Indian Economy News

61% consumers expect brand innovations that enable them to stay healthy or ensure their safety: Havas Group India

At a time when consumer behaviour has been dramatically changed by the pandemic, a brand 's role in establishing a meaningful connexion with consumers is set to undergo a transformation. According to the ‘Meaningful Brands 2020: Covid edition’ study by Havas Group India, 59% of the customers have started to use brands’ relationship with their employees as an appraisal parameter. 61% of customers, however, expect brand developments that enable them to remain healthy or ensure their protection. In addition, 58% of customers want brands to become more open and truthful about their processes and products, because they want nothing less than the highest safety standards.

In five markets, India, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and South Korea, the 2020 Covid edition of the research was conducted. In India, the study focused on customer perceptions in the post-lockdown scenario, how by recognising four major changes, brands can meet those expectations. These include: sensory health and safety innovations: innovative, specific safety measures that can be touched and felt by the consumer, considered for the issues emerging from the pandemic; being mentally and physically well: consumers expect brands to take care of their physical and mental health, calming procedures to assist them; skin in the post-crisis game: brand perspective and Investment for public good allows the post-crisis economy / category to recover; and transparency: fairness in procedures and open dialogue with customers.

The India edition attempts to find the recalibration of expectation due to lockdown and how brands can navigate the new normal to stay meaningful to their franchise, Mr. Neeraj Bassi, chief strategy officer, Havas Group India said. “The true differentiator of this Covid edition is actionability. The study measured meaningful criteria across seven key categories in India – Automobiles, Consumer Durables, FMCG, eCommerce, Beauty & Wellness, Retail and Telco and identified 4 Meaningful Shifts that can help brands close the expectation gap created due to the pandemic. We hope brands leverage these shifts and move forward on their meaningful journey,” he added further.

Interestingly, with 53.3% of consumers in India (compared to the APAC average of 39%), India emerged as the most positive country in APAC, showing overwhelming optimism for the potential economic growth of the country. As customers give the highest weight to the mutual benefits (34.5%) that brands have to offer in addition to practical and personal benefits, this has further translated into increasing expectations. The study also revealed that customers expect brands to behave like professionals, be more caring and contribute to their mental and emotional well-being; 52% of customers are also prepared to go local as their trust in local brands has been restored.

By capturing changes in each of the seven categories, cars, consumer durables, FMCG, eCommerce, beauty and wellness, retail and telco, the results were distilled into opportunity areas.

Automotive: 42% of consumers believe that the role of cars in the handling of everyday tasks has increased following the pandemic.

Consumer Durables: 64% of customers are likely to buy a new product that promises to help them better their health and safety and 61% want brands to play a more active role in helping them develop new skills that will help them cope with the new standard.

FMCG: 44% of customers want brands to have solutions to better handle household chores; 42% want brand ideas to help them entertain themselves.

ECommerce: 54% of consumers expect brands to be committed to helping the nation wade through the crisis; 52% of consumers expect brands to assist those who were made redundant during the crisis.

Beauty and Wellness: 60% of customers want brands to launch new items that help them remain safe and healthy; 50% want better protection and hygiene.

Retail: 59% of customers expect brands to illustrate the security steps that they have taken to counter the pandemic.

Telco: 58% of customers want brands to remain linked with their friends and family; 60% want better customer service capable of managing questions in the new standard.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.