[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding_tablet=”|||” transparent_background=”off” padding_mobile=”on” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on”][et_pb_row padding_mobile=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on” admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”|” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_post_title date_format=”j M, Y” comments=”off” featured_placement=”background” text_color=”light” text_background=”on” text_bg_color=”#004b85″ _builder_version=”3.0.87″ background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0)” hover_enabled=”0″ parallax_effect=”off” module_bg_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0)” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” sticky_enabled=”0″ admin_label=”Post Title”][\/et_pb_post_title][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” column_structure=”1_2,1_2″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.7″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ border_style=”solid” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
The last year has brought big changes in how brands get their products to market and maintain their brand relevance, but it also has seen changes in the broader priorities and behaviour of brands, retailers and consumers.\u00a0 Not just buying and selling behaviour, but also broader societal priorities such as sustainability, environmental issues and diversity, have seen remarkable shifts during the past year.\u00a0 These changes were discussed at a British Brands Group web meeting<\/a> \u201cChanging Lives, Changing Behaviour and the Implications for Brands\u201d, the second of two in the series Don\u2019t Panic! How Brands Can Thrive in Chaos <\/em>and chaired by Rita Clifton CBE, Deputy Chairman of The John Lewis Partnership.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n How has consumer behaviour changed?<\/strong><\/p>\n Online sales to consumers increased by 50% last year, according to Salesforce<\/a>.\u00a0 Richard Chataway, CEO of BVA Nudge Unit<\/a>, told the meeting, \u201cWhat that means is that those brands that are well-equipped to deal with that, and have built great digital experiences for customers, obviously stand to benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n Some brands have even been helping consumers make the transition to digital services, even though the consumer initially might have been resistant or not know how to do so.\u00a0 BVA Nudge has been working with a savings bank whose customer service reps encourage customers who ring the bank\u2019s call centre to use their digital services, and then help the customers get onto the bank\u2019s website and talk them through how to navigate the service.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would be a mistake to think that people have really changed fundamentally,\u201d said Chataway, \u201cbut some of the circumstances \u2014 contextual environmental factors that are a big influence on our behaviour \u2014 have changed a lot over the last 18 months\u2026.\u00a0 That means that making those experiences good and easy for people is even more important.\u201d<\/p>\n How have brands\u2019 behaviours changed?<\/strong><\/p>\n Given that many retailers rationalised and reduced their product ranges over the last year, brands have had to work harder and differently with retailers to keep their products on-shelf, to introduce new products and to get those products in front of consumers.<\/p>\n Amelia Harvey, Co-founder at The Collective<\/a>, said that launching new innovations has been challenging, because there have not been as many opportunities or slots on-shelf, and the time to prove success has become shorter and shorter.\u00a0 \u201cBrands can go in and have probably less than 12 weeks to prove a point, and then they’re in or out.\u201d<\/p>\n The Collective\u2019s strategy has been to push big retailers hard to offer a number of different flavours from their range, and the company has worked to get their products in front of consumers in new physical and digital ways.\u00a0 For example, when The Collective launched a new plant-based yoghurt range during lockdown, they partnered with Deliveroo and Uber Eats \u201cto put our plant launch out there with other vegetarian or vegan deliveries,\u201d said Harvey. \u00a0\u201cWe’ve had to really pivot and think about different ways to get the products in front of the consumer to taste.\u201d<\/p>\n How are brands dealing with broader societal issues?<\/strong><\/p>\n Brands have become more aware and more vocal about important issues in society, not necessarily leading public campaigns on such initiatives themselves but often being supportive both internally and publicly.<\/p>\n \u201cBrands can definitely have a credible role in helping here,\u201d said James Parnum, Managing Partner, Head of Planning at MediaCom<\/a>.\u00a0 \u201cThey can help you eat better, buy better, travel better, protect nature, waste less packaging. We\u2019re starting to see some really good examples.\u201d\u00a0 Some notable companies and initiatives highlighted by Parnum and others at the meeting included:<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.7″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ border_style=”solid” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n \u201cI think sometimes when the brands are leading these conversations, that’s going to fall on slightly deaf ears,\u201d said Parnum.\u00a0 On social media in particular, he said, it is often the case that brands are following and working with consumers in discussing these issues rather than leading the debate.<\/p>\n Are consumers making brands decisions based on sustainability, diversity and other societal commitments?<\/strong><\/p>\n Do these bigger societal issues drive consumer behaviour with respect to brands\u2019 products?\u00a0 \u201cThere is a group of consumers who truly will make choices on the basis of some of these higher order, more charitable benefits,\u201d said Kerry Cavanaugh, Business Unit Director at Mars Wrigley<\/a>.\u00a0 \u201cBut the truth is that time and again, candidly, there’s more of a self-interest among consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n Cavanaugh had discussed this with the chief marketing officer at MasterCard which has undertaken a lot of consumer studies over the years. In summary, these find that \u201cGreed beats philanthropy every time.\u201d That is, product preferences and price are still the principal drivers for consumers.<\/p>\n Cavanaugh believes that \u201cit’s a more question of what we as companies believe is the right thing to do\u201d.\u00a0 He cited Mars\u2019 own initiatives in using wind power in the UK, and in securing 70% of the total energy it uses in the UK from sustainable sources.\u00a0 Galaxy puts 10% of its profits back into the communities from which it sources and Maltesers launched a new campaign on maternal mental health with Comic Relief this year.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not a charity, we’ve got to make money,\u201d said Cavanaugh. \u201cAnd then with making money, we can actually do more with that. We can make choices around more sustainable energy, better packaging, better employee rights for diversity and inclusion. We certainly want to make a profit, but we have to do that, we believe, in a way that then contributes more.\u201d<\/p>\n More on this meeting and the British Brands Group<\/strong><\/p>\n The full recording of this event in support of the Museum of Brands<\/a> can be viewed on the Group\u2019s YouTube channel here<\/a>.\u00a0 A Brands Blog on Part 1 of the series, <\/em>Changing routes to market and the implications for brands, can be found here<\/a> and the full recording here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n