Brands need to understand the all new path to purchase and the right tone of communication to succeed in the post-Covid world: Nepa Report

• Nepa India contacted over 1000 consumers online across the country to better understand the changes they have undergone, to perceive and uncover the paradigm shifts that have started taking shape.
• Consumers are reassessing their immediate needs and wants differently, learning to embrace the online and digital resources available to them
• They are forgoing erstwhile relationships while creating new ones - both socially and with the products/brands/activities they do.

As the government has started relaxing lockdown norms, the country is slowly opening up. However, the world that we will now go out into is going to be a very different world. The way we interact, commute and consume is all going to see a sea change. It is also bound to have far reaching effects on how we buy in the future.

In an attempt to understand the impact of the pandemic and lockdown on consumers and to decode their sentiments in a post-Covid world, Nepa, a Consumer Research and analytics company providing insight solutions to drive brand and sales by increasing marketing effectiveness has come out with a report titled “The Consumer Narrative | What Matters”.

Nepa India contacted over 1000 consumers online across the country to better understand the changes they have undergone, to perceive and uncover the paradigm shifts that have started taking shape. Consumers are reassessing their immediate needs and wants differently, learning to embrace the online and digital resources available to them, forgoing erstwhile relationships while creating new ones - both socially and with the products/brands/activities they do.

The report states that the lockdown has led to a change in people’s purchase decisions they are now spending more on health and hygiene products, adapting to limited product availability, and preferring home deliveries over store visits. They are also reflecting on their consumption a lot more than earlier.

People are also consuming more content while also creating more content. They are also spending more time in learning new things and upskilling, owing to the extra time in their lives.

As a part of the report, Nepa also curated 6 hashtags that encapsulate the consumer sentiment and maxim of the moment.

#contentmakesuscontent – its not just a watch, but a create and move for consumers as the content scenario fills multiple time voids and seeps in deeper to meet needs beyond just entertainment.

#Firstsarecrucial shows us that this time is a not just a wait and watch for consumers, but a time of experimentation and many discoveries – with digital playing a crucial role in the trial and share process.

#superme – our research suggests that the lack of control over the external environment is moving individuals to use this period as an unplanned catalyst to prepare for an uncertain future – consolidating and rebuilding themselves inside-out.

#breakingnorms suggests that as external lives jostle for space within the household, assumptions of what is possible at home have changed; not just for activities but also the roles that we play in our daily routine.

#BFRL – BasicsFirstRestLater is the consumer mantra that pervades beyond your daily staples, but also into the way consumers are maximizing their spends by redefining their want vs. need matrix.

#cautionmodeon speaks not about an ‘ready for the worst’ attitude, but actually one where consumers are moved to continue their dreams, by using today’s opportunities to reap benefits in the near future.

“We know that current times have been a season of ‘extremes’. We have seen that some industries have gone into a hyperdrive mode to an extent that it has been even tough to meet the rising demands. On the other hand of the spectrum many have been hit harder. But for both the cohorts, the big question is “What will Matter” as we get back. The report focuses on the dichotomy of tenses. The narrative that defines both now & later.” said Esha Nagar, Managing Director Nepa India.

“Priorities and Purchase patterns are undergoing a possible lasting transformation. It will take a recipe of compassion and innovation to win in the current phase.” Nagar further added.

While advising the brands, Nagar says “Understanding the all new path to purchase is the first thing to begin with. It should be coupled with the right tonality and emotional connect in the communication. We foresee sustainability, balance and health driving all kinds of consumer decisions in the future.”