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Now that the dust has settled, it is the perfect time to identify what is going to help people moving forward, this is not necessarily about money but about supporting customers. Kantar have recently identified key areas that businesses may want to utilise market research during the current crisis through five questions:
‘How are people responding to the crisis and what are the implications?’
A better understanding of how customers are feeling and acting will allow businesses to work with the anxieties and insecurities as a result of the pandemic and help keep track of how behaviours, expectations and fears will change the country and its actions.
‘How is customer behaviour changing in my category and what do they expect from my brand?’
Brands all over the world have adjusted the way they work, from factories to offices. After the initial panic of letting customers know how they have responded to Coronavirus, what now? Now is the time to assess changing needs, behaviours and concerns and how to adjust your offering to meet needs.
‘Will my marketing content still resonate well during the crisis ahead?’
Online media has never been under so much scrutiny due to the UK lockdown. We still need to keep strong connections with customers, rather than shying away from content, your brand will be in the online spotlight more than ever, but is it the right content? Is it effective?
‘How are your fellow employees feeling?’
As the saying goes – everyone is in the same boat. Your workmates are feeling no less uncertain than the rest of us. But beyond the obvious actions to be taken, what other needs should be addresses? What information do people want and not want? Is there a need for mental health support? What unvoiced needs are required to be actioned upon by management?
‘How will the crisis impact your brand’s longer-term prospects?’
Due to the uncertain way things are operating, it has never been more tempting to stop and just hope for a return to normality. A brand needs to prepare, maintaining brand relevance is important if they want to recover quickly. The best way to achieve this is through tracking what is happening right now and planning and investing for the future.
Your brand needs to know what is happening reactively, to shape a longer-term-view. Automated and online research will help shape your reaction to developments and help you tailor your next business steps. Whatever the decisions are to be made, whether it includes the above or something entirely different, market research should play a pinnacle tole in making sure the right decisions are made to safeguard your business and customers.
