They listen to the consumer and adapt based on their brand value.
This past year has been an earthquake for society as a whole, brands included. The pandemic has not only had a huge economic impact but has also shaken the relevance of brands for consumers who, from one moment to the next, re-evaluated their priorities.
The latest Prophet Brand Relevance Index makes it clear that brands that knew how to get truly involved in making the most of such a difficult time came out stronger. However, those that failed to respond to new needs were quickly replaced by consumers, who looked for other options.
The index shows that technology companies, such as Apple, experienced a sweet moment in terms of relevance, as they made it possible to connect with other people in a context in which it was not possible to relate to them physically. Moreover, in many cases, they enabled teleworking, providing users with health and job security.
Entertainment also came on many occasions through this medium. Thus, TikTok experienced the biggest boom during the confinement by entertaining the younger audience who, beyond being spectators, actively created and shared content on the platform. Little pills of joy that gave us a break, and that were key to our emotional wellbeing.
But we not only entertained ourselves on social networks or watching Netflix; we also spent more time playing with family and friends (Lego, Playstation) and recovered hobbies such as cooking, which in addition to killing off the flour in some supermarkets led to the rise of brands such as Amazon or KitchenAid in the US.
During this time, we have also become more aware of the importance of health and physical exercise, very limited by restrictions. Here, brands that were already betting on the digital experience stand out, such as Sanitas with blua, its digital insurance. It is also the case of Peloton which, when gyms closed, kept its users active and connected with each other; gaining in relevance but also in business (it practically doubled the sales of its bicycles and treadmills).
You don’t have to be a commodity to achieve relevance in difficult times, but rather understand the consumer through active listening, adjusting the brand experience to offer them an enriching experience that responds to their new needs.
