MICHELLE NIEDZIELA 
HCD Research, Flemington, USA

Abstract

Consumers habits changed due to the global pandemic, and some of those behaviors will stick. 
How can brands identify opportunities and change to meet new lifestyle needs?

“In these unprecedented times…“, these were the words that sprang up on televisions and social media around the globe as brands scrambled to engage their consumers as shops closed and people retreated to their homes with the onset of the global pandemic, COVID-19. In these uncertain, unprecedented times, advertisers seemed to be using the same adjectives to … well, unprecedented levels. Throw “new normal” and “social distancing” and “challenging” in there and you’ve got five words or phrases we stuck with in these unprecedented times.

Marketers braced for what was thought would be a hiccup in everyday life and set sights on comforting consumers with thoughtful ads and messaging. But days turned to weeks and then weeks turned to months.

New realities have set in. In response to this rapidly evolving public-health crisis, consumers have changed how they live and work and what and how they buy. Many of these fundamental shifts will have long-lasting effects on consumer purchasing behavior, new habits become new lifestyles. From feeding their families, to staying connected to friends and family, to feeling productiv ...