With the outbreak of COVID-19, our idea of “normal” has been abruptly and dramatically forced to change. But as the unprecedented becomes our everyday reality, which altered attitudes and behaviours will endure beyond Lockdown? 

 Over the next three months, we will be speaking to 400 New Zealanders every week, to better diagnose the conflicting needs and drivers motivating consumer behaviours at various stages in the unfolding COVID-19 crisis.  

 We aim to discriminate between short-term needs, that will come and go, and the more enduring and fundamental changes. All with the goal of enabling brands and businesses to return to growth in the ‘New Normal’. 

We’ll be examining the cultural and societal shifts through three lenses: the New Essentials, the New Me and New Systems. 

Before our first significant data capture, we can already see that Kiwis are showing true resilience by quickly adapting and settling into living a new normal. This is most likely due to the swift and decisive action taken by the Government and the positive direction of our Coronavirus case numbers. Almost half of those surveyed have moved quickly through the emotional roller-coaster of Lockdown and are starting to feel familiar with the new routines of life as we know it today. 

However, surveys around significant needs in the current climate paint a slightly different picture. When asked “What are the top things you need right now?”, Information (36%), Security (34%) and Stability (34%) were ranked the highest. This shows that while we have settled relatively well into Lockdown, there is still a strong undercurrent of uncertainty and concern.  

For Brands, this means making it easy for people access information about your products and services. You can also reassure the market that your supply chain is protected and that if your goods or service are not currently available, you are able to bounce back quickly when restrictions begin to ease.  

What we are seeing though is that first and foremost, people currently want Brands to be good corporate citizens. This translates as looking after your staff, using your resources to help fight COVID and offering true value to your customers that resonates with their needs and concerns. 

Next week - as we gather more comprehensive data - we will release our first full report, which will shine a light on the prevalent needs and behaviours of Kiwis through our three filters: the New Essentials, the New Me and New Systems.  

If you would like to receive the latest findings from this report, 

please email covered-19@dentsuaegis.com.