Your Consumer is Grieving

As a branding consultant, I champion the intrinsic desires of consumers: they want power, they want safety, and they want freedom (among other things). My colleagues and I preach about the importance of a high E.Q. in reaching consumers. But, have we, as marketers and consultants, taken a moment to consider their grief? Or, how the brands we create provide hope and comfort within their cycles of loss?

The people who bring your brand intimately into their lives have been experiencing an immense amount of grief over the past year: the loss of a local restaurant they went to with their family every Friday night; their daily escape to the gym; their sacred book club night; and the weddings and reunions with friends far and near. And, a wider, deeper spectrum of grief: the disappearance of their 15-year career; their unshakable bereavement of equality and justice in society; the passing of their beloved father-in-law. When we draw up our target consumers, it's usually void of these life events.

Loss has been compounded in 2020, catapulting our society into 6 stages of grief, as explained by grief expert David Kessler: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Sadness, Acceptance, and Meaning. As he states, they don't necessarily happen in any specific order, and everyone is a bit all over the place. That said, you can usually pick up a general emotional barometer of where we are. Personally, I sense we are entering another cycle of Denial and Anger: in complete disbelief of being "back here" again with curfews, restrictions and more cancelled plans.

Whether you know it or not, your brand has a role within these cycles of grief. It's all in how you intercept your consumer, providing them comfort and hope. Reebok, for example, has been exceptional at this. While gyms and athletic events have mostly been restricted, the desire for physical exercise still exists. Ergo, people still need Reebok products. Athletic apparel giants Nike, Adidas and Under Armour have also found ways to adjust into the world of fitness during crisis. What makes Reebok stand out are their keen responses to the collective stages of grief: When we were seemingly in denial, they acknowledged the new normal with a powerful #PermissionToPause campaign; They made accessible free, premium-level fitness programming while we feel angry and frustrated; While fatigued and bargaining, they promoted charitable efforts and recommended public health behaviors; They bolstered a sense of community in stages of collective sadness; and last, Reebok championed (while outfitting) #HealthCareHeroes as we learned to accept the new normal. Note: this is all just my outsider's take—I'm not privy to their playbook.

Images: Reebok Instagram

You might have noticed, I haven't touched the sixth stage of grief: Meaning. I'm definitely not an expert on grief, but I do not believe we've arrived at this stage. Ultimately, the closure we get will be the most compelling and powerful intersection for brands.

I think it's important to note that simply responding to society's cycles of grief isn't some sort of capitalist manipulation. We are all in this moment of loss and sadness together, and businesses have a responsibility to offer support and tools, especially in ways that are accessible (amid astronomical unemployment) and appropriate in tone (toxic positivity being tone deaf). Perhaps the most powerful example is when Reebok joined forces with parent company Adidas earlier this year to offer free premium services of Adidas Runtastic—an online platform to support any and all fitness journeys. This brand behavior made the brand more human: prioritizing the needs of their struggling consumer over profit.

Image: Adidas Runtastic

Notice the language in the Runtastic blog: "stress for an extended period of time," "time to recover," "psychological benefits," "improve your mental health." It's all attuned to the harsh realities associated with their emotionally exhausted, grieving consumer.

Understanding where your consumer is emotionally has never been more important. What does healing look and sound like for your consumer in this moment?