We look at how shopper behaviour has been affected by the global pandemic Covid-19 and suggest some engagement strategies to re-connect as lockdowns are eased across the country.

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LIFE
AFTER
LOCKDOWN
Changing
Shopper
Behaviour
THE CREATIVE SCIENCE BEHIND
LIFE
AFTER
LOCKDOWN
Changing
Shopper
Behaviour
THE CREATIVE SCIENCE BEHIND

2. is a date that will be etched on many a brand and marketing managers brain
for years to come. This was the day that all of their best laid plans and exciting
marketing campaigns that had been months in the making came to an
unprecedented stop, not too dissimilar to a high-speed train hitting a 50ft thick
concrete wall. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the country that people ‘must’
stay at home and certain businesses must close. What followed were scenes many of
us thought had been filmed for a Hollywood blockbuster – panic buying happened
literally overnight. Supermarkets had their shelves wiped clear of many household
staples; particularly toilet roll, pasta and tinned tomatoes. Retailers tried to cap
purchasing on lots of items to try and make stocks last longer but within days
empty supermarket aisles were a common sight up and down the country.
March 23rd 2020March 23rd 2020
CnConsumer
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As shoppers panic bought as much
ambient food as they could, brands
sales soared – great news! But with
unplanned demand, many brands had
to rapidly re-think their supply chain
to try and keep stock on supermarket
shelves and prevent retailers from
stocking competitor product to meet
shopper demand – not so great news!
As a result, pretty much all FMCG
product advertising seemed to
disappear from stores, outdoor ad
shells and TV in a flash, shelved
because the marketers didn’t want to
create demand for products they could
not provide during the lockdown.
Some brands flexed their creativity
and made ‘fast-ads’ with social
media content and stock imagery,
even re-recording voice overs to try
and stay relevant. Whether these
approaches worked, only time will tell.
Will shoppers have been swayed by
cheaper, un-heard of brands during the
hard to find their favourite’s drought,
and has shopping for food many
compared to being like a ‘lucky dip’
over such a length of time, made this
adapted behaviour a new habit?
StSafety
2

3. Unfortunately it isn’t as simple as just pulling
out the plug for 30 seconds and switching back
on our marketing campaigns and messages,
we need to be mindful of how many peoples
lifestyles have changed and be able to make
our way through the constantly changing rules
and advice about how we shop and consume
products. We are all learning to adapt on a daily
basis, be that remote working, face coverings,
household bubbles or trying to keep a safe social
distance from one another – which I challenge
anyone to do in any of our supermarkets despite
the best efforts all the retailers have made.
It’s August and we’ve by no means seen the
back of COVID-19, with many local authorities
imposing regional lockdowns as the dreaded ‘R’
number rises. The threat of a second wave, will
have our demand planners running numerous
scenarios to ensure we’re not caught out a
second time. However, we must try and grasp
some relevance and begin conversations again
with our consumers and get them shopping our
product categories once more.
Re-starting our marketing
or adapting our plans to
the new normal.
Re-starting our marketing
or adapting our plans to
the new normal.
ScSocial
The global pandemic
has brought so much pain and suffering to so many families
that makes our marketing woes seem trivial, but as the
country begins to re-build the broken economy people need
to be encouraged to shop for food amongst other things.
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4. As more people work remotely, we see ‘on the go’ consumption
reduced. The top up shop on your way home from work no longer
takes place because you’re already home and the weekly big shop
may have moved from in-store to online or click and collect.
TgTargeting
McChannels
Media The fear of going out to the shops and
the risk of not being able to get the food
you need has forced more people to use
online ordering and the big question is
will they now stick to doing their food
shopping that way?
It’s easier – less physical stress
It’s safer – less chance of being infected
It’s cheaper – fewer impulse buys
It’s more convenient – more delivery
drivers recruited mean it should be easier
to get a slot (I stress - should be!).
The other thing that lockdown and the
lack of some food products has forced is,
more meal planning and more scratch
cooking and baking in the home.
With lots of families re-discovering or
discovering for the first time the joy of
cooking and eating together.
So, what does this
mean for brands and
how does it affect our
marketing plans?
OlOnline
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Shopper behaviour has changed!Shopper behaviour has changed!

