COVID-19 has changed consumer behaviour – Experts

Marketing and digital experts have said that the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spurred significant shift in consumer behaviour in the country.

The experts pointed out that, as a result of the pandemic, a huge number of consumers have developed appetite for digital transaction, leading to a sharp shift in buying on various online platforms.

As a result, marketers and businesses have to embark on extensive research to understand the new trend in consumer behaviour and engage in a digital drive through artificial intelligence gathering and develop products and services which would meet the needs and wants of consumers, the experts have encouraged.

These were disclosed during a virtual panel discussion on, “COVID-19 and the consumer shift” organised by the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG) in partnership with Joy News on Tuesday.

The president of the institution, Dr Daniel Kasser Tee, in his remarks said the COVID-19 had called for marketers and businesses to adapt to the changing environment.

He stated that, the time had come for businesses “To identify these new changes in consumer attitude and develop innovative interventions to target the consumers and provide tailor-made solutions to their demands.”

Dr Tee also noted that it had become extremely important for marketing companies to augment their offline activities with digital ones to generate new revenue streams to stay afloat and be competitive in the ever-changing marketing space.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director of PHD Media Ghana, Bright Ladzekpo, who spoke on “Leveraging on digital marketing” said the pandemic had accelerated consumers’ drive.

He disclosed that about 700 million consumers globally, have moved to various online platforms for communication, connection and trade, and underscored that, this required businesses to have functional interactive websites which would provide e-commerce to consumers.

“Businesses must ensure that they have websites with conventional websites with a commerce front for people to buy and pay for products and services, and also provide delivery services to end-users,” he said.

He added that, “They have to do so, taking into considerations, measures that would ensure consumers receive their products without contracting the disease through physical touch of the products delivered to them.”

The CEO of Digital PopOut, a digital startup company, Maximus Ametorgor speaking on, “Leveraging technology on COVID-19 and consumership” said that due to the COVID-19, marketing companies must start growing their businesses around digitisation.