If You’re Not Planning For Uncertainty, Plan For Redundancy

Who knows what’s happening to consumer attitudes and behaviour? COVID, lockdowns, elections, vaccines, Brexit, natural emergencies, fake news… it goes on.

The direction is unclear… whether it’s an existential threat or a short sharp shock - but we do know it’s happening fast. We’ve been researching the market since March and the message is clear: Too fast for the old ways. Too fast to find an edge as brands fight for survival. The military has a word for it: VUCA: - volatile; uncertain; complex and ambiguous.

In August creating joy in your messaging made sense, but by October people are more attracted to relaxation and calm. This is further complicated because it’s influenced by age and by their confidence in secure income.

The volatility we are seeing means it might not be that way when your ads break.

Do you: Hold on to brand constants and weather the storm? Limit your activity to tactical incentives? Step away from the market and wait? Or do you build the ability for your messaging to react faster than your consumers by baking real time research into your creative development process?