An analysis of the impacts by sector and possible responses based on branding.

Part 3 of 3

Outliers: benefiting from the current situation.

Coordinated growth and customer loyalty.

Contrary to the general trend, the quarantine has led to the growth of some specific categories. In particular, there has been a significant increase in demand for services that replace what was previously done outside the home: Zoom, software for virtual meetings, has seen its daily user base multiply by 30; delivery services have grown to reduce the number of times people leave home, among others.

While a sudden increase in the customer base is something to celebrate, these conditions often strain the technical and operational organizational capacity to serve them with quality. Many supermarkets, for example, have struggled to sustain the increased demand, which has been reflected in waiting times. Furthermore, success in this mission does not mean that new customers will remain after the crisis, especially in the case of free trial periods.

An example of this type of service is home workout apps, a booming market that, in the United States, already generates US$3.6 billion annually. This type of service was still unknown or disregarded by a large portion of the population who, given the current need, are more likely to try it. However, for this habit to replace or complement gyms after the quarantine ends, the new customer needs to see an advantageous experience and a good cost-benefit ratio.

One step in this direction was taken by Gympass, which added a series of remote wellness services to its app – meditation, nutrition, physical activities, among others – in addition to offering recorded and live classes from partner studios. This integrated offering provides an experience that was not previously available in this way and clearly presents its differentiators: diversity of services, flexibility, and practicality – qualities capable of surviving the pandemic.

The company is also promoting other initiatives that strengthen its market presence and help small businesses mitigate the crisis: a program to financially support those recording classes, a special marketplace for partners, and an agreement with a solar energy company to encourage the migration to this model and reduce electricity costs. Because it is not merely a temporary solution for an extraordinary period, the digital venture has a greater chance of remaining viable after social isolation ends.

One category also reporting increased demand is executive aviation (private flights): those who can afford the service have sought to avoid contact with passengers whose travel history is unknown. This modality has also been targeted for the transport of biological cargo related to the pandemic – laboratory tests, medicines, equipment, hospital supplies – with greater reach and speed compared to commercial aviation. It's another segment with an opportunity to showcase its differentiators to new clients and develop strategies so that its use isn't limited to a one-off alternative – especially since, in the medium term, the recession is likely to threaten this business.

This logic extends to other markets: streaming services have even had to reduce image quality to cope with the increase in consumption; games have also been boosted: the Steam platform, for example, has recorded consecutive records of simultaneous users worldwide.

Many of these services took the opportunity to offer free trial periods. This base of new users puts their quality to the test in terms of usability, recommendation systems, and a catalog suitable for different profiles: many purchase decision factors go beyond promotional offers and require extensive research and study of user journeys.

If this experience doesn't meet the expectations of new consumers, the effect can be the opposite: in addition to not subscribing to the service at the end of the trial, the customer will be less likely to try it again in the future, when the flaws have been minimized. In terms of understanding customer journeys, a perspective that goes beyond natural competitors is very important – as Netflix demonstrated last year by positioning the game Fortnite as one of its main competitors: more "screen time" on the game means less time spent on the streaming platform.

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Although the situation remains uncertain, economic figures and projections are useful for analyzing the overall picture and outlining distinctions regarding the possible paths the pandemic allows us to take – which is what we sought to do here.

In the face of uncertainty, what remains certain is that it is fundamental not to stand still: it is time to act and reinvent ourselves in favor of the tide of building value for the collective – businesses, people, and the planet.

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