Prior to the global pandemic, most consumers engaged with brands according to their wants and needs, which were tied to predictable factors such as life stage, income, and interests. Then, the pandemic hit and caused a seismic shift in consumer behaviour.
Suddenly, wants were deprioritized and everyone’s needs were the same. Customer-to-brand engagement life cycles were leveled, and many sectors struggled to adjust. Now as we emerge from the pandemic’s wake, brands are trying to understand which consumer behaviours will remain, and which will revert to their pre-pandemic state.
Forrester Research’s Consumer Energy Index Survey, US Consumers, November 2020 suggested only 16% of US online adults believed they would revert to a prepandemic sense of normalcy when COVID-19 cases subside, while 75% thought that the pandemic and related events would drive long-term changes in their behaviours and preferences.
Now, in December of 2022, these predictions can be seen in customer behaviours.
