Helping unlock post-COVID growth
With all this necessity for change, it would ordinarily seem that suggesting businesses change more right now would be unreasonable. But actually, putting business transformation and innovation at the forefront right now is a critical path to unlocking post-COVID growth.
In a recent McKinsey survey, 90% of businesses believe COVID will change the way they do business over the next 5 years but only 1 in 5 believe they’re ready, resourced, and committed to pursuing the opportunities that will come their way.
Here at Equator, we’re privileged to say we’ve been working with more than our fair share of that 1-in-5. Over the last six months, our teams and a number of our valued clients did not see the COVID crisis as a reason to seize-up, rather seize the moment to affect change.
With distractions at a minimum and a focused team, together we have achieved great things – and there’s more around the corner.
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Hopes and fears in a lockdown
When lockdown came to the UK, it came quickly and definitively. Overnight, workplaces emptied, businesses were shuttered and streets, and shop shelves were deserted. Fear and uncertainty was the order of the day.
And for businesses across the country, everything that was known about their customers went out the window. It seemed like there was little hope of being able to understand the new motivations
But, what lockdown brought was a surge of new consumer activity. Stuck at home, either working or furloughed, the UK consumer was more active digitally than ever before. And our teams of Insight, Data, Strategy and Search experts were able to comb through dozens of data sources to find the immediate trends that mattered.
Bringing insights to the virtual airwaves
With this knowledge we took to the virtual airwaves every week to bring the latest consumer insight to various sectors, including travel, insurance, banking, gyms, healthcare, retail, energy and more. There’s over a dozen to choose from.
If you’re looking for contemporary customer insight during this crisis, we’re adding new and diverse webinars all the time on our Thought Leadership page. We look forward to taking your questions and helping you navigate the coming months.
Driving transformation when everything stops
During the COVID-19 crisis, the Private Healthcare Industry was impacted like no other; a whole-scale takeover of their hospitals by the NHS and a diversion of resource to support and promote world-class patient care. Healthcare is an expert area for Equator and a key healthcare client engaged us like never before to assist during this unprecedented shift. For many, it could have been seen as a time for pause, but for both teams, we took the opportunity to drive change. Reassessing all digital plans, responsiveness - recognising patients engagements and attitudes towards health, treatment and hospitals will change dramatically coming out of COVID.
Working together, we strategised two core workstreams. Firstly getting their digital strategy in place so we had defined communication and marketing plans to put patients at ease (including digital GP assessments, virtual appointments, enhanced safety and a lot more).
Secondly, recognising that their digital infrastructure wasn't fully future-ready - we embarked on a full web re-platform and yearlong roadmap of comprehensive digital improvements supporting key business objectives coming out of COVID.
Finally, we recognised the incredible power of insight. By mining every digital channel for data on emerging consumer behaviours, aspirations and fears, we were able to develop new content strategies, shift product propositions and enhance service where it is needed most.
Transforming tough times
COVID is tough on us all, in more ways than one. And the economic stresses of the crisis are yet to be still truly felt. With this in mind, Equator’s brightest and best set about transforming a historically taboo area of business – debt collection.
A difficult area for both consumer and business alike, we knew there was a better way to digitise this business requirement in a sympathetic yet effective manner. Presenting Milo – our mobile debt collection platform. Instead of a costly, hard-nosed and cold direct mail and phone approach, plug Milo into the start of your collections journey and collect arrears – no matter how small – 24/7 and at low cost while providing customers with a ‘best in class’ experience.
We’re rolling this out for a number of our utility and telecoms clients and we look forward to reporting great results in the coming weeks. But one result we already know is it’s lowering the cost of collections activities wherever we’re putting it. Get the full story and presentation here.
Ready for the returning demand
Always a client that’s willing to take risks and do what others may not, Village Hotels again did not let us down during the COVID crisis. Whilst they suffered the same pain as others (closing their doors, immediate loss of revenue, etc), they were another client who truly believed in the power of transformation get them out of the crisis stronger than before.
