Key Trends for Brands in a Post-COVID Market
Although the promise of a vaccine on the horizon makes 2021 look a little brighter, the after-effects of COVID will linger - for consumers and businesses alike. While trusted brands continue to pave the path forward, not everyone who thrived in a pre-COVID market will be able to thrive in a post-COVID one.
Here are a couple of key trends for brands that are sure to shake things up in 2021, and help some companies flourish:
There Needs to Be a More Authentic Image
Although some corporations were quick to speak on the “Black Lives Matter,” protests, these statements didn’t last long after the protests started to cool down. However, 2020 has proved that consumers are expecting more from their favorite brands when it comes to civil rights or social issues. Not only do they want them to promote these messages on social media, but they also want to see them in practice.
They want to see a company’s values, not just their product.
For instance, some companies that chimed in about the protests actually received backlash from consumers once they did a deep dive into the company’s history and found problematic track records.
For 2021, it’ll be up to brands to represent a more authentic image of their company as well as what their values are.
Using Face-to-Face Interactions for Customer Service at a Premium.
Over time, many brands have found it cheaper to employ chatbots on their sites rather than actual customer service representatives. Although this move may have saved a little bit of money, consumers still widely prefer to talk to a human representative face-to-face (or voice-to-voice as it may be).
In a post-pandemic world where human interaction is already at an all-time low, consumers are willing to do whatever it takes to talk to a human - even if it means to pay for it.
What brands can do is offer human customer service as a premium option rather than solely relying on chatbots. While not everyone may pay for the privilege, you’re likely to find many consumers who will.
