20 ANALYSIS


Pause and reset: Culture shifts in the pandemic


Anthony Martin - BAMM, US


BAMM, a global insight agency based in New York and London, has released a report revealing the extent to which shifting consumer priorities during the COVID-19 pandemic have changed the way they react with brands — perhaps for good. Typical values and ambitions have been


placed aside while people focus on family, independence and new ways to take care of themselves; now and into the future. This could leave brands scrambling to understand and appeal to an evolved buyer, with the consumer of 2021 drastically different to that of 2019. To help, BAMM identified five key trends


shaping these audiences, and what brands can do to reconnect with their loyal customers, and engage new audiences they may never have been able to reach pre-pandemic.


Return to self Even though life still feels on pause for most people, the mood over the past few months has changed - from stress and frustration, to a feeling of acceptance. With this there has also been a shift in people’s priorities. Whereas the start of the crisis was marked by a focus on community, people have since turned inward towards family and the self. This is seen, for example, in the increased importance people are placing on self-reliance and personal resilience. In turning inward people have discovered new parts of their identities, have given themselves permission to let go and ‘be themselves’, and have self-indulgence in mindless content and entertainment (often with a nostalgic kick). For brands this means an opportunity to


speak to these shifting self-orienting values and the emerging sense of resilience or, at the very least, to help consumers escape into some mindless self-indulgence. They are re- discovering their identities, and going easy on themselves in more ways than one: ■ 61% cited their relationship with family as having increased in importance during COVID-19 ■ Physical and mental health followed close behind at 58% and 55% ■ Respondents’ bottom three priorities were brand social values (36%), career (32%) and their appearance (31%) Despite appearance going down the list of priorities, the study showed that some have had the opportunity to experiment more with their appearance: “I’ve always wanted to dye my hair, so during quarantine, since no one sees me, I’ve


PERSONAL CARE January 2021


been trying different colours - purple, pink and now it’s a bit blue.” Paula, mid 20s, Chile. Brands need to consider: ■ How to support the idea of family, and family bonds, especially in the run up to the holidays ■ How to speak to the idea of resilience and self-reliance ■ Mindless escape will continue to be a theme - think about how you might provide this to consumers


Pandemonics One response to the huge upheaval in global economics has been a rise in ‘bottom-up economies’, with more people selling goods and services online, or engaging in the sharing economy (and supporting those local businesses who are part of this economy). Another response has been the unprecedented levels of saving among those who have been earning. Money has become locked away, with people’s post-COVID plans ranging from a big holiday blowout to a more permanent shift in saving behaviour. And when money is being spent, direct channels are benefiting for obvious reasons, and e-commerce shifts are being accelerated. With the high street in trouble, eCommerce is here to stay: ■ 34% of 25-44 year olds sold goods and services online during COVID


■ 58% of people saved money due to the crisis, with plans to spend it on a holiday (31%), seasonal gifts (25%) or an all-out shopping spree (17%) ■ 35% of people shopped online for food for the very first time, with 34% of those people planning to continue ■ Of those who bought alcohol online for the first time online, 27% said they would continue to do so after COVID


The Blur The lines have been blurred between office and home, and beyond physical spaces, people have spent increasing amounts of time and attention in ‘4th spaces’ - virtual worlds and gaming environments. And whereas before there was a clear distinction between what happened online versus IRL, today that distinction has blurred with identities, relationships and economic behaviours cutting seamlessly across both real and virtual worlds. And while we are keen to return to normal, people have found ways to enjoy escapism: ■ 78% agree there is now less mental separation between work and home ■ 75% agree that they would like to split their time between working from home and the office ■ 34% 25-44 year olds spent more time gaming or in an online “virtual” world as a result of COVID


www.personalcaremagazine.com


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