pontificating on what kinds of post-pandemic world we want to see. Some question the validity of returning to a ‘normal’ that was anything but in the first place, while others take a more macro-level analysis to arrive at how entire economies and governance should pivot so we’re prepared for the fall-out the best way we can.   

We would like to add our voice to this body of work, and share our thoughts on how we think the post-COVID will look like for certain industries, by doing what we do best: analysis through the consumer lens.

Based on our expertise in specific sectors, we went about consolidating and analyzing all current phenomenon that are happening globally, examining the impact of changes that have been observed, thinking about habits that have been formed and questioning what it all means in the long term. Over the next few weeks, we’ll share these – covering everything from retail finance to food and beverage.

What kinds of change can / should we expect?  

When it comes to the ‘future’, there are various existing theories in the realm of behavioral sciences, that talk about how humans tend not to be ‘future-oriented’ and usually value the ‘now’ more. Within the context of talking about change, that presents a real problem – as the inability to visualize/internalize a version of the future gets in the way of discussing or enacting change. This is a significant point that we need to acknowledge, right off the bat, otherwise any projections or proclamations about post-pandemic change will likely be no more than wishful thinking.

Another common way to put forth any suggestions of change tend to be what is known as the ‘convergent’ approach: for example, Phenomenon A is likely to happen, because Phenomenon B, C and D are observed to be present, and form favorable conditions/climate to facilitate A’s occurrence. While not wrong, and this is at the heart of many techniques of scenario analysis (PESTLE being one of them), it again does not account for the ‘human agency’ element, the clear and pinpointed reason why a change CAN and SHOULD happen.

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To this end, amongst the many change management models out there, we feel there is one that may be particularly useful to help us conceptualize the change that can come about in a post-COVID world. Chip and Dan Heath’s ‘sticky habits’ model talks about how, at the heart of reasonable and sustained changes, are 3 simple elements which explain why/how those changes happened, in spite of supposedly challenging circumstances.

In this model, which can also be used to operationalize change, the authors argue that alignment amongst the rational and emotional sides of a person is crucial in setting about the momentum for change. That process is facilitated further when the route towards change is clear, attainable, and rewarding to the individual aiming to change. The analogy the authors offer is an elephant rider on a path: the ‘rider’ symbolizes the rational mind, while the ‘elephant’ stands for the emotional mind. A determined ‘rider’ cannot make an unwilling ‘elephant’’ go down an intended path, no matter how hard he/she tries, much as how even if the ‘elephant’ is willing, it cannot effectively be on the road without efficient directing from the ‘rider’. Within that analogy, the ‘path’ will also need to be clearly marked and signposted, so it is the actual one the ‘elephant’ and the ‘rider’ wishes to travel on.

We believe in this model, as we feel it helps to guide our examination of change that’s really rooted in consumer needs: what is it about a particular change that we have observed that shows how the rational and the emotional mind have been satisfied, such that even though the path is ‘unclear’, we understand and are confident that it is a feasible change that will stick, once the pandemic is over.

What will stay the same?

The more things change, the more they seem to stay the same…”

The saying above cannot be truer; in fact, that is the whole premise for a lot of science-fiction based entertainment. The future in a lot of these alternate realities are often only incrementally different to the one that we are living in, because storywriters depicting these worlds realize that no matter how far away this future is, it needs to be rooted in a certain degree of ‘realism’ in order for readers/viewers to appreciate and accept the portrayal, as well as contrast how different/’out of this world’ the changes are.

Another way to understand this contrast between change and non-change, and how acceptance is achieved, is through the MAYA Principle: MAYA stands for ‘most advanced yet acceptable’. This principle provides guidance in the world of product design. As a discipline, product designers are always faced with the challenge of producing something new and exciting for consumers, be it a piece of furniture or an electronic product. Designs that draw too much inspiration from the left field can risk alienating potential users, while sticking too much to the status quo results in a product that does not excite at all. The MAYA principle thus proposes that designers can focus on elements within their work that taps onto the notion of a ‘familiar strange’, where it’s new enough to pique interest, but familiar enough that it does not overwhelm and lead to outright rejection.

Taking on both notions, we thus feel that even as we look forward to propose what’s going to change post COVID-19, we should also take note of consumer mindsets that will likely remain the same, the ‘evergreen’ needs that will not be displaced, even as the world hurtles towards a ‘new normal’.

