A year into the pandemic, here’s what food brands need to know

WARC Article - When the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. one year ago, many companies and brands initially responded with messages of unity and themes such as “we’re in this together” or “we’re here for you.”

As months of limbo followed, marketers changed their focus, aiming to help consumers by substantiating their brand purpose with new actions, then communicating those to the marketplace in an impactful way. During months of uncertainty in 2020, the prices of many consumer items increased, and out-of-stock issues arose – especially for essential or critical products like food, groceries and other household goods.

Given these factors, companies should now target consumers by focusing on functional benefits such as reliability, price and bonus packs for stocking up. Emotional benefits are also important to consumers. Ultimately, consumers want real solutions to real issues they are facing, such as how prices can be maintained, how products will remain available and how companies can help them adjust to new routines. The level of both health and financial concerns makes a key difference to consumers' mindsets; segmentation offers a way for marketers to reach many different groups.

Brands that meet crucial needs will create value and give people what they’re looking for in the right moments. Even as the U.S. vaccinates more Americans, many consumers remain in a state of limbo. Marketers need to take a multi-faceted approach when addressing consumer needs. Here’s Ipsos’ guide to where they can start:

• Watch highlights from our Food Summit
• Read about growing a premium brand during a recession
• Discover five shopper segments to watch as the pandemic lingers

To read WARC’s article featuring Ipsos research – How to create a value proposition for food brands during a pandemic and recession – please click here (subscriber access only).