Demystifying the consumer mind in crisis

The world is at different stages when it comes to dealing with COVID-19, but one thing is quite clear – our lives are being reset in ways we have never imagined before. We are at a threshold moment, the kind that breaks paradigms and reconfigures the way we see the world, and this creates many fresh and unique opportunities for all of us.

This article is for marketers who wish to create a positive impact during these times, for those who desire to create and deliver extraordinary value to consumers in the face of this unprecedented crisis and its aftermath.

A big opportunity in the current reality for marketers is to understand how the meaning of value is being reconfigured in consumer minds and adapt offerings to this new meaning. For instance, the consumer definition of value is currently being re-defined in various ways basis:

This is a unique opportunity because it offers the future-forward marketer the potential to strengthen bonds with consumers by delivering unprecedented value to them. It is also important to note that during tough times, our memories are vivid and long-lasting. This is true for brands and their consumers as well. People, brands and institutions that stand up for consumers in their time of need – physically, emotionally and spiritually will forever be remembered in a special way, and that offers the next big opportunity. This is the time for brands to create indelible memories in consumer minds by solving real problems in ways that are authentic to who they are. The value is in changing how you are as a brand, as opposed to who you are.

Another big opportunity through all this is the potential to create a new world order – this is a mouldable moment in history wherein we have a chance to shape the future more profoundly than ever before. While there is no way to predict the future, the future could be envisioned as a canvas we paint, through our actions in the present and today, the canvas is more blank than ever. For instance, an opportunity for brands through all this is the prospect of addressing this never before humanitarian crisis in meaningful ways. How can we contribute positively in these tough times and do good by the consumer in unique and compelling ways?

This is indeed a great time for brands to re-imagine their role in consumer lives and align their marketing strategies to:

1. Change/ adapt the features of one’s product/ service to reflect new awareness or new concerns.
2. Identify new needs, new purchase occasions, new moments of consumption that re-define value during these times.
3. Draw from one’s archetypal value/ source power to identify the specific problems that are uniquely and credibly solvable by the brand, and in a manner that creates emotional relevance and memorability. 
4. Innovate to create a safer, better and secure world for humanity.
5. Address the human mind in crisis and reinforce the positive through a humanistic lens. There is a need to demonstrate good intent and ethical behaviours that will carry value in the short term and the long term.
6. It is also an opportunity to strengthen your employer brand and make a positive impact on current and prospective employees.

As is abundantly evident, the consumer is experiencing pressure, and there is immense opportunity in acknowledging, addressing and solving for these unforeseen circumstances. It is also clear that our old beliefs have been disrupted. We are seeing that the emergence of a multitude of factors from social isolation to the economic hit is actively reshaping our minds, leading to new formations or mental models.

We see the emergence of 9 distinct mental models (listed below) that could be defined as value and behaviour formations that are an outcome of the COVID experience. And the opportunity is to powerfully address these mental models and deliver unprecedented value to consumers, in a manner that is uniquely deliverable by your category and brand.

1. The Panic Mind – the brain is in fight or flight mode.
2. The Distancing mind – the belief is that the ‘other is unsafe’.
3. The Victim Mind – ‘Poor me/ why me?’ is the sentiment.
4. The Infantilized Mind – where the mind is seeking directions on what to do.
5. The Imprisoned Mind – the mind is experiencing stagnation and monotony.
6. The Deprived Mind – the mind feels starved of connections and sensations.
7. The Worrying Mind – a state of sustained apprehension and unease.
8. The Introspective Mind – there is reflection and thoughts of what matters most.
9. The Self-Sufficient Mind – the mind seeks no dependency.

This framework enables you to take a humanistic view of the situation, even while developing a longer-term business vision that is rooted in delivering value to consumers in memorable and impactful ways.

As organizations and brands, we have the power to adapt and mould ourselves to address and solve some of the biggest problems that humanity faces currently. And more than ever, it is time for owners of businesses and brands to think, innovate and invent to create the new world order… for 2020 and beyond.