Getting Ready For The ‘New Normal’

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As part of our new series, ‘Marketers Playbook for 2020 Post Covid-19?, Rahul Gandhi, CMO, iD Fresh Food says that in the new order technology will enrich customer experience, increase brand visibility and aid extract key insights on major behavioural shift among consumers India’s timely declaration of the lockdown was a decisive step that has managed to curtail the spread of coronavirus to a large extent. While we are still not out of the concern zone, there’s a reason to be hopeful. The new order has presented us with new opportunities – ones that will redefine the way brands engage with their customers, build communities through innovative marketing strategies, and leverage technology that will enrich customer experience as well as increase brand visibility. However, for all this to work marketers need to accept one fact - consumer behaviour is not going to be the same again. Every marketing approach will now need to be designed keeping this new normal in mind - resilience, innovation, and compassion will take the centre stage. At iD, a few days after the lockdown was announced, we scripted, produced and released one of our most iconic campaigns #khaanakhaaya - adhering to all the social distancing guidelines. The idea was to release the Mother’s Day campaign in advance as the world needs maternal compassion now, more than ever before. When a mother asks, Khaana Khaaya? (Have you eaten?), it is more than a simple query. It’s her way of saying ‘I love you’, ‘I care for you’, ‘I’m worried about you’. This year, we’re urging everyone to don the role of a mother to spread the power of love. iD’s message on compassion and love at a time when the world is battling an unprecedented global crisis was widely acknowledged and appreciated by people across all segments. Silver Lining While there is a growing sense of compassion and camaraderie, it is also true that there is a need for greater access to fresh and healthy food. According to the latest consumer sentiment report, the long-term outlook for the fresh food business remains positive. Consumers are likely to prefer fresh and organic food, reaching directly from source of manufacture to the point of purchase, within a few hours. Also, since it spends less time on the store shelf, the probability of it being touched with hands is far lower compared to packaged food. As India’s largest fresh food brand, iD has the systems firmly in place to cater to this growing demand. In fact, technology will play a pivotal role in not just identifying the growing demand but also extracting key insights on major behavioural shift among consumers. For instance, in the initial phase of the lockdown, when customers were panic buying and stocking up essentials, we developed ‘Store Finder’ – a unique feature on our website www.idfreshfood.com – to help them know the exact quantity of products that are available in their neighbourhood stores, so that they could avoid stepping out of the house unnecessarily. It also displays store names, phone numbers and geo-tags directions for each store. With the ‘Notify Me’ feature, they can also get daily SMS alerts of fresh stocks refill. Since the lockdown, we could deliver fresh and preservative free meals to our customers across key markets in India. The idea is to empower consumers with real-time access to valuable information on products, and reduce unnecessary visits to the shop. Going Forward As we brace ourselves for the new world order, marketing campaigns are likely to be designed keeping social distancing and community safety in mind. For a brand like iD, that has always had community bonding at the core of all its messaging, it will be an organic process to adapt to the new market realities. The customer has always been – and will be – at the core of everything we do. For 2020, our focus will continue to be on strengthening our existing markets and exploring newer ways of reaching our customers. The lockdown has demonstrated that local grocery retail is still the backbone of the supply chain in India. With over 30,000 retailers across 45 cities as part of iD’s network, our efforts will be to enhance customer experience and integrate offline and online channels for increased retention and loyalty. As long as we ensure that the new change is cautiously and empathetically planned, keeping the customers interest in mind, brand marketing can successfully create meaningful and impactful campaigns addressing stakeholders. At iD, we draw inspiration from our visionary founder PC Musthafa, who leads by example. Right now, our collective focus is on flattening the coronavirus curve and ensuring the safety and security of all employees and partners. We will emerge stronger and more compassionate from this crisis.