Hg2 News   •   July, 2021

In a post-pandemic era, kindness is king.   Since the pandemic we have awoken to new ways of thinking, understanding and behaving.  Brands around the globe are adapting and flexing their creative muscles like never before.

The result?

More compassionate experiences, services and products that cater to a new profile of conscious, curious and ever-so-slightly cautious customers wondering how to celebrate their new-found wisdom in a post-pandemic world.

How do we speak to this new audience?  We’re all aware that a purpose-led, empathetic narrative in a post-pandemic world is a positive way for brands to demonstrate compassion for their communities.  Yet speaking from the heart requires a delicate balance of perspective and authenticity.  So how can your content pivot alongside its protagonists to help them navigate this brave new world?

Tip #1: Appreciation

We’ve all experienced a monumental life change over the past year and everyone’s experiences vary drastically. More than ever, it’s crucial to invest the time in understanding what your audience has been through and how you can help them. Where does your audience live and what might be unique about their specific lockdown experience? What have they gained, lost and learnt, and what will they be feeling as a result? This isn’t the time to sell, but more the time to delight and engage your customers with a sense of compassionate relief and understanding.

Tip #2: Imagination

Customers are always for compelling reasons to engage with and, most importantly, trust a brand. It is interesting to see how brands that have pivoted and innovated their offering during the pandemic have emerged stronger. From catastrophe comes creativity and new initiatives have emerged (who would have thought Michelin starred chefs would be sending dinner boxes to our homes?) We see this wave of inspiring imagination only increasing with customers anticipating and yearning for excitement – we all need some fun in our lives.

Tip #3: Integrity

Trust in a digital age is a hard nut to crack. We have all been virtually zooming around the world for the past 12 or so months and winning the hearts and minds of customers coming off this online rollercoaster won’t be easy. Genuine, intelligent content focussed on customer needs and motivations is a good start. And if done in the customer’s voice of choice (ie, human), even better. Brands tend to focus on the cooler Gen Z and Millennials, yet it is the older gens that are the bigger spenders and more likely to trust brands that speak their language. Homogenising the narrative is not only shoulder shrugging this group but also misses out on future-proofing the brand for the younger generation. Integrity of content, respect for the customer and accountability for the greater good go hand in hand in creating trust whatever age your customers are.

We’re sure new insights and new ways of working will continue to evolve. We’d love to hear what you think will be headline narratives as we pivot in this new era.