Home Improvement in lockdown
With Home improvement likely to gain post lockdown what should they be exploring to aid decision-making?
Lockdown has thrown the role of our homes into sharp relief. There is pressure for the home to fulfil more needs than it ever has before – home office, classroom, gym – all alongside a backdrop of strained household incomes.
Therefore, perhaps not surprisingly, our recent survey of the population showed that of all the behaviours people had changed during the Covid-19 lockdown, making their home/garden nicer was the most likely to stick with after we get back to ‘normal’.
Good news for home improvement, tools and homeware brands, but even more than before, resonating with people will be vital to success.
But what new information do you need to know to help make decisions that will aid brand growth now?
Hot topics right now
The sorts of questions brands are needing new answers to include:
- Who is the audience now for my brand? With less disposable income and the need for social distancing, will a different set of people become more hands-on with home improvements?
- How can my brand help them? What is the core role of my brand and how can it help people in their new world?
- Are there opportunities for NPD? How are people using products in my sector? Do they meet the new needs in the market?
- What is the new purchase journey? Are people using websites and brochures in a different way? How can we help them purchase without a store visit?
- How can we communicate effectively? How do we get the tone right in the current environment?
- How do we know if what we are doing is working? How is our brand perceived and how are our communications influencing people? What could we improve on?
Thoughts and tips on finding answers
Who is the audience now?
Think beyond demographics – attitudes, lockdown experience, home-stage and needs all becoming more important
How can my brand help them?
Explore the core purpose of your brand and the extent it has permission to adapt.
Are there opportunities for NPD?
Consider in-home ethnography. It helps check out ideas among real people in real environments. And now more than ever, people are giving us access to their homes and lives.
What is their purchase journey?
Sensitively understand the buying process to help understand new paths to purchase, the bumps, needs and the strongest influences on choice
How should we communicate effectively?
Getting the tone right is more important than ever. A sensitive piece of development research can check the balance is right
How do we know if what we are doing is working?
Attitudes, behaviours and moods are changing day-to-day at the moment. Tracking research needs to be equally nimble with timely reporting
How we can help
With broad experience across a variety of home brands, we’d be happy to help you think through the challenges and decisions you are facing.
