With the transition into the endemic world, are you wondering if consumers' behaviours have changed from pre- to post-pandemic?
By now, most companies should have already digitally migrated at least parts of their businesses online due to Covid-19. Research has indicated that consumer and business digital adoption was vaulted five years forward in just eight weeks. With the adaptive nature of humans, consumer behaviours have shifted compared to before the pandemic. Despite the reopening of our societies as lockdowns are being eased, 75% of people who first started using digital channels during the pandemic stated that they will continue to use them as we enter into the new ‘normal’.
Consumer behaviour before and after the pandemic
📌 Personalisation
Before: Nice to have
After: Must have
Since more businesses have established an online presence during the pandemic period, consumers are now faced with an expanding choice of brands. To differentiate amongst competitors, personalisation is key. Accenture reported that 75% of consumers are more likely to buy from brands offering personalised online experiences. Furthermore, 97% of marketers increased personalisation efforts in 2020, with one-fourth of them achieving a spike in revenue higher than 20% due to personalisation. As such, it is imperative that all brands embark on tailored marketing in order to remain competitive.
📌 Brand values
Before: Simply purchasing from any brands that satisfy needs
After: Congruity of values between brands and consumers required
Before the pandemic, simply understanding and satisfying consumer needs was the way to go. However, this is not sufficient in this post-pandemic era because consumers have become even more discerning when selecting brands they wish to support. This is especially so when consumers today have hundreds of brands to choose at their fingertips when searching online. On top of being customer centric, brands today must uphold values and be authentic. This is because the kind of brand one purchases is an extension of oneself, it becomes natural that consumers would want to go for brands whose values are aligned with their own. With distinct brand values that consumers can identify with, a community can easily be formed. Furthermore, the higher the value congruence between brands and consumers, the more likely consumers will remain loyal and advocate for the brand.
Optimise your digital marketing strategies in response to consumer behaviour shifts
📌 Web personalisation
One of the many ways to increase personalisation efforts is through web personalisation. By tailoring your website to individual visitors, not only will your consumers feel closer to your brand, but it is also more likely that they will take actions.
To implement web personalisation, you must first define your target audience based on factors such as their location, usage history and behaviours, purchase history, etc. Doing so will segment your website visitors, allowing for easier personalisation efforts. Secondly, curate customised content for these segments. Lastly, experiment with different types of content for the different segments to gain an even in-depth understanding of your segments and find out what it is that they are truly interested in.
📌 Effectively communicating brand values
It is important to note that communicating brand values to consumers is not as easy as it sounds. The messages sent out by a brand may not always be perceived in its intended meaning. Brand values are something that must be built upon overtime as consumers get sensitised and the intended rational meaning and emotional feelings can be evoked. But, you can include these 4 pointers when crafting your messages to effectively communicate to your customers:
1️⃣ Using a brand voice
2️⃣ Following branding guidelines
3️⃣ Be customer-centric
4️⃣ Consistency is key
Where should you start?
Just looking at how to effectively communicate your brand values can be overwhelming. Branding strategies often require long-term strategic planning and careful consideration. At VKT, we have successfully helped B2B and B2C businesses with integrating their digital marketing strategies to optimise branding through our brand identity framework. Furthermore, we have proven track records in working on successful Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) digital branding & marketing projects. With our experienced EDG Certified Consultant, VKT boasts a proven track record in achieving a high EDG application success rate with up to 80% funding. This maximum support level of up to 80% for the Enterprise Development Grant is valid till 31 March 2022.
So, join us here on a coffee chat and learn how you can optimise your digital marketing strategies and get your business ready for the new year!
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