MUMBAI, INDIA – United in surviving the pandemic albeit separated by screens, 2020 has forced many learnings upon humanity. India saw a new digital audience and quick adoption of e-commerce, video apps and WFH culture thriving. But it also came with a lot of side effects of deprivation, slow-down, lack of social connect and much more. It is fair to say that predictions and forecasts need to underplay this season with the uncertainties that the world witnessed in 2020. With this in mind, Tonic Worldwide’s insight division GIPSI decided to decode the consumer needs of 2021 which are born out of 2020. It applied the “Deep Listening methodology” across multiple data points on the brink of a fresh year, to decipher sentiments, conversations and interests to decode the needs of 2021.
The 4 Key Needs of 2021 according to GIPSI are:
- The Need to Heal from 2020
- The Need to find Balance post 2020 imbalance
- The Need for Good News post 2020, which was the year of bad news
- The Need for Reassurance post 2020
1. The Need to Heal from 2020:
GIPSI observes that there is a need to heal beyond physical health- mental, financial, social and more.
- In 2020 multiple factors triggered importance of ‘Mental Health’ – celebrity suicide, job losses, domestic violence etc. As a result, awareness hit its peak, with a 1021% surge in “Mental Health Quotes” searches, and 40K conversations around “Mental Health”.
- Further, the year also saw an increasing concern on the career forefront with nearly 3.6 Mn LinkedIn updates for #Opentowork, #Opentojobs, #Openforbusiness.
- People have begun to value self-care, with a 2x increase in “guided meditation” and 147% surge in YouTube trends of “Yoga for beginners”.
- Consumers are busy bonding with puppies as a means of social healing, 302% search increase in “How to train a puppy”.
- Many relationships were put on hold with the mounting uncertainty, leading to a 2020 phenomenon – Situationship, with over 174K posts on Instagram.
GIPSI’s implication spells – “Brands can be the vaccine for the side effects of 2020 damage. Brands, what are you healing in 2021?”
2. The Need to find Balance post 2020 imbalance
GIPSI says, Consumer sentiment to take charge and take risk to bring back the lost balance is promising.
- Freshers take charge – 326% increase in searches for “how to make resume for freshers”, and 187.5K conversations on Job opportunities with a positive sentiment.
- The #workation trend hits India with 5K+ posts, while the debate of “Work from home or Work for home continues”.
- Relationships extend beyond romantic nature, as long distance #workbuddies becomes a norm, and calls for a catch up.
- Consumers interest in money matters surges once again – 2x increase in trends towards “stocks to watch today” and 4x increase in trends towards “is it a good time to invest”.
- Indians find a way to make weddings grand over virtual means, with wedding meals home-delivered and streamed live.
GIPSI’s Implication spells – “Brands can help bring back the lost balance and help consumers feel more in control.”
3. The Need for Good News post 2020, which was the year of bad news.
GIPSI identifies, the deprivation of ‘good news’ in 2020, makes Good news in 2021, an essential!
- With the common plea being “Go Away 2020”. The biggest good news people want to hear is over Vaccine arrival- 19.4K + conversations and 153.7K engagement, with an overall positive sentiment.
- Rising interest trends towards events, festivals and shubh muhurat indicates the eager anticipation for celebration.
- India in vacay mood: High intent on leisure and getaways with 11.4K conversations and 67.5K engagement on Travel 2021.
- Sustainability takes center stage with a cumulative 186% search increase on Sustainability packaging and ecofriendly materials. 2021 will need some serious steps with respect to sustainability packaging.
GIPSI’s implication spells – “Brands can advance the good news and work hard to indulge the consumers in positive sentiment with Good news.”
4. The Need for Reassurance post 2020
After leaping and flitting through 2020 consumers are pandemic hungover and seeking confidence over their choices of anything to do with ‘stepping out’. They’re seeking reassurance in each step of their decision journey
- Be it sending kids to school, going out to a mall or a restaurant, or even scrutinizing brands on purity quotient. Where a neutral sentiment of 78% looks for assurance from schools to provide safety. At the same time a booming 71% positive sentiment over malls and cafes adapting to safe personalized measures for consumers.
- They’re also demanding transparency and promise of purity from brands as 35.7 k + online conversation over purity test, a 700% + search of rice purity tests are on the rise.
GIPSI’s Implication spells – “Brands will need to re-build trust to regain the confidence to be re-considered. Gipsi also informs consumer reviews will play a big role”
Commenting on the report, Unmisha Bhatt, Chief Strategy Officer and Director – India & MENA region, Tonic Worldwide, says, “While the crisis has been ongoing for a while now, there has been some lead time for marketers to recalibrate and be better prepared to communicate with consumers in 2021. This Gipsi report equips marketers across categories to be the catalyst in the Consumers life by uncovering their need gaps in the given situation.”
Anjali Malthankar, National Strategy Director, Tonic Worldwide says “Unlike any new year report with speculative insights, with GIPSI 2021, we decided to get more realistic and thus discovered an unusual scenario for a new year report –consumers’ needs of 2021 are heavily impacted by the 2020 pandemic experience. Consumers are increasingly experiencing and engaging on digital, it’s only natural to say a regular deep listening can give brands an upper edge and a digital ear to the ground.”
Gipsi was launched in 2018 and is being headed and driven by Unmisha Bhatt, Chief Strategy Officer, Tonic Worldwide and Anjali Malthankar, National Strategy Director, Tonic Worldwide. For more information, visit www.tonicworldwide.com
