In what we hope is the last leg of the Coronavirus lockdown, companies will be required to step into uncharted waters and mitigate the risks. As a small design studio, we could see ourselves transform everyday from one video conference to another, hotly debating how to revamp Lopez Design for this torrid new world. From one-mini crisis to another, however exhausting, it was clear that there are more informed ways.
The core transformation we found was in human behaviour, which is morphing, adapting to ambiguities and flexing muscles. As many consciously step up to change themselves we see a new wave of trends and behaviour. Not just your consumers but also your employees have to get accustomed to a different lifestyle now.
A study from China stated that 33 percent of Chinese consumers changed food brands during the crisis, and 20 percent of them plan to stick with the alternatives that they tried out.
Revamping business models with integration of technology is the pressing need, but leading with people is the evident differentiator. Human behaviour is significantly easier to track in today’s digital world, effectively delivering exactly what the customer wants.
Purpose-Led Action
In a new world without a map, the only path that keeps you going is your purpose. Businesses today must reposition themselves in the ‘new normal’ by finding a core purpose that is relevant for today. Falling behind is both risky and costly.
Your Massive Transformative Purpose, your Ikigai or your reason to get out of bed each morning - needs to find its meeting point with others in a singular direction. This further expands to exploring collaborators and consumers who align with the same goal.
Coronavirus has sparked rare collaboration between some of the world’s biggest business rivals. Apple and Google recently joined forces to enable the use of Bluetooth technology to help governments and health agencies reduce the spread of the virus, and pharmaceutical giants GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi are teaming up to develop a COVID-19 vaccine.
How does a company recognise their new and true purpose and take their employees along? How do you find collaborators who align with your intent?
The need to adapt and sustain today is imperative. This can be aided with a detailed relaunch map—country by country, site by site, segment by segment, customer by customer, and product by product—in order to prioritize recovery opportunities. Bringing people back to the offices is going to be another challenge.
According to a study of 600,000 desk-riders, two in five said that their office spaces prevented them from work productively.
How can you understand the needs of your employees to make intelligent decisions? How have the core needs of your customers changed, and what are they?
Humanistic Digital Spaces
“Every business is now a technology business, and what matters most is a deep understanding of the customer, which is enabled by technology,” remarked a retail CEO.
Building customer desirability with empathy is one component which will differentiate every new age technology today. With a swipe, customers get options, and objectively measure product benefits. Companies need to quickly adapt and rethink customer journeys, speeding up the development of digital solutions. The emphasis will vary for each sector.
At home, my parents have switched to ordering groceries online, something they were always uncomfortable with. Post-lockdown, I expect they will go back to the regular stores and open markets with some resistance, unless the digital interface makes their unique journey appealing to stay.
As new areas of intervention open up, businesses cater to provide an uninterrupted experience. Many retailers have set out to create a seamless e-commerce experience, enabling customers to complete all operations online, from initial research and purchase to service and returns. In the medical sector, work-from-home is giving rise to posture pains and the challenge of keeping patients at home, away from the danger zones of hospitals and public spaces, is putting tele-medicine consulting on a rise.
How can consumer journeys be effectively mapped to influence your business?
The emphasis on consumer research cannot be understated. Humans live in extremely complex social systems. With the world moving to the digital realm, these journeys are far more trackable. Consumers openly share data for the greater good, and this public-spirited data sharing could extend into other areas of life.
Taking everyone along becomes an unwritten rule, quoting Gandhi - “Whatever you do for me but without me, you do against me.”
New Beginnings
New players in the market now have the opportunity to operate in a start-up mode for a new product or service. With experimentation and testing overtaking analysis, the chance to innovate faster is very high - as long you get the right collaborators by your side. In a sprint mode, the best dose for ambiguities is an efficient design strategy.
With sizable new data available on customer journeys, new players get ample opportunities to start on a well-informed footing. Your products and services can be better focused for this new audience to positively impact your overall brand value and profits. Sail these unknown waters in an exploratory mode, and take your business forward with a people-focused response. Adapt and create for this new world - be prepared for your service to impress a bot doing most of the buying!
Many of the United Nations’ SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) are linked to human behaviour — norms and attitudes that require behavioural changes from individuals, organisations, and societies.
Track your consumer as they change from ‘On-demand’ to ‘before-demand. Understanding this linked human behaviour is key to carve a niche for yourself in the market ahead of traditional business models.
How do you shape your brand for an audience which is brand new? In what ways can you experiment to challenge traditional corporates?
Stay Relevant
It is true that many will return to business as usual, but enough disruption has already happened to leave a lasting change. Customers and employees have seen a shift in their priorities and understanding of what they need and want. They are most likely to engage with brands that align with their values and understand their needs.
This report from Nielsen claims that 73% of consumers say they would definitely change their consumption habits to reduce their environmental impact.
Engage with your consumer strongly by communicating through stories which inspire social relationships. Create a strategic model which balances social causes and profitability. Walk with your consumers during the pandemic, and then lead them out of it.
How do you communicate with a just-awoken audience?
We are open to collaborations for creating services and products that follow an ideal communication model. For new business contact us at nb@lopezdesign.com
Written by Nishita Karun
Illustration: Anthony Lopez