The COVID-19 Pandemic Redefined How Consumers Engage With Brands

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold and a new normal begins taking shape, one retail trend that's increasingly clear is a renewed focus on customer centricity. More and more, shoppers expect brand interactions to be seamless, convenient and personal, without having to sacrifice privacy.

What's more, consumers expect these relationships to play out on their terms, with full control over every aspect of their experience with brands.

A Meta-commissioned study in 2020 found that the COVID-19 pandemic transformed consumer shopping. 81% of global consumers surveyed changed a shopping habit or developed a new one during the pandemic. 92% percent said they intend to continue this new behavior in the long-term. Consumers have changed, and they're not interested in returning to the old status-quo.

Meta VP of business product marketing Ty Ahmad-Taylor recently spoke about customer centricity and other major shifts across retail, CPG and eCommerce. His comments were featured last year in Harvard Business Review. Topics covered in the video include:

• The rise of omnichannel shopping and "conversational commerce"
• A new balance between personalization and privacy
• The growing role of creator communities

Check out the full video below: