Yes, we’re open.
Tomorrow, Monday, the first stores will open – soon, hopefully, more will follow. A reopening provides a very special momentum that needs to be used for the brand – customers are now more than open to it.
You may know this from your own experience: After the festive season in December, you want to give up alcohol completely in January. Then, in the first week of February, if you’ve been strong enough and persevered with the abstinence, the first sip of red wine will be a special experience. After the “deprivation”, the first drop on the palate can lead to a real explosion of taste – with the good conscience of now being allowed to indulge in this.
The end of the lockdown will feel similar for many consumers. This presents a unique opportunity to shape the brand experience. How difficult it was before the lockdown, with the general sensory overload, to communicate in-store what the company stands for and what customer promise makes it unique. After the period of “abstinence”, we can now expect a readiness to perceive that could not be assumed in previous decades. When customers cross the threshold of a retail store, they will signal a completely different attitude: “Yes, we’re open!” Open to particularly customer-oriented offers, open to the brand promise offered, open to being seduced by a high level of attention in personal consultation. Shops that prepare their staff for this and gear their brand communication accordingly will be among the winners.
Why am I so sure? Last week, for our client AMAG, I conducted interviews with customers who had brought their cars to the garage for maintenance or tyre changes – a service that could be provided during the lockdown. We wanted to know how the service was received by customers in the context of “social distancing”. The customer response was incredibly positive. Although the process was a little more cumbersome for customers, they really appreciated the service. More importantly, customers took the time to explain, unsolicited, why they valued the company’s service in general and saw the special event as a continuation of a high level of customer focus in special times. It was only in the “state of emergency” that customers took the time to reflect on the fundamental aspects of service delivery. A service that is otherwise taken for granted in the stress of everyday life.
Hairdressers, beauty salons, massage studios, tattoo studios, DIY stores, garden centres, florists and nurseries are the first to open tomorrow. Everyone else has some time. Time they should use to prepare to surprise returning customers and create a memorable brand experience.
Sometimes the surprise is in the little things: Ed.Meier, the traditional Munich shoemaker founded in 1895, will also open its doors tomorrow, Monday. The traditional company stands for care and precision. So the company will delight returning customers by announcing its new “house rules”. These are just as traditional, careful and precise as the company’s bespoke shoes.