Together with our creative network, eÿeka, we explored the need for creativity and the power of collaboration during the current global crisis.

Last month, we launched a creative crowdsourcing competition to envision a post-lockdown reality. Based on insight from our global qualitative COVID-19 consumer community (April 2020, 80 participants, aged 18-56+), a considerable challenge faced by brands in a post-lockdown world is the phenomenon of ‘enochlophobia’.

“People are craving social interaction but are wary of getting infected, and will therefore want to avoid crowds for the foreseeable future; this is one of the most challenging frictions for consumers at the moment, and they are looking to brands to help them overcome it.”

Joeri Van den Bergh, Future Consumer Expert & Co-founder InSites Consulting

So, we set out to explore how we can engage a crowd afraid of other crowds, today and in a post-COVID-19 world.

We presented this insight to the eÿeka network in the form of an open contest asking creatives to help brands prepare for the ‘new normal‘ in a post-COVID-19 world, specifically addressing what sorts of products and services consumers will look for; and how brands can evolve to provide for those needs, and help consumers leave their homes ‘with caution’.

The network responded overwhelmingly; in just 12 days the contest generated 142 ideas from 77 participants in 35 countries. The ideas represented four distinct themes: Hygiene, Social Responsibility, Wellbeing and Regulatory Standards, and spanned industries from FMCG to financial services. 10 winners were selected in the contest, with ideas including communications strategies, new product developments, software applications and virtual reality. One creative from India went so far as to redesign the entire in-store retail experience, including a thermal entrance tunnel, antimicrobial trolley grips and automated sanitization features throughout the store. First place was awarded to a creative from Beijing, China, for her ‘Bubble wrapper Disinfectant’; bubble wrap injected with disinfectant would be used to wrap home delivery parcels and once popped would sanitize the package before entering the home.

In less than two weeks, this groundbreaking research project showed the unique value of generating consumer insights via an online community, and feeding this into a creative contest to generate creative ideas and concepts for brands.

“This research-on-research project highlights the power of crowdsourcing ideas from around the world, the power of creativity, and the power of diversity in ideation. The starting point was an insight, which captured the current consumer friction, and formed for the springboard for ideation – which is exactly what we advise our own clients to do, and the results speak for themselves. Brands should be encouraged that they don’t have to reinvent the wheel to survive this crisis, but rather can succeed simply by sourcing the right people for the right ideas.”

Tom De Ruyck, Future Research Expert and Managing Partner InSites Consulting

Want to learn more on how to tap into creative collaboration for your brand? Get in touch and we’d happy to start the conversation and listen to your challenges!