As part of my job, I work with people across our global boutique. This is fascinating, as from our offices all over the world, our experiences are very diverse. But for the first time, we have found ourselves experiencing the very same thing at the same time, as we all adjust to life under lockdown.

This is a unique moment to understand how people across borders react in the same circumstances. So to explore this further, we bought together 30 of our Kadence colleagues to take part in a mobile community to understand the cultural differences in our experiences.

What is bringing people together during the lockdown?

The ways that people are expressing a sense of togetherness is very much driven by the national identity and history and culture of the country. Our study earthed some fascinating examples.

In Singapore, the Singapore spirit, encapsulated in the people and nation’s resilience has helped Singaporeans weather the challenges posed by the pandemic. The clean and green Lion City is known for efficiency and a drive for excellence – and this has been demonstrated in the nation’s response, including daily COVID-19 updates via WhatsApp and the introduction of a contact tracing app mobilized by the power of the people. Singapore has also been able to draw on well-stocked reserves and financial support decades in the making, driven by the survival instinct of a once thought of impossible independent nation.

It is also in times like these that the nostalgic longing for the kampong spirit – the sense of togetherness in a harmonious community of bygone days in the Kampong past – is felt evermore. People are writing notes of encouragement at their windows to raise neighborhood spirits, other are sending baked goods to one another for moral support, hawkers and social groups are actively organizing support for their foreign worker partners in need. Sing for Singapore, where people came to their balconies to sing ‘Home’, the unofficial love anthem of Singaporeans, was a very emotional moment for many of our colleagues. Indeed, take a closer look beyond the ‘hardware’ of an advanced, organized, efficient modern city-state, and you will find it is this mix of such hardy values of resilience as well as the ‘heartware’ of Gotong royong – which refers to a community coming together to things in unison – that binds the Singaporeans together during the lockdown.

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In the UK, memories of a bygone era are also contributing to a sense of togetherness. The story of Captain Tom Moore, a World War II veteran, aiming to raise money for the National Health Service, has brought people together. Captain Tom set out to raise £1,000 for the National Health Service by walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday. He has now raised over £32 million and has become something of a national treasure, receiving over 125, 000 birthday cards from people across the country as he turned 100 and even appearing on a charity single which got to number 1 in the UK charts. The response to Captain Tom’s story reveals a lot about the British public’s reaction to the pandemic. In the early days, many comparisons were made to the Blitz spirit and British grit and determination to come together to defeat the virus. As someone who embodies these things, it’s no surprise Captain Tom’s story has found favor amongst the British public.

In the US, as in other countries there’s also a sense that we’re all in this together and that everyone has their bit to do to flattened the curve. That said, in America, protests against the lockdown have been more notable than in other countries, again driven by history and culture. With freedom such a core value in America, it’s perhaps no surprise that are some who feel a greater sense of umbridge at this being restricted, something that those in more collectivist countries find difficult to understand.

What does working from home look like?

In the UK and the US, many people have invested in home comforts to make working from home easier – with back support, keyboards, even desks all being common purchases. There an expectation that this is the start of a major shift in the way we work, so long-term investments in home working are justified.

In Asia, where multi-generational households are more common, working from home solutions tend to be more temporary, with a greater focus on finding areas that allow for the ability to carve out a personal space for peace and quiet. In Singapore, where there tends to be a clearer distinction between work and home life, working from home has indeed had an impact, leading to a re-evaluation of the work-life balance concept – toeing the line between the responsibility and purpose of work and the desire for family bonding time. Furthermore, working from home has an impact on office culture, and it is creating new ways to connect and learn more about colleagues, as people see others in the context of their home lives.

What are people looking forward to as the lockdown is lifted?

This is an area where attitudinal differences, rather than cultural differences, are clearer to observe. People tend to fall into one of two camps: those actively planning what they’ll do as soon as the restrictions allow, and those that are more cautious, worried about the implications of being around lots of people. As you’d expect, family and friends come top of the list, and there’s a renewed focus on experiences with the ones you love.

What do people think about the marketing they’ve seen from brands during this period?

