With our new normal comes a new way of living for many and a new marketing landscape to navigate. How can brands best do that? That’s what CreativeBrief have asked in their BITE Big Question this week, and amongst the industry leaders they put in the hot seat is twentysix’s Strategy & Planning Director Ben Bisco.

Here’s what Ben had to say:

Digital clearly saved us in lockdown. What was forced on us through necessity, we’ll keep for its convenience and efficiency. And where it doesn’t measure up to real life, new tech will make it better. That might catapult us forward in ways that may have seemed unlikely before. For example, will VR finally take off to make remote working/video calls better? In this context, brands will need to make sure their online presence and experience keeps up with evolving consumer behaviour and new technology.   

COVID-19 was supposed to be the great leveller, instead it threw society’s cracks into sharp relief. The Black Lives Matter movement and responses to crisis in Lebanon and Belarus showed the pandemic won’t hold people back. In fact, it can be a spark. Expect more movements, including a resurgence of eco-concern as people make the connection between how we treat the planet and how it fights back. People increasingly expect businesses to be part of the solution, but tread carefully: only get involved if you’re doing so responsibly and authentically and you can #showyourreciepts.    

We all reacted to lockdown in different ways, but it’s fair to say emotions have run high, and given that uncertainty remains, they probably will for a while. Brands should continue to respond sensitively. One way is to eliminate uncertainty wherever possible. Directly, through clear and honest comms: think info on COVID security, or just honesty about stock levels or delivery times. Or indirectly, with positive framing and safety signals that reassure buyers they are making the right decision.

Read the full article here.