If you’re not planning for uncertainty, plan for redundancy
Are you planning for uncertainty when considering consumer attitudes and behaviour? COVID, lockdowns, elections, vaccines, natural emergencies, fake news… the list goes on. We don’t know the direction we’re heading, whether it’s an existential threat or a short shower – but we do know it’s happening fast.
We have been researching the market since March and it’s been giving us one clear message: Too fast for the old ways. Too fast to find an edge as brands fight for a share of a shrinking pie.
The military has a very useful word that fits this fairly perfectly: VUCA. Volatile; uncertain; complex and ambiguous. That kinda sums it up.
Back in August creating joy in your messaging seemed to make sense, but by October people seemed more attracted to relaxation and calm. This emotional roller coaster is further complicated by the fact that it’s not universal. It’s influenced by age and by their confidence in secure income. The volatility we are seeing makes it questionable whether it’ll still be that way when your ads break.
Do you hold steadfastly to brand constants and weather the storm? Do you limit your activity to tactical incentives? Can you step away from the market and wait? Or do you build the ability for your messaging to react faster than your consumers. Lastly, are you doing this by baking real time research into your creative development process?
The only place you can capture what consumers THINK, FEEL, DO & WANT in one place and turn those insights into strategic recommendations that build brands is with the Catalyx Consumer Activation System.
If you would like to know more about planning for uncertainty to put your consumer at the heart of your creative development process please click here for more information.
Let’s talk. Click here to unlock your crowd.