'Pandemic Playtime' - How human nature drives exploration & uncovers brand opportunities

I read a term this week that stuck: pandemic playtime (thanks MIT Tech Review).

To me it evokes not just your standard kid-driven playtime of age-appropriate activities to fill the time they’re not trying to Zoom (side bar: do you like how ‘Zoom’ has so quickly become to catchall for video conferences, comparable to ‘let me Google it’ is the catch all for search?) with their classes.

When I hear ‘pandemic playtime’, in my head I see people testing tools and platforms they may not have previously – maybe they weren’t interested, maybe they were intimidated by the novelty – because, frankly, they are bored as hell and not going to take it anymore. The first few weeks many consumers turned to their standard tried & true time-fillers: Streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+, their video game consoles, social apps like Instagram and Snapchat, their kitchens, their secret stash of craft supplies. However, now that we’re in the weird intersection phase of:

-ANXIETY (going stir-crazy)

-ACCEPTANCE (recognizing we’re in the for the long haul)

-ANGST (concerned about what the future – short and long term – may look like for ourselves, our families, our countries)

What’s coming out of it is CREATIVITY, the result of finding ways to manage said ANXIETY, make the most of ACCEPTANCE, and prepare to combat ANGST with proactive opportunities.

As a result, we’re seeing spikes in activities, trends and platforms – some of which aren’t surprising given they are really just expedited timelines of already emerging trends – as people look for engagement, entertainment and education. For example:

-Online education: Whether you’re trying to glean the insight you would have gotten this summer from your internship, expand your knowledge to make you a more valuable employee within your current job, or out of work due to being in an industry highly impacted by COVID (e.g. hospitality) and trying to make yourself more hirable, the notion of turning to online courses to fulfill those experience and knowledge gaps often feel more fulfilling and productive than perfecting a new banana bread recipe (don’t worry, if you need some, I have plenty). The need to evolve and grow as a species is baked into our DNA; however, whether it’s via Coursera or an Ivy League offering, there’s never been more (free) online classes for learning something new, and more time to engage in them. Heading into a recession (and maybe depression), we will only see usage spike from those looking to make themselves more attractive in the job market, those looking to supplement pricey colleges or graduate schools, those looking for self-betterment, and those looking simply for a sense of accomplishment. 

-Gaming: Again, gaming and eSports are areas we’ve seen consistent growth from in the last few years, and it was inevitable it would continue to grow. However, as gaming becomes a form of escapism, family bonding, replacement for live sporting events, we’re seeing gaming platforms and live streaming services continue to break their own usagerecords. Case in point: according to a recent Verizon study, they found a 115% increase in U.S. gaming usage vs. a standard pre-COVID day.

-AR: Augment reality has had its ups and downs in the hype cycle. Baked into most of our phones, we’ve increasingly seen it being built into the apps we use for shopping (e.g. IKEA, Sephora, Target, Home Depot), communication (e.g. Instagram, Snapchat), gaming (e.g. Pokémon GO) and more. For those who may be curious about the technology, or simply out of ideas how on to fill the time, we’re seeing them creep into increased AR usage via the apps they’ve either begun using more heavily (e.g. Instagram, Snapchat) or apps they’ve started using for the first time (e.g. Just A Line or SketchAR to play with photos, family friendly games like Quiver, YouCam to try beauty looks when you can’t play around in a store, MeasureKit for those home improvements you’re finally getting to, etc.). The result is growing curiosity around what solutions the technology (or, really a person’s smartphone, as that’s the device they tangibly own) can solve for. 

This is what I associate ‘pandemic play’ with: trying something new, whatever the driver may be, that may end up creating new habits when it comes to which platforms, tools, technologies, etc. people adapt longer term into their daily routines. It’s not a COVID conversation, frankly; many of these tools/services were set to become a part of our everyday lives…COVID-driven lockdowns may have expedited people’s interest or testing, but, in the case of tools like AR, it was bound to inevitably become an embedded tool in the platforms we already use – especially as brands try to bridge the gap between commerce and experience, and people were already increasingly doing shopping and trials online. As countries and cities start to move forward from lockdown with inevitable variable results, timelines, setbacks, learnings, attempts, etc., we’ll continue to see curiosity, boredom, solution searching and other drivers continue to push pandemic playtime across all ages, no matter who or where you are.

No matter your product, service or current strategy, stepping back and focusing on the emerging technologies that could potentially bring your desired solution to life isn’t something to put on the backburner. We’re still moving forward as humanity, just as we were pre-COVID. Recognizing that your consumers’ behaviors are evolving at a pace we couldn’t have predicted, think about your and your family’s own behaviors. What products, services, tools (tech and analogue) had you ignored or lacked interest in only 9-10 weeks ago, and have now become an integral part of your lives? Anecdotally, I’ve heard from plenty of people who say they aren’t gamers, but are either playing or watching others in their homes play games as a mental break or family activity. I’ve also gotten plenty of texts showing screenshots of someone’s latest course load, new AR-driven app they’ve used to accomplish a task or have some fun, and plenty of ‘this is awesome’ when someone tries something new. And, even as certain places begin ‘unlocking’ businesses of all types, you get the sense people are going to err (for the most part) on the side of caution due to health, financial and other concerns.

Again, at the intersection of all of this chaos is creativity. How can you find ways for your brand to be creative, whether it’s via the platforms and tools you use to tell your stories, the solutions you offer your consumers via services that address real frictions, etc. Creativity is key to unlocking real value between consumers and brands. How are you accessing it?