As COVID-19 has forced us to slow down, we've begun to see a transformation in how and why we relax. We see people around the world taking a more holistic and proactive approach to relaxation, and a movement towards putting in the time and effort to truly "reset" ourselves. But what does this all mean as we look to the future and a world that's beginning to open up again?
At-home entertainment is helping us meet our intensified desire to connect with others during lockdown. But while some behaviors are a band-aid solution, others speak to a deeper value shift toward seeking more meaningful connection.
Why has interest in seemingly random categories like freezers, wine-making kits and gaming chairs skyrocketed during a pandemic? Our homes have quite literally been the only shelter we have from the current storm. However, this new microscopic focus on home is also forcing us to notice where it’s falling short. What’s lacking? The answers to that question will fuel near and long-term opportunities for brands.
As the fixed boundaries of home are increasingly tested, the feelings associated with home (stability, creativity, belonging) are harder to achieve than ever, yet perhaps are more important than ever. Our recent exploration has unearthed several paradoxes tied to home, and in doing so, revealed opportunities for brands to help reinforce these feelings, connect to their audience and echo consumer behavior within the new boundaries created by the pandemic.
How can we re-establish stability in the highly uncertain times of today? Our daily lives and routine have always provided us with a sense of stability. However, being hit by a pandemic has changed life as we knew it. Disrupted lives and looming uncertainty of a “new world” have left us in a state of flux.As we cope with the situation at hand we find ourselves leaning on Nostalgia to derive the lost sense of stability that we earlier got from our daily routines and lives.
COVID-19 hasn’t changed our desires, but it has changed how we solve them. And today, in-home entertainment is witnessing a boom. But what happens when the cage door swings open? The Sound is diving deep to uncover what new twists on entertainment are hereto stay, and what’s just a temporary fix.
We’vebeen through the 2008 recession, we’re worried about climate change, we’re living with insurmountable student debt. We’re concerned about finding a joband the health and well-being of our loved ones. We’re facing multiple stressors in all aspects of our lives, making us an overall anxious people. Nearly 1 in 5 adultsin America experience an anxiety disorder over any 12-month period–andan astonishing 65% of 13-39-year-olds say they feel stressed constantly.
As pandemic preparation ramped up, bread was one of the first things to sell out. Bread machines sales are up 652%, with flour and baking mixes following not too far behind. So why are people turning to breadmaking with such fervor during a global pandemic? Are there any far-reaching implications for brands beyond the baking category?
India’s lockdown has changed everything, including Home. With social distancing and stay-at-home orders, our key emotional needs associated with home - stability, belonging, comfort, creativity - are under threat, no matter where you live. Let’s explore the changing experience of home through the eyes of two of our strategists in Mumbai.
COVID-19 has given home hair color and cutting brands the perfect opportunity to access people who would never normally color or cut their hair at home. After food and toilet paper, hair dye and hairdressing tools are fast becoming hot products during the lockdown.
