With the explosion in growth over recent years of health & wellness travel, escapes, experiences & everyday F&B lifestyle choices, how will the Covid-19 pandemic influence this in the future? Answer, by adding ‘hygiene’ into the mix.
With the enforced social distancing measures across society coupled with the lack of a vaccine, the travel & hospitality industry will inevitably have to adapt its operating model in the short to medium term to incorporate rigorous hygiene practices once the lockdown is lifted. To survive & continue to guard against future virus break-outs, this will be a necessary step in re-building businesses decimated by the pandemic’s impact. This will first & foremost be to alleviate the fears of guests & staff members & in doing so, earn their trust that it is safe to start back on the path to normality.
So how do you sell the somewhat unsexy ‘hygiene’ practices in a lifestyle environment? Moreover, will these be a short-term requirement or are they here for the long-term? Ultimately, each operator needs to stay true to its own unique tone of voice & communication style in the delivery of the message. New imagery & iconography will be an important tool to fold this into the look & feel of the brand framework. Hygiene by definition can be mundane & somewhat soulless – so bring it to life by selling the benefits. That may be the wonderful smell, the moisturising benefits, the improved sleep, the reassurance that you are in safe hands or simply the reduction of emotional stress, allowing guests to focus on what they need to do, not if where they do it is safe. Guests will continue to be drawn to brands & venues that they have an affinity with, so don’t be afraid to be bold, humorous & creative with your comms. Above all focus on building trust.
The severity of the pandemic & the massive impact it has had on society, will leave a lasting impression on people, not least Gen Z & even the emerging Gen Alpha - many of whom will never have experienced a working society pre-pandemic. Therefore, some element of hygiene & the selling of its benefits is going to be here to stay, the visibility of it may just be dialled down once a vaccine has been found.
The smartest operators will be embracing this & shifting their mindset to a new paradigm with their eyes firmly forward on embedding hygiene practices on a much wider operational scale for good. As well as being part of the wider societal solution to get everyone mobilised again, this will yield competitive advantages in years to come.
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