Again, there are more similarities across countries than differences. Regardless of where they live consumers are quick to see beyond glossy campaigns and empty words and are instead looking at the whole picture – with a particular focus on how companies are treating their staff and contributing to the cause. People are also seeing a different side to brands in this period, as companies have had to show us behind the curtain to remain relevant in a period people can’t experience their product in situ.

This is an area that we’ll be exploring further in our Brand Exposed study, a piece of research that is designed help companies prepare for the ‘now normal’ as consumers emerge from the lockdown with new expectations of brands and a different lens on marketing. Visit the microsite to find out more about the study and sign up for the latest insights.

This week marks a change in the focus on many news outlets and governments. From protection, to productivity – as leaders grapple with the challenge of getting economies moving again. There is more confidence around some countries approach and communication (New Zealand) than others (UK, US – looking at you!). However, in all situations there is a agreement that the world we are returning to is not the same as we left.

The workplace is no different. The Straits Times last week carried a story from Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry about how ‘working from home will continue to be the norm for the majority’ even after restrictions are lifted. Forbes has taken this further and stated that “The Covid-19 coronavirus is becoming the accelerator for one of the greatest workplace transformations of our lifetime. How we work, exercise, shop, learn, communicate, and of course, where we work, will be changed forever!”

However, for those of us that have been able to continue our working life from the safety of our home, will the adjustment back to the office be harder than the adjustment to work at home? US Tech website BuiltIn quote a CEO who states that it takes “6 to 12 weeks for a smooth transition from on-site to remote working”. For many, this timeframe has already been met. People are working at home, people are productive, and…are people are starting to realise the benefits: lack of travel, more flexible hours, ability to help with childcare … With many positives to working from home, what does this mean for the future of work?

Certainly, in the short term, offices will be sparse locations. Governments are still advising those who can work from home to work from home. If you do return, social distancing measures will have to evident. Here in Singapore – if you are do not implement safe management of your workplace, the government can fine you or even shut down operations for errant employers. The Economist offer up an opinion piece on how that distancing may look. A 2m gap between desks could reduce capacity of workspaces to 30-35% of the pre-Covid lockdown. The piece also details a high tech solution before the lockdown in UAE, with contactless pathways from door to desk, relying on motion sensors and facial coding to open doors. Having a reduced workforce onsite, or investing in tech are expensive options for most firms – but what about the office itself. What role will it play?

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At Kadence, we have managed to retain productivity. Completing projects to time, and collaborating using video calls, Slack and online whiteboards and Google Docs. What we really miss is the unintended interaction with others. Overhearing conversations and adding some extra insights, hearing the chatter of voices and the energy in the room. At Kadence, we also have some onsite resources that are hard to replicate offsite. Focus group viewing facilities, a call center and workshop facilities will all be utilized in the future. However, the floor space may change. We might be more open to a higher proportion of staff working from offsite at any one time. Rather than whole team meetings and designated desks, perhaps our floor space will have more meeting areas. So that project teams can come together in an environment to bounce off each other, then return home to execute the required tasks. Vice talk of new rituals being formed to bring meaning to home working and The Atlantic talk about dress codes changing in life after COVID.

However, perhaps the most important change will be in HR, not in the physical use of space. If people are going to work from offsite more often, how does team bonding work? How will you help teams to prioritize their workloads? How will you manage line reports? These skills will require even more attuned social skills and people managers.

I would foresee offices being more flexible environments. Bringing people together when it matters, but keeping people apart for safety….and for their own personal preference. As a result, team dynamics will change. Mangers will need to juggle a wider array of pastoral matters. The corporate cultures that thrive will be flatter, more candid and more collaborative.

Perhaps the new normal is still being discovered, but the ‘now normal’ is all about flexibility and creativity.

According the Bellwether report, market research has taken the biggest hit of all marketing disciplines, as companies look to cut budgets in the face of COVID-19. But arguably market research is precisely the area in which companies need to be investing right now, as they grapple with a radically different business landscape and changing consumer needs and expectations. But against a backdrop of shrinking budgets, how should you approach market research to deliver maximum value in this period?

It comes down to the impact COVID-19 has had on your business. We tend to see that companies are experiencing one of two sales curves, and this will influence where to focus your market research spend.   

