Simpler times and straight facts: What consumers are craving

Simpler times and straight facts:
What consumers are craving

As we weather winter flurries and a storm of (mis)information, it’s no wonder that Canadians are longing for ways to simplify their lives. But, delivering simplicity as marketers can actually be quite complicated! In this edition of MarketWell, we’ll dive into how you can help counter our current “infodemic,” give consumers a dose of feel-good nostalgia, and make sustainability convenient.

Wellbeing from around the web

Loop Reusable/Returnable Packaging Platform Launches in Canada with Retail Partner Loblaws

 Image: Loop CA

Loop works with popular food brands to provide products in reusable containers. They have partnered with Loblaws to bring this waste-free shopping experience to Canada. Grocery brands available include Heinz, Nature’s Path, Nestlé Canada, Organic Meadow and President’s Choice. Consumers pay a refundable deposit on the packaging and can return it via free porch pickup or drop-off at participating Fed-Ex locations.

The Takeaway: While deposits can be pricey—ranging from $0.50 to $5.00—this return to the “milkman model” is a good step towards sustainability in a market rife with plastic. What’s the key in getting consumers to change their habits, AND to literally pay the price for sustainability? Make it convenient. Loop’s easy and free container pick-up is a big draw. How can you make your offering more sustainable while minimizing friction on the path to purchase?

 

When the going gets tough, Super Bowl ads take us back to our basements from 30 years ago

Image: Uber Eats

Like September issues of fashion magazines, the Super Bowl is a forum for over-the-top, star-studded advertisements. And this year, nostalgia was on centre stage, featuring Wayne’sWorld, Dolly Parton, Bruce Springsteen and John Travolta, among other celebrities and characters that took football fans back in time.

The Takeaway: When times are tough, people look to happy memories. It’s particularly effective with millennials. How can you use simpler times and warm feelings to deepen connections with your consumers?

 

Wellbeing trend: Self-care supplanting healthcare

My latest column for Strategy explores how the pandemic led consumers to take their health into their own hands, and what that means for marketers. Find out how the current “infodemic” is affecting consumer behaviour, and my advice for countering misinformation.

 

Term we love: Conspirituality

A portmanteau of “conspiracy theory” and “spirituality”, “conspirituality” was coined in 2011. But the term is gaining popularity these days as research reveals a growing number of alternative medicine and wellness followers are falling prey to insidious conspiracy theories, be they religious or political. 

Yogababble, another term we love, and “magical thinking”—meaning ”believing that one event happens as a result of another without a plausible link of causation”—are often at the heart of conspirituality and in fact, some members of the actual yoga community are fighting back. Want to avoid conspirituality while supporting your audience—no matter their views? As artist Michael James Schneider outlines in a recent Instagram post, you can help stop the spread of misinformation with connection, (factual) information and patience. Alienating those alternative-minded members of your audience won’t change their minds.

Want tips for avoiding confusion in your marketing? When you download our white paper, you’ll receive five emails, each outlining our 5-step Rx for Marketing Well.

 

Felicity gives back: 

Improving women’s wellbeing through career mentoring
I’m a mentor in a new initiative by Tellent called The Propeller Experience, an 8-week digital program and community for women that will equip participants with the mindset, skill set, and network to find or build work that is worthy of them… in our new normal. It is a direct response to the gendered impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on women’s careers.

Sustainability and The Slow Down at DX3
I’m moderating two panels at DX3, Canada’s biggest retail, marketing and technology event.

March 3: The Slow Down
What are the benefits of slowing down your business processes and how can you keep your consumers?
March 5: The Sustainability Imperative
The rise of climate friendly retail, from supply chain to product lifecycle.

Get tickets to DX3.

 

Feeling inspired? 

Share MarketWell with fellow wellbeing marketers and we’ll make a donation to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).

As the nationwide leader and champion for mental health, CMHA facilitates access to the resources people require to maintain and improve mental health. The work they are doing is even more important now, than ever.

To your wellbeing,
Amy Laski
Founder and President
Felicity [Inspiring Communications]

Posted on: February 23rd, 2021 by

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