6 Brand & Consumer Interaction Trends in 2021
While so many of us spent 2021 socially distanced, working remotely, and traveling less than ever – our gaze on our favorite brands stayed fixed. At AOK Group last year, we supported a range of high-growth brands in reflecting on the ways they interact with each of their customers. With increasing consumer demand for transparency, brands must be more adaptive and accountable than ever. Our previous post addresses 6 key currents shifting culture and below we share the other half of our trend findings.
IV. We saw a lot of deep reflection in 2021, really examining how we use and reuse everything from clothes to food to memories.
1. More than ever, consumers are aware of the economic impact of their spending choices. Consumers voted with their dollars for purpose-driven, socially responsible companies. Here at AOK group, we were pleased to see our clients really taking consumer interest in their manufacturing supply chain to heart. Crafting mission statements and brand messaging can take a bit longer as we consider every nuance and aim to only say exactly what our brands can deliver. Today’s consumers really do care about promises being met and how funds are deployed to power their favorite products and services. They’re not afraid to vocally question brands that fall short or lack transparency in their management.
2. Among so much uncertainty, brands with lots of heritage looked back to create warm, fuzzy customer moments. Brands found nostalgic ways to make old fun joyful again. Cheetos took us back to That 70s Show, Netflix saw huge responsiveness to throwback shows like Cobra Kai, Dunken Heinz and Fruity Pebbles got together, and even Gucci teamed up with Donald Duck. These shows and campaigns reminded us that we can go back to previous, collective memories to refresh something shared and help it foster new joy. In this way, nostalgia served as ambrosia during a difficult time, helping customers to forget the difficulties of a hard year.
V. In 2021 companies searched for ways to help us all adapt to the ongoing pandemic, and the ways that it has shifted how we live and work.
3. More than ever before, new standards of accessibility fought ableism. Our work was spurred on by deeper conversations about how different individuals access just about everything in light of the pandemic. We were proud to support early-stage projects created to improve the lives of historically underserved folx. It’s refreshing to see that so many digital platforms are now being overhauled to center customer accessibility – from dark mode compatibility to alternate text to real-time captioning to AI-powered accessibility tools that meet rapidly- changing industry standards.
4. With an automatic adoption of widespread remote work due to the pandemic, now “phyigtial” experiences are here to stay. Smart brands are taking what were once test pilots and quick campaigns and are rethinking how they weave trans-media experiences across platforms into their onboarding and sales processes. Amazon, Warby Parker, and Nike have continued to iterate on the blending of digital and physical spaces in the shopper’s journey. AOK enjoyed rebranding an innovative real estate technology client bridging this gap with AR renderings that bring faraway destinations wherever you are.
VI. Overall, 2021 taught us to rethink productivity in the workplace and encouraged us to surrender to uncertainty.
5. In 2021 widespread conversations around remote work and individualized productivity felt newly supportive. 91% of hybrid or remote workers hoped to retain remote flexibility after pandemic restrictions end. Among fully on-site employees whose jobs can be done from home, nearly half said they wished to work remotely at least part-time. It’s time we move past survival or reactivity, and begin to assess how we want to thrive within our remote work. From standing desks to Spotify group listening sessions and options to turn video off in internal Zoom working sessions, there are important shifts workplaces must take to build camaraderie in new ways. Our team was distributed and in-person flexible long before the pandemic, but 2021 really helped us find our stride with tools and processes that bring our team together. We miss physically being together and laughing together, but have found ways to persist nonetheless.
6. One factor in 2021 that doesn’t appear to be leaving us as we continue on, is the need to embrace and pivot in the face of uncertainty. From endless shipping obstacles and complex logistics stress for our manufacturing and e-commerce clients to extended sales cycles for so many B2B startups, everyone has lost a degree of control over business operations. Across markets, it’s vital to become agile, knowing when it’s a moment for patient acceptance, and when it’s time to kick off out-of-the-box problem-solving.
What brand trends do you think will move with us into 2022 and beyond? We’d love to hear your thoughts, and hope that your 2022 is off to a great start!