Rethinking 2020

Refocusing on Health, Home and Humanity

A special report from

Rethinking
The Coronavirus epidemic has put every brand’s 2020
plans into flux. We believe the best approach is to adapt
quickly to the new environment and adjust existing plans
thoughtfully.

Just as the SARS epidemic accelerated the adoption of

e-commerce in China, the Coronavirus epidemic will
have a lasting impact on consumer behavior.

Moving forward, the best plans will be those that identify

new consumers drivers relevant throughout the crisis and
beyond.
The crisis has already significantly increased our
focus on health, shifted experiences into the home
and heightened our focus on finding new ways to
empathize and connect with each other. The New
Consumer
We believe every responsible brand should be looking
at these three accelerators and how they can adapt Drivers
to them. Doing this well can help both people and
business thrive in a tough time and beyond.
Consumer Driver

Health
This crisis has accelerated people’s focus on health and
wellness. Their lives now revolve around doing all that
they can to stay healthy.

This shift in mentality has led to an unprecedented sense

of collective responsibility. One where everyone is
expected to lend a helping hand in keeping people
and communities safe. This trend will likely create new
behaviours that last beyond the short term crisis.
How It’s Playing
Snapchat launches health-themed sticker pack.
Out In Society The sticker package includes educational messages
backed by public health officials, including: "Stay
Home If You Are Feeling Sick," "Don’t Touch Your Face,"
and "Wash Your Hands."

Whatsapp partners up to launch information hub.

In partnership with the World Health Organization
and Unicef, WhatsApp has launched an extension that
helps governments and health organisations combat
misinformation and provide easier access to
relevant guidance.
How It’s Playing
Out In Society
BrewDog addresses the sanitizer shortage.
BrewDog has followed in the footsteps of LVMH to
produce hand sanitiser out of its destileries. Other
companies, such as The British Honey Company, are
now also stepping up to help mitigate shortages.

Takeout services launch contactless delivery.

In order to work within the parameters of social
distancing, as well as to ease people’s growing
health concerns, delivery services such as
Takeaway.com are changing their delivery protocol.
What actions will be 1. Having a hygiene strategy.
Governments and health officials are going to continue

important moving forward. imposing health guidelines as the crisis builds. We will
see companies of all sectors releasing documents on
what they are doing to protect the health of employees
and their customers.

2. Offering daily inspiration to stay healthy.

The need for creative ways to stay both physically and
mentally healthy are going to grow as the crisis progresses.
Sharing ways to keep active and stay up-to-date on health
guidelines will become the new normal.

3. Using technology in new ways to support health.

Because health services are so overwhelmed, there is going
to be a growing need for apps and tech to help relieve the
pressure and make people’s health upkeep more
autonomous.
Consumer Driver

Home
During this crisis, the home has become the epicenter of
life. Though there has been a movement of people
spending more time in the home space over recent years,
the option now has been more or less taken away.

As many countries are banning citizens from stepping

outside altogether, homes have become extensions of the
office, gym, movie theatre and nightclub. People are feeling
hungry for new ways to transform their homes into the
ultimate entertainment hub. This trend is also likely to
create new behaviours that last beyond the short term.
How It’s Playing
Netflix launches a shared streaming feature.
Out In Society To help people overcome the barriers of social
distancing, Netflix launched a Chrome extension that
lets you watch Netflix remotely with friends and family.

Iconic museums are offering virtual visits.

Google Arts teamed up with over 2,500 museums and
galleries around the globe to help people experience
them the comfort of their own homes. Universities are
doing something similar, helping people explore new
learning opportunities through free courses online.
How It’s Playing
Chipotle launches ‘Chipotle Together.’
Out In Society To combat the boredom of self-isolation, the restaurant
chain has created a virtual lunchtime hangout series
on Instagram Live. It plans to launch a new episode
everyday, and it will be featuring some of America’s
most beloved celebrities.

Boiler Room live streams DJ sets.

After having to cancel more than 40 shows, Boiler
room decided to launch free virtual events instead.
Every night, famous DJs from around the world
broadcast live from their in-home DJ setups.
What actions will be 1. Adjusting for the home experience.
New boundaries are a big obstacle households are

important moving forward. going to be working to master during this time. Is ‘alone
time’ when you have kids even possible? Can work and
leisure be separated once you do it all under one roof?
Answers to these questions will be highly sought after.

2. Offering virtual ways to socialize.

People are respectful of the need to participate in social
distancing... physically. What they can’t do in person,
however, they will be trying to achieve virtually. Apps or
websites that help connect people will be in high demand.

3. Putting a renewed focus on entertainment.

While spending endless hours on the phone and in front of
the TV is usually considered problematic, it is now going
to become a lifeline for cooped up households. People will
be trading music, TV and movie recommendations more
than ever.
Consumer Driver

Humanity
This crisis has forced people to put into perspective
what is most important to them in life, and what
makes them happy. In the process, people are
learning just how resilient they can be in times of
emergency.

We are learning about the many different ways

people define happiness: from the lighthearted and
amusing, to the helpful and cooperative. No matter
how big or small, these efforts are helping keeping
anxieties at bay by sparking much needed
moments of joy. The closeness we all feel during this
time is likely to last long after the crisis subsides.
How It’s Playing
Europeans honor their health workers.
Out In Society In countries like the Netherlands, Spain and Italy,
citizens are coming together at certain times of the
day to clap and honor the health workers at the
frontlines of the crisis.

Musicians in Italy perform for their neighborhoods.

Italians are showing the true power of music to unify a
Nation in times of crisis. Everyday at 6pm people come
out to play for their neighborhoods. Dozens of videos
have already gone viral across social media.
How It’s Playing
Kindness sign-ups for vulnerable neighbors.
Out In Society Around the world people are sharing spreadsheets and
Google Docs where they can sign up to assist those in
the community most vulnerable to COVID-19. The are
helping with essential tasks such as grocery shopping
and pharmacy runs.

Walt Disney World donates all its excess food.

Earlier this month the entertainment franchise made
the swift decision to close down all of its theme parks.
To help support households in need during this time,
they organized for every park to donate all excess food
to local food banks and homeless shelters.
What actions will be 1. Facilitating and inspiring community action.
During this time, vulnerable members of the community

important moving forward. are most at risk, small businesses are paralyzed by the
fear of shutting down, and opportunities to physically
come together as a community are not permitted. Finding
ways to positively impact these situations will be essential.

2. Creating small moments of joy.

These are anxious and uncertain times. Moments of
positivity and joy throughout the day are going to
become increasingly central to successfully coping
with the crisis.

3. Celebrating National and Global togetherness.

The crisis is bringing Nations’ closer together than
they’ve ever been, by keeping people apart. It is a rare
demonstration of cohesion, and something people are
happy to celebrate.
hello
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alex@wearepi.com