Lockdown has forced people to hit the reset button in more ways than one. Everything from family meals, holidays, trips to the high street, and outings to the cinema have been impacted by the pandemic.
Consumer behaviours have changed, with more people eating at home, sitting in front of the TV, and opting for the ‘staycation’ as this year’s holiday choice.
Has the pandemic has made the UK fall back in love with tradition when it comes to eating, going on holiday, and even how advertisers reach consumers?
Home cooking is on the menu
During lockdown, our eating and drinking habits changed. The temporary closure of restaurants on 20 March meant that we all had to eat at home without the luxury of being able to say, “Shall we go out for food?”.
But the limitations didn’t stop people tapping into their creative side. The demand for flour—to bake bread and cakes with – was so high that supermarket shelves suffered shortages throughout April and May. Furthermore, even though restaurants could reopen and received support by the government’s ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme, consumers were more comfortable eating at home.
A recent research study by Bain & Company showed that 60% of respondents cooked at home before the pandemic. This figure rose to 72% during lockdown. Restaurant demand sits at just 3% now, despite the ability to go out for food now.
The latest release of the EY Future Consumer Index also shows that most UK consumers are still uncomfortable with eating out. A poll of more than 1,000 UK consumers showed that only 27% of respondents were comfortable with dining in a restaurant. Some of the key factors behind the hesitation appear to be hygiene and spending concerns, with many people reducing their monthly outgoings as much as possible.
Staycation–here for good?
Not only has the global pandemic seen a shift towards home cooking, but it’s also seen the emergence of the ‘staycation’. Fuelled originally by the inability to travel abroad, the appetite for people in the UK to visit other parts of the country for a holiday hasn’t weakened.
The change in behaviour has presented business owners in the UK travel industry with a unique opportunity to offer their accommodation to people who would never usually consider staying on home soil. A luxury lodge park in South Lakeland is an example of this, with Doe Wood Lodges having planning permission approved for a further 50 caravan pitches on site.
Many believe the staycation boom will be here to stay, with farmers across the country ramping up plans to get in on the action. From camping and glamping to cottages and lodges, the desire to stay somewhere safe and secluded is high.
The opportunity for printing success
Lockdown also had a profound impact on traditional advertising spend in the UK. With the public told to stay at home and high streets empty, advertisers saw the need to reduce their budget for TV, newspapers and magazines, radio and cinema. The results of which saw a 48% decline in advertising spend over the first lockdown, with an overall reduction of approximately £1.1 billion.
It’s little surprise to see that the government was the biggest spender on advertising during the lockdown. Messages for social distancing and staying at home dominated every advertising channel. Public Health England spent £44 million in total—a 5,000% year-on-year increase.
The reduction in traditional advertising has seen a new-found focus for companies to implement digital strategies. Both paid search and paid social are seen as ways to capitalise on the fact people are on the internet and their phones more often.
But with ever-growing saturation in the market and Google’s recent decision to pass on their 2% digital tax to advertisers, the opportunity to cut through the digital noise with printing materials presents itself.
If you’ve been to work recently, you will have seen effective examples of pull up banners to inform customers about COVID-19 measures.
Also, the signs put up in front windows in support of the NHS, including artistic murals plastered on walls and billboards, means physical signage like flyers and posters may well be used for much more than social distancing and hygiene messaging over the next year or so.
Is the new normal so bad?
Travel advancements can get you to exotic countries quicker than travelling north to south in the UK. So, it’s refreshing to see people stay in the country for holidays and spend quality time with their families at the dinner table. Furthermore, this choice helps support local and national economies.
Plus, while there’s no stopping the growth of digital advertising and content, with the use of signage dominating everything from offices to restaurants, it’s arguably an important and relevant time to use printing materials in marketing strategies.