How I am becoming a New Normal Me (Part 1)

“And once the storm is over, you won't remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won't even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person who walked in.” - Murakami

Covid-19 connotations are everywhere. I am not allowed to forget even for a minute that I am living in a new world taken over by Covid-19. The empty streets, the face masks, the 2m social distance in a queue, constant sanitizing, every social media trend, every throwback, every conversation, every joke, every news piece, every LinkedIn article reminds me that things have changed, and we have a “new normal” to adapt to.

This brought me to the realization that it’s the perfect time to introspect. To look within and observe how I am changing as a person…and as a consumer. What am I doing now that I didn’t do before? How have my motivations, expectations, needs changed because of Covid-19?

Since the sample size is N=1, I am not calling them “insights”, though I did learn a lot about myself through this exercise. But for now, let’s just call them “musings”.

1. There is an All Out in my kitchen now. Who knew mosquito bites are most annoying in the kitchen when you’re engrossed in cooking or cleaning? In Post-Covid life, All-Out would be a permanent fixture in my kitchen. I realized how insensitive I had been to my household-help all this while (I think that is a running sentiment across all my observations). The New Normal Me is more empathetic.

2. After buying many Handwash refills, we also bought some soap bars. I don’t remember the last time I had used one, considering hygiene issues. But Handwash refills were getting over too quickly. In Post-Covid life, I might still keep buying soap bars. The New Normal Me is more conscious of wastage.

3. There are two kinds of Scotch-Brites in our kitchen now. Who knew my husband could have a favourite Scotch-Brite? I was intrigued to find out that my favourite Scotch-Brite was too small for his hands. He wanted one which was bigger and had both rough and soft sides. The New Normal Me is suddenly highly involved even in low involvement products.

4. While cleaning dirty dishes, I have found myself wishing for a better fragrant dish-washing detergent. Hate that lemony smell on my hands. The New Normal Me seeks an overlap between Hygiene and Personal Care products.

5. A Bluetooth speaker has also found a permanent place in my kitchen as we listen to podcasts/music while cooking. In Post-Covid life, I intend to gadget-ify my kitchen with devices and appliances. The New Normal Me seeks paraphernalia to feel like I am doing something important / productive, but also having fun in the process.

This is Part 1 of the series. I will be back with some more musings soon. Stay tuned.

#covid19 #coronavirus #insights #consumerbehavior #marketing #newnormal #transformation