PREPARING FOR A NEW ERA OF HUMAN CONNECTION
As the country prepares to reopen and the end of strict stay-at-home orders draws closer, experiential marketers face a pressing question: What does the appetite for experiences look like in a post-COVID world? Will consumers welcome the return of in-person gatherings or resist them over health concerns? New research suggests that, although safety is top of mind, the outlook for experiences is optimistic. Consumers are emerging from the pandemic with an unprecedented desire for community, and a powerful new era of human connection is on the horizon.
Make it a priority to help brands build deep emotional connections that deliver Return on Emotion. To help partners understand what those connections look like during and post-pandemic, a recent survey found that we’re pointing towards a new normal in which fostering community must be a brand’s top priority, whether virtually or in-person. Here are three key takeaways for marketers:
Brands can create virtual events now that convert into real world events in the future—and back again.
Consumers are hungry for in-person interaction, but that doesn’t mean brands have to wait until stay-at-home orders are lifted to help people connect and find community. Companies should start today by offering virtual gatherings and experiences that can slowly convert into intimate real-world events down the road. In fact, the top way respondents told us they want to see brands help consumers who are currently social distancing is to host virtual events and experiences (Figure 1).
Many brands are finding success with this approach on a variety of scales. Fortnite’s Astronomical event series with Travis Scott went for mass appeal and saw a staggering 27.7 million unique viewers, with 45.8 million views, while Klarna found success by targeting specific, highly engaged communities with its virtual drag brunch series.
Brands should start planning their in-person experience strategy today.
Social distancing has significantly deepened people’s appreciation of in-person interaction. Being physically cut off from their communities has heightened their opinion of IRL socializing, with the majority of respondents (about 61%) saying that after social distancing orders are lifted, in-person events and experiences will be more important (Figure 2).
What’s more, they’ll be ready for in-person gatherings sooner than brands might expect. Nearly half of respondents said they’ll be ready to attend in-person events and experiences within a month, followed by about 35% who said one to three months (Figure 3).
With this in mind, brands should proactively plan experiential strategies that align with their virtual efforts now, while allowing for flexibility. Some areas are already announcing relaxed stay-at-home orders or are sharing their timelines for reopening in the near future, making the return to experiences top of mind. Emphasizing safety will be critical to helping both workers and consumers feel safe upon return. Investing in temperature check and hand sanitizer stations, revisiting spatial planning and environmental design, and rethinking communal dining spaces can help boost confidence while creating a safer environment for all.
Brands should acknowledge the cautious consumer mindset moving forward.
Relying solely on old experiential marketing tactics in a post-COVID world is no longer an option. Given consumers’ heightened focus on safety, marketers should be careful to avoid common immersive or sensory tactics that could be feared as unsanitary moving forward (e.g. ball pits, shared props, swings, touchscreen photobooths, communal dining and more). Marketers should also consider ways to address consumers’ financial concerns of attending events, since they’re highly worried about the economy. When we asked respondents how concerned they are with the economic impact of COVID-19, with 0 being not concerned at all and 10 being extremely concerned, the results revealed, as other surveys have confirmed, that economic worries run deep (Figure 4).
This suggests that when consumers return to in-person events and experiences, they won’t just be weighing the health risks but also the financial risks. Marketers should consider ways to quell these concerns by helping with costs or letting consumers know that they’ll be offered a full and rapid refund should a cancellation occur. Brands may also want to consider rethinking their sponsorship portfolio in favor of owned experiences that allow them more control. Instead of over-investing in major events and conferences, marketers should consider offering intimate experiences, branded roadshows, or other offerings that complement their overall virtual strategy and together carry less risk.
Big picture, companies that provide support for consumers today will be better situated to build brand loyalty in the long run. People are receptive to authentic solutions from brands during times of need, and by offering it now, brands can position themselves as leaders in the new era of human connection.
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