Steve’s 5H’s
The pandemic has given rise to five key trends, which are showing no sign of slowing down.
HEALTH
First is a greater awareness and focus on both physical and mental health, and oftentimes the tension between the two. This tension became particularly pronounced during lockdown months. On the one hand, governments sought to make policy decisions that would protect our health and the strain on healthcare systems. However, the more inconspicuous impacts on our mental health eventually came to ahead, making policy decision-making all the more challenging. As 62% of consumers say their health is more important to them now than it was before the pandemic, it appears that this increased value placed on our health is here to stay.
HOBBIES
Second, we have seen an increased interest and engagement with hobbies. As consumers are continuously exposed to tragedies happening across the globe on a 24-hour news cycle, hobbies have become an important outlet for many of us. With this increased need for escapism, we have seen a greater interest in entertainment, gaming and other ‘time fillers’. As consumers were forced to spend a significant amount of time at home and often alone, this shift was accelerated.
Although Australia, and many other parts of the world are slowly opening back up and rethinking a covid-zero approach, 94% of people who started a new hobby during the pandemic reported having kept it up.
HYGIENE
Covid-19 has forced us to have a greater awareness of personal hygiene as a means to stay safe. There is an unprecedented alertness around proximity and contact with other people with 75% of consumers now sanitising their hands more frequently compared to pre-pandemic.
HOME
Spending nearly all our time at home, consumers were motivated to reinvigorate their living spaces. This has reignited interest in more ‘traditional’ homemaker activities, including cooking, knitting, gardening etc. 28% of consumers invested in amenities such as home theatres, gyms, or studios to make the lockdowns bearable, and more than 30% plan to continue spending on their homes post-pandemic as flexible work arrangements become a way of the future post-lockdown.
HELP
As consumers have been forced into lockdown, digital connection has become a replacement for many face-to-face interactions. Now help is available in virtual form via Zoom, FaceTime etc. This has forced consumers to realise the value in connection with their local community. Indeed, 80% of consumers feel more or as connected to their communities and 88% expect these connections to stay long after the virus is contained.