1.        Companies with a sales curve shaped like a ʌ

These are the companies that have experienced rapid growth as a result of COVID-19. As needs have rapidly changed, these companies have been the beneficiaries – think streaming providers, recipe box providers, digital platforms for health or education. For these companies, COVID-19 has brought about shifts in behavior which had been thought to take years, and as a result, sales have soared. Disney Plus, for instance, now has 50 million subscribers, in touching distance of its 2024 target, after just 5 months. But there’s a risk that as measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 are relaxed, sales and subscriptions  will decline.

Where to focus your research budget:

Your core focus will naturally be on maintaining the levels of sales you’ve seen in this period and avoiding a big drop off as we adapt to a new normal. To achieve this, invest your spend in customer satisfaction research to understand where your product or service is really resonating and what role your business can play in the ‘new normal’. This will help guide your marketing messaging to appeal to both new and current customers. Customer satisfaction research can also be a useful input for product development. By understanding where your product or service falls short, you’ll be able to make the changes needed retain customers when you go from being a necessity to a nice to have.

2.       A sales curve like a V

There are the companies that have had to cease operations as a result of lockdown measures and have seen a steep downturn in sales. As they’re able to begin operating again, they expect and hope to see business gradually return to pre-crisis levels. Restaurants, clothing brands, entertainment businesses all fall into this category. There’s a temptation to assume that for these companies, it’s simply a case of returning to normal but this vastly underestimates the radical shifts we’re seeing not just in consumer behavior but in expectations of brands.

Where to focus your research budget:

There are a number of types of research to consider when you’re planning your research spend. The first is customer and market understanding research. In the past two months, consumers have been forced move purchases online, to adopt new habits and hobbies and to try new brands. But which of these changes are here to stay? And what does this mean for the path to purchase? Understanding this will be critical as you look to develop an effective post-pandemic strategy.

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Brand and advertising research is also of crucial importance for companies experiencing this sales curve. As some brands step up their game, pivoting their product lines from alcohol to hand sanitizer, luxury fashion labels to scrubs, views of companies are changing. And expectations of marketing are too. We’ve seen magazine covers shot on smartphones, chat shows hosted from people’s living rooms and celebrities coming under fire, as they tell us that we’re all in this together from the comfort of their mansions. All of this will have a huge impact on the type of marketing that will resonate with consumers. We expect to see style taking a back seat to substance and authenticity coming to the fore. Those that plough on with pre-COVID campaigns risk appearing tone-deaf to this change so ad testing will be vital in helping brands to get it right.

Far from being an area to cut back on, market research is an essential investment, crucial for helping brands to navigate a new normal, and enabling them to establish a position of strength.

To find out how we can support you with any of the areas mentioned in this blog post, please get in touch with your local Kadence office.

A few weeks ago, something extraordinary happened.

We ran out of eggs.

There were, quite literally, no eggs to be found anywhere in our little corner of South West London.

I was devastated.

It wasn’t until I couldn’t get my hands on any that I really appreciated how fundamental eggs were to my daily diet. And it got me thinking about how (please forgive me) ‘eggs-traordinary’ this current time is, for a number of reasons.

I wouldn’t be able to tell you how many times I’ve asked a focus group, depth interviewee or online community what they’d do if a certain product or service that we are investigating suddenly disappeared. Deprivation questions are tried and tested qual tools. But they rely on respondents hypothesizing about how they might react in a scenario in which everyday products aren’t available.

The truth is, we’re now living in that scenario.

We’ve had many clients asking us whether they should be doing research now. But this is why, as strange as it may sound, now is the perfect time to conduct research.

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Consumers are now keenly aware of the products and brands they value in their lives – be that eggs, loo roll, or self-raising flour. They are more able than ever before to tell us why they are so important to them – because they have had to live through the realities of living without.

And there’s another, even more important dimension at play here too. Not only are we feeling the lack of products and brands more keenly – our expectations of the roles that brands play not just in our lives, but in society as a whole have dramatically shifted. As beer brands and fashion houses alike pivot towards producing hand sanitizer for health services, we’re seeing a shift towards an expectation that brands will pitch in to play their part in overcoming the pandemic.

For brands to survive in the post-pandemic world, they don’t just need to tap into an understanding of how and why their products matter to consumers, they need to understand how expectations are changing, and how that might affect their brand strategy in the future.

Infographic

If you would like to learn more about this study or our work with veterinarians or the animal health sector, please reach out to Hatty Gittins hgittin[email protected] or submit a research project brief here.

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