The world as we know it is dead….

A couple of months into the new decade, the much anticipated 2020, had sports lovers excited about the tokyo olympics, science geeks looking forward to the mars 2020 space mission and movie buffs eagerly waiting for the black widow to hit the screens until the novel coronavirus pandemic froze all plans. The rapidly spreading virus led to a race to hoard staples, crippled the economy and brought the world to a sudden halt. As the world stands still giving us time to introspect, like many others I am grappling with the question, will things ever go back to being as they were?

I have come to realize that the most likely answer is NO. it’s the end of the world as we know it (and i feel fine)… I am not just quoting the lyrics of a popular rock song, I mean it! The macro systems and structures, like models of governance, societal beliefs, culture, lifestyle and age-old institutions that we have taken for granted have been put to test. When these massive establishments, the pillars that society is built on, are left with no choice but to evolve or break, there is bound to be a shift in the way the world functions. While we will have to wait a little longer to tell the magnitude of the shift, we can rest assured that the new challenges are bound to open new windows of opportunity to innovate and the future is not all bleak if we are ready to embrace change.

I have touched upon some speculated changes in behaviors that we can expect to notice in both businesses and consumers in a post pandemic world. While some of these behaviours are being carefully developed by brands during the quarantine period the rest are a reflection of what we have been subjected to!

We are isolated but not alone
The first and most obvious shift would be the gradual transition of our community engagement into digital realms. Though the world was digitally connected and people were spending a lot of time on social media, the more significant conversations were still had in person. Be it catching up with co workers during coffee breaks, catching up with extended family post religious congregations or watching sports with friends, these were the interactions that gave people a sense of belonging. Platforms like reddit have been successful in building anonymous digital communities in the recent past but everyone is looking at facebook, the applicatication that was threatened by allegations of bad ethics and the growth in popularity of its flashy sibling, instagram. Facebook has launched a community help feature in some parts of the world that enables neighbours to help each other during the pandemic. In the united kingdom alone facebook has successfully formed 300 coronavirus support groups with over a million members. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of facebook shared his vision to build social infrastructure to give people comfort that they are not alone and that there was a community looking out for them in his commencement address at harvard a couple of years ago. With his vision aligning with the current public need, will facebook find innovative ways to sustain these communities post the pandemic? Will new players capitalise on this need? Will established brands invest resources in building communities for their loyalists? Given that all intimate connections are traditionally formed in the absence of distraction and ads might make the experience less meaningful, Will the human need for deeper connection be monetised?
We crave familiarity during unfamiliar times
The pandemic has replaced the examinations of customer journeys and satisfaction metrics on what customers want with innovative ways to address what they need. Scarcity in resources and the widespread panic caused by the contagion has left no room for indulgences. However, the crashing of global economies indicate that this trend might continue even post the lifting of the lockdown. BBC recently published an experiment that hinted that we become more conformist and respectful of convention when we feel the threat of a disease. Anything unconventional or eccentric, even invention and innovation, become less valued when you are overcoming the threat of an unknown contagion. While people are being dished out comfort and familiarity, the challenge lies in how businesses deeply understand the nuances of traditional modes and bring the same experience to them through new channels. Will nostalgia become a strong selling point? Will this aversion to innovation result in brands deploying additional resources in designing digital experiences that mimic the equivalent physical experience?
All we need is empathy
A pandemic is inclusive, it impacts everyone. The magnitude of the impact varies from region to region but the entire community has faced a blow in some form or the other. This collective loss has made people connect with each other with a strong sense of empathy. The self quarantine has given people the time to introspect about areas that they never deemed significant amidst their hectic lives. This period of introspection could result in reconsideration of priorities and choices leading to a lasting personal and economic impact highlighting that consumers are probably not making purchases but they are definitely making decisions.The increased need to connect with people they empathise with has led to an increase in live streams by brands,artists,renowned personalities and digital content creators. Some questions that arise are: Will empathy lead all communication post lockdown? Will there be less demand for staged or heavily produced content? Will the disinterest in keeping up with frivolous trends continue post the lock up?

With a number of digital entertainment platforms like audible offering free access to their paid services or fitness brands like cultfit offering free tutorials to encourage people to try their workouts when traditional fitness options are out of bound, brands are leveraging this opportunity to cultivate new habits. What new habits we will cultivate and to what extent our behavior will shift only time can tell. However, when we come out of this gruelling phase we will most likely not view the world in the same way.