5. After being isolated for over 12 weeks, the first
thing lots of humans want to do is re-connect
and be in the company of others. For the last
few months, we have been posting our daily
workouts and food creations and sharing our
feelings and opinions across multiple social
media channels. ‘Zoom’ meetings and get
togethers have become part of our daily lives
almost as much as we would send a text or
email, but even with all the latest technology
and 24/7 access we still want human to human
connections – this is something the lockdown
has demonstrated, as we’ve all seen in the
news reports of illegal raves and images of jam-
packed beaches as the sun shone.
As the country attempts to get back to some
sense of what life was like before March 23rd,
how do brands embrace ‘togetherness’
without encouraging large crowds and putting
people’s health at risk? How do we share our
brand love and food stories human to human
post lockdown?
This will be an evolving process, thinking
creatively to find solutions and trialling different
approaches. Take experiential for example,
this is a marketing mechanic that goes
against all the medical advice we have been
broadcast each day at 5.00pm over the last few
months. Lots of people, close contact, physical
interaction – always a crowd pleaser and an
engaging way for brands to showcase their
products, generate awareness and encourage
trial. Well, the sentiment still remains but the
way we carry out experiential for now at least
must evolve.
5
Humans by nature are social creatures, we crave interaction
with others and enjoy being part of larger gatherings, be that
family or like-minded people who come together over a shared
belief or pastime.
In our opinion
there will be two
main shopper
behaviours to
contend with:
Togetherness
Firstly
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Creative
Firstly
Theme

6. And what about getting samples
into people’s hands, might vending
machines get a makeover with
video screens showing interactive
content dispensing products
and money-off coupons for the
exchange of our personal data?
We are already seeing green
shoots and the first examples
of brands getting out there and
giving it a go. ‘Suzuki at the drive
in’ is a great example of a solution
to bring people together whilst still
maintaining some form of social
distancing (remaining in your own
car) showing nostalgic movies
The latest android and Apple devices now come with
built-in QR readers and most of us carry our mobile
phone with us everywhere we go. Does this open up an
opportunity to experiment with augmented reality (AR)
or even VR to allow future consumers to get up-close
to our brand stories on their own terms and in the safe
numbers of their household bubbles.
that hanker back to happier times
pre-Coronavirus. A good cinema
experience requires good food and
partnering with Just Eat to offer an
in-car snack service with face mask
wearing food servers shows how
you can still have minimal contact
in a safe way.
As the government allow further
trials of socially distanced events,
such as sports, theatre and
music, these should all give us
opportunities to consider how our
brands interact with multiple future
consumers and shoppers.
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LgLogistics
Could we see a rise in contactless experiences?Could we see a rise in contactless experiences?
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7. Whilst a large amount of people will rush out into the world
post lockdown to embrace human interaction the same
amount will cautiously hold back for the fear of a second
wave of infection.
The Fear Factor
Second
The obvious place to start up a conversation
is via social channels, according to Kantar
figures since lockdown:
48% of consumers are
using social media more
46% are spending more
time on the internet
38% have increased
their consumption of
online videos
But with so much information filling up
our timelines, brands need to be creative
to stand out and above all we need to
reassure them that we understand their
fears and share their concerns.
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StSafety
OlOnline
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These hesitant shoppers might have been
shielded for over three months with very little
human contact, they could well have
found new routines and discovered that
‘making do’ works just fine. Consumer
spending fell despite the strong performance
of grocery shopping and online sales,
according to Barclaycard data which
measures nearly half of the nation’s credit
and debit card transactions.
With the fear of a possible second wave
growing as more regional councils impose
local lockdowns and the newly infected
appearing to be amongst what seemed to be
the un-touchable under 30s; how do brands
help reduce the anxiety and bring positive
stories to the fore? How do we make people
feel safe enough to interact once again?
Slow paced and consistent communication
is a good place to start, re-engage consumers
with why our brands play important roles in
their day to day lives. If they haven’t bought
from us for a while, let’s encourage them
to do so to get them back in to the habit of
purchasing again.

8. SmSampling
Now I know you might think this
is less sexy than an hilarious meme
but today’s creatives can surely bring
door drops bang up to date, they don’t
have to be boring, think textured paper,
adding sound chips or even fragrance.
The figures supplied by Royal Mail show
branded mail delivered to individual
homes can have great effect with
92% of people reading
door drops that are
delivered to their home
and
67% are prompted to
buy as a result.
Or another effective mechanic to
consider particularly for NPD is
door drop sampling, where you leave
a full-sized sample on the doorstep
together with some money-off
coupons for future purchases.
Whilst us Brits are using Facebook and Instagram more
than we did before the outbreak, another way to breakdown
barriers and take our stories in to the safe space of these
consumers homes is a tried and tested (some might say,
old fashioned) way - door drops.
DdDoor Drop
EnEngagement
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9. If your target audience has changed
behaviour to online shopping or switched
brands during lockdown, the key thing
here is making these unsure shoppers
comfortable and regaining their trust.
A great way to restart a conversation and
remind them why your brand should be
on their shopping list, be that online or a
physical shop, could be providing a safe
and immersive brand experience in the
consumers own home. How will your
brand rise to the post lockdown challenge?
ATOM are shopper marketing and
promotions experts. We specialise in
human to human connections, creating
partnerships that get a reaction using our
own Creative Science methodology.
If you would like to know how we can
help you get a reaction for your brand
post lockdown drop us a line to arrange
a virtual consultation.
Vinney Ashurst is Business Director
at ATOM, part of Fluid Group.
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