This is uncharted territory for all of us. Consumers are focused intently on navigating their daily lives and the changing landscape, leaving little energy behind for traditional purchasing decisions. Now more than ever, people don’t want to be sold to, but rather empathized with.
It’s time for brands to redefine business as usual and focus their attention on creating human connections. Even before this, consumers expected brands to be a uniting force: nearly two-thirds expect brands to reach out and connect with them.
We often think about our roles as brands in terms of what our audiences want. Right now, it seems that everyone wants the same thing: a sense of normalcy wherever possible, and the feeling that they’re being supported. Focus on finding genuine ways to fulfill these needs—as a brand, yes, but also as a collective of fellow humans.
Starbucks struck the right balance by responding with donations to the communities most impacted, from China to New York City. By helping to provide the most dire essentials—protective gear, shelter, medical training and support—they addressed real human needs first. Then, the added gesture of providing free coffee to front-line responders brings a small joy to those doing the hardest work to help us through—they know that even in this time of crisis, they can rely on their daily cup of cold brew.
