Intriguing Insights #009 - Community connections during social distancing

As I was reading through Deloitte India’s Millennial Survey, it was heartening to see our Millennials and Gen Zs being significantly more sympathetic to their local communities during COVID, than the other surveyed markets. This got me thinking. 

What makes all of us, not just the two generations being referred to in the survey above, feel responsible for our local communities. More so now in the times of COVID. And what does this mean from a marketing point of view. 

In The Plague a novel by Albert Camus, published in 1947, the author writes that in times of pestilence we learn that there is more in men to admire than despise. While his story was of a plague sweeping through the French Algerian city of Oran.What makes his words so true of the situation we find ourselves in today.

The first thing that comes to mind is the Culture Code for community in India. And as I was wondering about this, it was there in plain sight. To us Indians, our community is our family. It is visible time and again as we go through life. Take the big Indian wedding for example, whatever the motivations for it today, the genesis was surely in involving our community in our happiness. What about our festivals, Holi, Diwali, Ganpati and Eid, all go beyond just the immediate family to include the community. If times of celebration are shared, it seems unlikely that we will leave our community to fend for themselves in times of peril.

No doubt then, that this lockdown has steered the choices we make towards collectivism rather than individualism. Let us look at some everyday common place examples that bring this alive.

What may have started off as the most convenient way to purchase essentials in a lockdown has got a new meaning to it today. As we all creep slowly back to normalcy it only feels right to support the kirana shop that supported us when e-deliveries were all but impossible. With lack of delivery staff at the kirana shop as well, patrons got interacting with family members of the store owners forging connections that would make you the slightest bit uncomfortable choosing to shop elsewhere.  In the process we inadvertently land up supporting the local community store.

Another example would be within the neighbourhood. A number of youngsters working in cities away from their homes who literally missed the last bus home, found support in families in their buildings. Not just helping them with meals but some much needed companionship and experienced advice. The converse is also true, with young neighbours often coming to the aid of senior citizens in their societies. Teaching them the wonders of digital payments or showing them how to access epapers.

Widening the community a bit, another place where I saw the spirit kick in was on school chat groups. While some parents complained about payment of fees for eschooling, a number of others supported the school and the teachers as they too sailed through unchartered waters.

If we look at the larger community we have all connected at some level when we use the word atmanirbhar. A word that signifies how we as a community will support each other out of this crisis. 

What marketers need to be aware of as we address our consumers in this new world is this modified approach to making decisions. We are now faced with a consumer who is a lot more conscious of his local communities, a lot less selfish in his choices and determined to make a difference in whatever way he can.