Shift: Behavioural and Belief Changes that occurred as a result of the Pandemic
21st March 2020 was the day that changed our lives. We were summoned with a single notice on our office billboard. The premises would be shut from the next day, with no certainty on when we’d be back again. Words such as ‘lockdown’ were floating around in the corridors, but everyone believed that this was temporary, and we’d be back to normal within a few days. Who knew that a virus, one-thousandth the width of a human hair could cause more disruption than anything else that mankind has seen in the last century?
With a few and far in-between cases that were broadcast on national dailies and television networks to create alarm and fear, we experienced an un-forecasted & unprecedented shift in our lives. The kind of shift that required almost everyone, from politicians to sociologists, economists to scientists, to sit up and take notice. It also warranted us as a behavioral insight agency to start a yearlong project on understanding the consumer behavioral shifts in habits, consumptions, and perceptions that the world was witnessing in real-time.
Little did we know that the sheer joy that we experienced in the first few days of the lockdown would quickly change to a myriad of other emotions that we would be dealing with in the months to come? In between the thali-banging and the lighting of diyas, we clung to the hope that this all would pass.
The amazing thing about going through a life-changing event is the fact that you don’t realize the fact that you are going through it, right at that time. It is only in retrospect that we realize just how impactful the last two years have really been. The ability to understand the change as it has happened and make sense of what it means for our future isn’t just a thing that health professionals across the world are grappling with. Each and every one of us is trying to make sense of what we went through in the last two years.
There has been a deep-rooted behavioral change that has been a result of living in a tenterhook position for over two years and my team and I have recorded these changes through the work we have done. Here are some interesting trends that you will relate to:
- The Party of One
In life before the pandemic, we all – from kids to seniors – had our usual escapes from home such as work, school, gym, walks, and grocery shopping assigned to us. These outings that seemed mundane and banal at the time, were moments of aloneness, by design. The difference was that till the point of lockdown, no one knew the perks of this organic separation and being by oneself, even if it was as brief as the commute to work. And while many reveled in the initial bliss of being surrounded by the people they love, in reality, being cooped up in spaces with questionable privacy, soon caught on.
The pandemic was the year we officially acknowledged the term me-time. The need to turn inwards, and find solace within was pronounced and celebrated in the midst of the pandemic and will most likely continue as we learn to enjoy our own company.
- The Localization of Desire
There’s a renewed confidence in the local, immediate world around us. There’s an interesting India and indigenous narrative that is emerging. One that is redefining the global, mass-produced narrative that we’ve been fed for decades together. Notice the homegrown brands around you. The ones that have sprung up during the lockdown and are becoming a powerful force to reckon with. From fashion to food to lifestyle and home décor, there’s a belief in supporting local communities.
It took a pandemic to do a complete reset in the way we lived our lives. When news of India’s resilience and immunity was rife, my faith in the Indian nuskas to battle common illnesses was solidified. As globally sourced foods at supermarkets and restaurants shut down, we turned to the foods that were bought in by the local vendors. While we all longed for the international holidays which we could no longer take, we eagerly planned a local one, to be pleasantly surprised with the alternative experience. Somewhere, somehow in the past two years, our belief in the Indian-way of life has only grown stronger. And if we look around, there is a surge of Indian brands that are flourishing. Brands that have now gone digital and are much easier to access than ever before. With a continued and accelerated rate of digital adoption, India around us is easier to reach than ever before.
- Repurposing, Recycling, and the Need to be Practical
There are wants and there are needs. And then, there is shopping for things that seem necessary at that point but seem like a complete waste in hindsight. Over the course of the lockdown, we’ve had several moments to acknowledge the things that are most important and make it a point to prioritize only those in our lives.
The realization set in when we went for weeks, months even without a single purchase. From apparel to beauty products, we suddenly didn’t need any of the things that we so urgently required in our day-to-day lives. This realization lasted for quite some time, as almost every purchase started getting filtered into the ‘must have’ and ‘nice to have categories. Product purchases became more functional, benefit-based rather than hedonistic or emotional. Today, consumers are far more selective about what they buy because they have simplified their day-to-day life and brands need to only find better value propositions to make a difference to this alternative and sustained life that their consumers are now preferring to live.
- Building on the Community
In the bustle of daily life, we’ve lost the art of connecting. The lockdown changed it all. Next door neighbors became the closest social circle, and the importance of community and bonhomie was realized. It was these relationships that came to the rescue in our hardest times.
The pandemic brought us closer to our neighbors and bond in the midst of the lockdown. Once strangers became like family and displayed solidarity. They say it “ takes a village to raise a child” and we couldn’t agree more with this statement today. Neighbors have now become an extension of the family and it has been perfectly alright to go in and out of each other’s homes and know what’s going on in each other’s lives. From the occasional nods and smiles in the elevator, the community code has changed considerably post the lockdown. There’s a strong village-like community bond that has emerged where everyone has taken ownership to help others.
- Life in Revenge Gear
While the restrictions taught us restraint and control, the opening up led to a flurry of emotions, most of which resulted in wanting to seize the day and make the most of the times that we had.
After Covid struck home, we’ve all gone through a myriad of emotions to cope with the fear and helplessness that has struck us up, close and personal. An urgent need to return to normalcy was one of the things that we all wished for and rushed to accomplish as soon as the lockdowns were lifted. It was a catharsis of sorts. Getting back to the normal way of life, with a splurge that helped people deal with the life-shifting experience of close survival.
- Taking the Plunge
Big occasions have always followed a time frame. Get a degree by 20, a well-paying job by 25, get married by 30, kids by 35, own a house by 40. Somehow these timelines were messed up for many in the last two years. We saw cancelled weddings, lost jobs, unprecedented hospitalizations, and unexpected migrations. But there were also new-born babies, virtual weddings, new homes and cars, and launched businesses. Big decisions that were brewing or held back for many years, saw the light of day during the pandemic. People took the plunge and this plunge spoke about a human spirit that did not want to wait around for life to take its own course and instead wanted to take charge and move forward.
Plunges are just that. An inner realization of not wanting to wait around. As there were people making the most of this time and finally tipping over to make big leaps and letting suppressed goals to surface, I see a shift in us to now do things at a faster pace. I see us letting our own thoughts to materialize and not needing to answer the nagging question – “what are you waiting for?”
The pandemic has reset our lives in more ways than one. For some, it has changed life at a fundamental level, and for others, it has brought about a reason to make some positive and sustainable changes. Almost 30 months after news of the first few cases of Covid 19 broke out, we’ve gone through a sea of changes, some of which are long-term and some of which may be a result of a short adjustment to the times. Only time will tell if some of the ways in which we lived our lives over the last 3 years will continue to define the way we will live for the years to come. But as behavioral experts, we believe that the pandemic has altered the very fabric of our existence and there are subtle and subliminal changes that will remain with us for life.
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About the author:
Rutu Mody- Kamdar,Founder of Jigsaw Brand Consultants