There’s no denying the Covid-19 pandemic has caused huge disruption, devastation and uncertainty about our future. Daily routines have shifted as everyone and everything tries to adjust, but we wanted to know if this really is the dawn of something different or just a momentary blip before it all goes back to business as usual?
So we asked our community, what are you really going to change?
This report explores the long-term attitudes – not short term reactions – that brands and businesses should be considering in this time of (potential) change.
A Summary – Two attitude changes will be key in shaping change:
1 — A shift from a socially constructed state of Self-Optimisation to a personal journey of SelfPrioritisation will see our community push back, slow down and make decisions based on their own, highly personal values. They’ll focus on maximising personal growth, not efficiency; on progression, not productivity; and how to better prioritise for themselves and society, not optimise for capitalism.
2 — A shift from forging Globally Expansive connections to cultivating Locally Intimate ones will localise empathy, interests and relationships. Thinking small, our community will choose IRL conversations over online convenience; follow community leaders over international influencers; and buy brands and products that understand and prioritise the nuances of communities over homogenous scale. The rest of the report unpacks all of the above and outlines how to authentically roll with the changes and stay relevant.
This study has shown us that knee-jerk narratives associated with a world reset are not reflecting the reality of our community. They are currently experiencing a time of reflection, not revolution, and they’re using it as an opportunity to press pause on the social and cultural pressures of modern living and to explore what has true value, importance and meaning in their lives. This emerging state of Self-Actualisation is defined by a desire for individual and collective positive change. Our community is now acutely aware of the true cost of their choices in terms of their own, their neighbours’ and the planet’s wellbeing. They’re developing a post-growth mindset and, with it, new ideas of progression that are more sustainable and beneficial for both society and self, as it’s clear that one cannot exist without the other: Local and international communitiesare interconnected networks that must be balanced, and so too must the body and mind. They have clear post-pandemic plans to be more intentional in their actions, more purposeful in their lifestyle choices and seek more meaning in the brands they buy. Highly personal areas such as work, self-care, consumption and interests will see the most radical change, whereas more collective and interpersonal moments like socialising, eating, drinking and ways of communicating will be rushed back to pre-pandemic ways. In the midst of the pandemic, the notion of change is an ambiguous one. For the purposes of this report, we have defined change as a behavioural or psychological shift, expedited or provoked by Covid-19, that is sustained into the future.
Credit: Protein Agency – Click here to read the full article
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