Following the sudden disruptions of the pandemic, people emerged in 2021 with a realization that some changes weren’t temporary after all. This prompted a sense of introspection and a reevaluation of their values and lifestyle choices. As a result, they looked for more comfort and ease in their lives, and shifted their focus to the things that matter most to them.
From small everyday upgrades to more major life decisions, searches are showing how people are taking stock of their lives and assessing how closely their choices align with what truly matters to them. Evidence of this shift is seen in the “Great Resignation,” a global trend where a significant number of people are leaving their jobs voluntarily.
The 2021 Work Trend Index report found that 63% of Indonesians are considering changing employers in 2022.5
These significant, widespread shifts in life priorities among consumers should be studied closely by brands. As people spring-clean their lives, there’s a window of opportunity for businesses to reconnect and convince. How can you persuade your customers and employees to continue to make your brand a part of their new lives? How will you show the value your brand can bring to their newfound priorities?
Acceptance of a blended life
Even as restrictions ease, it seems a hybrid way of working and living is likely to remain, as people begin taking charge of their own time and space, particularly at home.
Reevaluation of finances
While some looked for ways to put their savings to work through investments, others searched for deals, discounts, and ways to stretch their dollar.
Quality time with loved ones
Indonesians are placing more value on spending time with their families, and some even see it as more important than being financially secure or successful.6
Self care, introspection, and the reevaluation of lifestyle choices
Consumers today view wellness through a broader lens, valuing physical, emotional, and mental health.
From reactive behaviors and short-term solutions, to a greater acceptance of our new blended lives, searches show that people are emerging from the pandemic with updated priorities. As people reevaluate their choices, brands and businesses should also be updating how they show the value they can offer, not just externally to their customers, but also internally to their employees.
“The next decade will be defined by a state of accelerated disruption. In order to enable people in the region to achieve better, more equitable outcomes in the face of increasing disruptions, businesses need to stay curious and cultivate a desire to understand what works and, more importantly, what doesn’t, to uncover and refine an understanding of users’ true needs.”
Today, as shoppers look for the brands that best align with what they need and value, up to 75% are buying from newly discovered brands rather than familiar ones. As consumers look to be empowered and confident about their purchase decisions, Search ranks as a top touchpoint for providing them with relevant and helpful information.7
Tap into the power of Search and automation to grow your brands discoverability.
Fifteen percent of queries every day are brand new searches.8 By broadening your keyword match type to Broad Match with Smart Bidding, you’re able to automatically adjust your campaigns to capture the different ways consumers are looking for your products, and act on new opportunities as they arise.
When consumers research, they don’t always have a specific product in mind yet. Dynamic Search Ads can put your product in the spotlight with personalized ads that are relevant to the shopper.
Blibli, a leading Indonesian e-commerce platform, leveraged the Dynamic Search Ads page feed to drive incremental traffic and conversions from key consumer queries, by unlocking untapped Search coverage with Max Conversion bidding.
This improved Blibli's Search performance, delivering 77% lower cost per order and 2X higher ROAS.
Create data-driven marketing cycles to keep up with evolving needs.
An adaptable advertising strategy allows you to act on what matters most to consumers in the moment, and adopt a test and learn approach for sustainable optimization.
Rising Retail Categories and Google Trends show you what the world is searching for, at both a local and global level.
With the new Insights Page in Google Ads, you can forecast and capture demand with insights tailored to your ads business and identify product offering growth opportunities.
Leading online travel agents in Indonesia weathered 2021's uncertainty by catering to evolving consumer needs with new products that went beyond their core travel offerings. The new launches included Traveloka Eats (food vouchers and delivery), Paylater (installment payment program), Tiket Homes (villa, apartments and house rental), and Tiket To-do (travel essentials and recreational activities).
Consider owned, direct-to-consumer channels (a brand.com and app property) that can enable you to build a bespoke brand presence and experience, and showcase your brand values and consumer offerings without compromise. They also give you the freedom to experiment and evolve your platforms to make your brand stand out even more.
After implementing app deep linking, Indosat's myIM3 Search ads campaign saw 2X traffic to its app. The campaign also increased conversion rate by up to 2.5X, decreased cost per acquisition by 53%, and increased ROAS by 43%.
During times of reevaluation and change, attracting and retaining top talent becomes ever more critical to ensuring sustainable business growth.
Prioritize building a diverse and inclusive workforce that will not only help to attract and retain top talent, but also increase innovation and profitability.
Recognize the importance of purpose beyond pay.
Nurture your employees as internal stakeholders and representatives of your brand.
To encourage employees to find their unique purpose and build a workplace where people enjoy their work and are engaged, Unilever Sri Lanka ran a series of ”Discover Your Purpose” workshops. The sessions combine e-learning with personal connections to challenge personal growth.
