"Our Base Sense of Self is Heightened Right Now"

Phillip and Brian are joined today by Ingrid Milman Cordy. How have brands contributed to community-based fanaticism or an individualized mindset? How has COVID-19 affected the online and in-person consumer experiences? What residual effects will the pandemic have on consumer experience? How can we be innovative in staying ahead of the curve on these changes?

PELOTON, MIRROR, AND THEIR DIVIDING LINE:

• Ingrid owns a Mirror, which has proven an essential and loved piece of equipment in the time of COVID-19 because of its individualized and private user experience.
• Peloton has avoided accusations of “technology for the sake of technology” because of its contribution to building a connected, fanatical community.
• Competitiveness contributes to a more community-based mindset in the likes of Peloton users, Crossfitters, etc.
• Brands have an open market right now for niche devices supporting at-home and individualized experiences.
• Brands have become like “tribes” of communities during a time of physical disconnection.

EVERYTHING HAS A BEGINNING, A MIDDLE, AND…:

• Ingrid predicts that after all of this is over, people are going to want community and in-person experiences even more after the pandemic.
• Phillip plays ‘devil’s advocate' (and quotes his Insiders piece) and proposes that reality now is mimicking an unpleasant eCommerce experience.
• Digital commerce is now the new preferred method of purchasing, so there is a need for online customer service to change with this, in incorporating better systems for handling post-purchase relations.
• Phillip, Brian, and Ingrid discuss innovative ways to cultivate IRL experiences for customers on a digital platform in order to establish and keep positive online and IRL relationships.

… AN END:

• We discuss the possibilities for social changes in customer relations after the pandemic ends, in stronger communities being built or the likelihood of there being long-lasting effects for social norms in IRL experiences.
• IRL experiences and eCommerce experiences have both changed dramatically in the last few months, in product affordability, access to products, as well as the jobs involved in the production, shipping, and selling of the product.