The phrase ‘new normal’ has quickly become hackneyed and near meaningless, but people’s behaviours have changed and a more productive way of thinking may be around ‘new traditions’.

“We’re building traditions now that we don’t yet know are traditions,” says Wesley ter Haar, MediaMonks founder, in a new report (Initiating impact: Differentiating in a different world, available on warc.com).

“This is the new family dinner, this is how we watch movies together,” he says of the innovative ways that people are connecting. “User behaviour is being built that will change how we use these tools and how we create and connect together.”

And as these new traditions are being built, brands and retailers will have to shift their focus from addressing the immediate problems that consumers have faced during lockdowns to look further ahead into what promises to be a difficult 2021.

The report observes that brands are discovering new ways to show up and make meaning in people’s lives. “A storytelling approach has shifted to creating content that is useful to audiences in this new reality,” notes Heather Hosey, VP Client Engagement at MediaMonks.

“Kid-friendly meals to bake together, how to cut your partner’s hair, eyeshadow techniques to help you stand out with a mask – this kind of content leads consumers to establish a new and stronger appreciation for the brand that has provided the content they really need,” she says.

And one effective way brands can deliver such assistive content is via livestream commerce that doesn’t have to be too ‘salesy’ – accommodating new user behaviours while engaging in an authentic, informative manner.

“Accommodating a need for connection and entertainment, the format is well tailored to building strategic relationships into the year ahead,” the report says.

Sourced from MediaMonks, WARC