Understanding the Consumer During Coronavirus
Jordan Kelley, Content Director, BrandStorytelling.tv
When the Coronavirus upended the status quo all over the world, everything brand marketers knew about their consumers went out the window. Over the period of self-isolation and at the initiation of re-emergence, brands and businesses the world over had their nose to the grindstone, trying to figure out how to re-enter the lives of their consumers. But in order to do that, you must first understand the way the consumer has been affected and thus changed post-isolation. Enter Huge, the experience design and digital marketing agency who took the approach of better understanding the current consumer using customer experience personas in order to help better communicate the breadth of ways people may be feeling after the first few months of the pandemic.
Pete Stein (CEO, Huge) and members of his team got together to address the Brand Storytelling Elevate Summer Session Audience to discuss their findings on post-isolation personas. What they found demonstrates that consumers are varied in their feelings and approach to the world and their spending habits after having been asked to self-isolate, only to return to a world still confused and plagued by Coronavirus. And although everyone seems to have at least a few things in common right now (we’re all consuming lots of media, worried about finances, and want to trust the safety of the businesses we re-engage with), ultimately there’s a spectrum of feelings as they relate to re-engaging with what feels like an unsafe world. Here are the five post-isolation personas your brand can observe to evaluate your consumer base in a world with Coronavirus.
Band-Aid Rippers
The Band-Aid Ripper is far to one end of the persona spectrum. This individual wants everything to re-open. Band-Aid Rippers are getting a lot of attention during this moment as we’ve seen them in the news and social media championing a number of different reasons for their positioning and with varying levels of concern over the actual virus. Huge found that their average low level of concern over the virus and its impact exist for a number of reasons, one of which being these individuals haven’t seen the virus’s impact first-hand, and often misinterpret the encouragement and enforcement of preventative measures as a threat to their livelihood. There is still an understanding of risk, this group simply weighs it differently.
Trapped Butterflies
Similar to the Band-Aid Ripper, the Trapped Butterfly is also eager to get out of the house sooner than later, but their motivations are different from the previous group. They get their name from having once been Social Butterflies, but with traditional social interaction on pause, this group is working to adjust. Trapped Butterflies recognize that there is something to be concerned about and they’re willing to comply with restrictions, but likely will continue social engagement because separation from people is mentally taxing on them. They weigh the risk of re-emerging in public spaces and make an effort to get connected while staying safe.
Polite Optimists
Polite Optimists are willing to let the Band-Aid Rippers and Trapped Butterflies test out re-entry into public spaces before making the leap themselves. They’re prepared to wait until they feel reassured, and plan to watch case numbers before putting themselves at risk. To the polite optimist, it is very important for businesses to follow health and safety guidelines issued by the World Health Organization and the CDC. Polite Optimists evaluate each social or purchasing interaction and take appropriate personal safety measures before engaging with the world.
Eggshell Walkers
Anxious and reluctant to return to public life, Eggshell Walkers are often at higher risk themselves or have family members who they could put at risk. Members of this group feel the threat of the negative effects of the Coronavirus a bit more for these reasons, another of which is knowing someone or several people who have fallen ill to the virus. They are highly concerned about the virus itself and don’t have any intention of returning to public spaces until there are definitive signs of improved safety and quality of life. This group puts the responsibility on businesses to prevent spread, acknowledging that businesses have been given permissions by the government to re-open but need to enforce safety-critical protocols before these consumers will consider coming back after others have given it a shot.
Fulfilled Homebodies
The Fulfilled Homebody isn’t just delaying their return like the Eggshell Walkers. These folks fully embrace life at home, focusing on themselves and family. They are built for putting their energy and attention where they live and don’t feel their freedoms diminished like Band-Aid Rippers and Trapped Butterflies. However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows for the Fulfilled Homebody. They’re also the most anxious and therefore aren’t aiming for a moment to leave the house, making them reliant on the goods and services that keep them from having to make that change and are cutting of nearly everything else. All signs point to significant change in lifestyle even after the pandemic.
Taking a peek into the inner workings of each of these personas can provide an empathetic window into the minds of a variety of consumers. Using Huge’s CX toolkit to identify who makes up your customer base can be an invaluable tool in plotting next steps for your business by understanding the consumer during Coronavirus.
About Jordan Kelley
Jordan Kelley is a versatile creative intent on mapping new media trends and disseminating the most relevant information in the world of branded content. He is a lover of stories and an avid consumer of visual media.
