Marketers know so well that consumers who look for a reliable product, tend to buy a brand, not the product itself. Creating a brand is a strategy to create a business identity and grow sales. According to research by Kadence International, there’re 4 marketing trends that created brands in line with the New Normal.

1.360-degree wellness

Consumers change their perspectives towards wellness or optimal health. That means to shift focus from good health and physical look to mental health more. In other words, optimal health is a holistic approach for a healthy body and a healthy mind.

That trend is obviously seen in the city where there is a pandemic of COVID-19 like Wuhan. After reopening the city, the online fitness market is prevailing. Also, there’re lots of articles about mental care for people who have to stay home. In Singapore, health services in psychology and social welfare are open as they’re essential for people during a period of anxiety.

Whatever business you do, you should realize how your products or services have a positive impact on physical and mental health. It reflects that your brand is by the side of customers. Even though the pandemic is recovered, this trend will still remain.

2.Purposeful Design

Over the years, the heart of creating a brand is Brand Purpose or to show customers that the core objective of the business is not to grow sales, but to be a part that creates a more livable society such as reforestation, anti-racial discrimination, or environmental protection.

However, after the COVID-19 crisis, consumers view that Brand Purpose is to create a good image of business through advertising only, but is not possible to help society. Marketers have to change the strategy to Purposeful Design which entrepreneurs and consumers can join hands to make the world better. For example, Louis Vuitton adapted this trend by manufacturing medical devices to prevent the outbreak of COVID. Razer, a Singapore company that sells gaming hardware, produced face masks to reduce their shortages. Those two brands truly express their effort to support society, and this inspires consumers that they’re able to be part of helping society as well.

Over the crisis, consumers might feel left out and hopeless as they couldn’t help themselves and family to get away from that uncertainty. Creating a brand with Purposeful Design is to create new identities for consumers with courage and not a burden to society while cooperating with a brand to nurture society.

3. Connection

The trend as mentioned will connect consumers to be a part of the brand. According to the survey by Washington Post, consumers will stay single longer and tend to live alone, especially in big cities. In Japan, 40% will represent single households by the year 2040, while in South Korea in 2030, single households will reach 128%.

From the COVID-19 crisis to the New Normal, social distancing or online communication make most people lack physical interaction which is the basic human need. That’s why most people expect that relationship connection will be more effective after the COVID-19 crisis is over.

For brand creation, a proposition of marketers is to create a connection with consumers through products and services by conducting continued conversation to check their needs and their satisfaction with products, or asking customers to share their suggestions in developing products or naming new products so they’ll have a sense of product belonging. Moreover, creating a group chat to share good experiences with each other like leisure activities or favorite shopping places, is another way to build a small community that can connect customer groups and brands. Thus, marketers will have a chance to study more marketing trends apart from values or the preference of each customer.

4. Personalization

It means creating a brand to accommodate specific individuals. For example, many businesses use location or health data from smartphones to create products, services, or personalized marketing campaigns for consumers. Besides, entrepreneurs also use Smart Home technology developed by AR Facial Recognition application to design homes or shops to tailor each customer needs.

With today’s innovation, the Personalization trend enables us to do both online and offline flawlessly. As a result, marketers can define consumer needs, and take advantage of advanced technology to develop products and services that meet individual needs.

Entrepreneurs and marketers must always ask themselves “Are consumers satisfied with products or services?” in order to keep developing products and services including marketing plans. Following up on the current situation is always a must because the uncertainty has an impact on consumers, so marketing strategies will need real-time adjustments to cope with all changes.