Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - March/April 2021

59 BUSINESS ADVICE Location, vocation, vacation Rebecca Broomfield, director of Consumer & Hospitality at Speed Communications and Dr Simon Moore, a trained psychologist and CEO of behavioural psychology consultancy Innovationbubble, explore how COVID-19 has changed our relationships with our homes and how to use this insight to win with customers At the turn of the year, none of us could have predicted how much time we would be spending in our homes and gardens and how the lockdown experience would fundamentally change our expectations of them. Before lockdown, 70% of Brits had never worked from home or even contemplated home-schooling, so a space to work was not high on the priority list for most. Consequently, the move to open-plan, free form living space has come under scrutiny, with some questioning if it is best for family living when everyone is at home at the same time. Those sunny days in April when we were still only allowed one outside trip a day made us all truly appreciate the physical and mental importance of outdoor space, with Google search data showing a 1000% increase in searches for hot tubs, 500% for outdoor kitchens and even a resurgence in interest in the outdoor toilet. Lockdown also saw us all embrace DIY as staring at the same walls saw small annoyances turn to essential fixes, with Kingfisher group reporting like-for-like sales at 21.6% compared to 2019. Where a spot of DIY didn’t go deep enough consumers have sought more permanent change with the property market experiencing a mini-boom as consumers seek a home better suited to their new normal. These functional changes in the home provide obvious opportunities for gift brands and businesses to consider new target audiences and products. But it’s the changing emotional relationship consumers have with their homes that provides the key to gaining competitive advantage. THE IMPORTANCE OF EMOTION Science has shown that the emotional part of our brain is five times bigger than the part that deals with facts and figures. Simply put, this means that marketing that is based on what the target consumer is thinking and feeling will command five times the attention. So, what are consumers thinking and feeling about their homes right now? The home used to be a place of sanctuary and safety but has become a place where we feel trapped. As a result it has morphed somewhat psychologically towards that of a prison. Equally, reduced time in the office has had a significant impact because it is a place where we are respected for our intelligence, 