January 25, 2021

Are brands at a critical juncture?

Larry Futers
/
7 Communications
President & CEO

The purchase of (almost) anything-you-need with a simple click got much easier and more necessary in 2020. The behaviour change is understood of course — the world transformed overnight, and there was a necessity to move from in-person shopping to in some cases, exclusively online. So much has been written about the growth of online shopping that I will waste few words here, except to say that the online shopping trend accelerated in 2020; and 2021 is on an exponential trajectory – one that shows no sign of slowing down.

One could say our consumption behaviours and buying preferences are permanently altered. Product categories resistant to the allure of convenient at-home shopping prior to March of 2020, have moved into the on-line arena. Even the highly-respected auction house RM Sotheby’s recently sold a pedigree Ferrari competition car for $4,290,000 USD – making it the most expensive car ever sold in a dedicated, online-only, collector car auction. It’s clear that no product category is untouched by the online tsunami – from sourdough starters to super-luxury automobiles; and resistance to the fast-moving current is futile.

The pandemic restrictions have made online shopping a necessity – for both the buyer and the seller. And the ability to continue to sell, amidst the many and ever-evolving public health constraints, has been an essential lifeline for retailers and the brands they carry. Brick and mortar business may have been significantly restricted (and in many instances transformed), but the buying and selling of goods thankfully has continued.

But what happens though when brands lose the lustre of the 3-dimensional, visceral brand-building tools that helped establish their marquee, appeal and reputation in the first place? What happens when the potency and desire for a brand is diluted in an endless sea of Amazon search results; or just yet another option served up by Google in a crowded search queue? There is something especially human about browsing a storefront, walking through a showroom or engaging with a brand in-person – to see, to touch, to hear, to smell – a transfixing that no optimized search engine could ever replace. Many brands are weathering the storm quite well – even without tactile environments to nurture brand growth – holding steady in their ability to capitalize upon their distinctive and established influence and authority. But many brands rely on in-person visceral experiences to create a palpable moment of connection with their consumers, and without this tangible participation is challenged to build brand intent. The pivotal question is this:

How do you make your brand continue to matter the most, to those that matter the most to your brand, when the customer isn’t able to have their senses immersed in it?

We believe that when the pandemic is finally over the ways in which we both buy and sell and ultimately engage with a brand, will find a new balance – an integrated blend of online and in-person. Successful brands will understand this. They will understand the need to make continuous deposits into their brand bank. They will understand the need to drive desire through participatory driven commerce. And they will understand that in-real-life, first-person product experiences (and the word-of-mouth that follows) will drive profitable growth – differentiating them from those fighting to simply maximize online impressions.

So back to that pivotal juncture... the pandemic has forced an unyielding online appetite, yet we cannot forget that brands are built on the fundamentals of human connection. The path chosen doesn’t need to be more or less travelled to be right. It can be both. It must be both. For the most successful brands in our future, it will be both.