Cue the Village Booking Revolution, a bold and strong stance against the Online Travel Agents’ predatory fees and marketing practices and FOR the consumer. Finally, a hotel that truly gives the customer genuine benefits for booking direct – free wifi, breakfast, business club access, parking, gym access, and more. Book elsewhere and you don’t get any of this!
The Village booking revolution
Of course, this sort of change required a LOT of transformation, and Equator were wired and ready to support Village’s unmissable customer-only membership scheme. Building integrations into the new booking functionality in double-quick time, redesigning journeys and creative components helped take the message to the consumer. Our marketing teams weren’t resting either, ensuring organic and paid search toolsets were constantly evolving to deliver the message, manage customer enquiries, and minimising waste. And right throughout, our Insight teams went deep and wide, giving Village the day-by-day pinpoint data on forward booking patterns and more to ensure Village was ready to meet the returning demand.
We’re far from back to normal, but Village’s booking revolution is making waves and we’re out there making sure the consumer can ride those waves to a great staycation.
Thought leadership, analysis and innovative thinking
Reports and Webinar Catch-ups
Broadcast: August 20th, 2020
Are you, your target companies and portfolio businesses ready to take on tomorrow?
We discuss emerging themes pre-deal, post-deal and as companies get ready for exit. Hosted by Chris Gauld, digital transformation strategy advisor and award-winning entrepreneur helping high growth PE-backed businesses achieve scale and deliver diversification and digitisation.
Watch the Webinar Catch-up
Broadcast: July 16th, 2020
Banking Bounceback - Financial services in a changed world - An updated view
The country is starting to open up again, optimism has returned to the marketplace and the chancellor has stimulated the market with new spending incentives. Join us for a brief look at what this means for banks and financial services. And how brands, marketers and digital teams can stay ahead.
Watch the Webinar Catch-up
Broadcast: July 7th, 2020
How health tech and innovation can help the healthcare and hospital sector recover
It's often forgotten that the healthcare and hospital sector is actually the one that has seen the most upset and change in the last 3 months. Our webinar explores how recent events have affected the sector, what the consumer reaction to it is and, critically, how the sector can exploit innovation and technology to recover more quickly.
Watch the Webinar Catch-up
Broadcast: May 28, 2020
What retail brands should do during the COVID-19 crisis
Join us for our fast-paced webinar delivering market insights and trends from our research team, a review of the competitive marketplace and a number of actionable ideas to work on right now. This 30 minute session will inspire you to get fit for the new post-lockdown world.
Watch the Webinar Catch-up
Broadcast: May 12th, 2020 BST
What energy retail brands should do during the COVID-19 crisis
If you are in the Energy Retail business, watch our fast-paced webinar focused on this sector. Delivering market insights and trends from our research team, a review of the competitive marketplace and a number of actionable ideas to work on right now, this 30-minute webinar will inspire you on how to get fit for the new post-lockdown world.
Watch the Webinar Catch-up
Broadcast: May 5th, 2020
Revisiting travel & leisure in the COVID-19 crisis
Four weeks since our previous, highly popular webinar to the Travel & Leisure sector and there have been many changes. We review the ever-evolving consumer mindset, look at search signals, market data and brand research as well as key actions to focus on in the coming weeks.
Watch the Webinar Catch-up
Broadcast: April 28th, 2020
Health & Fitness during COVID-19
For marketers, brand owners and digital teams at health, fitness and gyms, join us for an exploration on the trends, signals and challenges within the health & fitness space.
Watch the Webinar Catch-up
Broadcast: April 21st, 2020
Banking & COVID-19 - Flexibility, surety, service
Insights into how banks and finance brands are perfectly placed to play a strong part in this COVID-19 crisis and how technology could help.
Watch the Webinar Catch-up
Broadcast: April 16th, 2020
Insurance & COVID-19
How the COVID-19 crisis could define the future of insurance products and how digital readiness could keep you in front.
Watch the Webinar Catch-up
Broadcast: April 7th, 2020
Travel brands and COVID-19
For the travel industry, preparation, insight, research and proactivity is critical right now. When this is over, it will be the biggest fight for revenue the market has ever seen.
Watch the Webinar Catch-up
Broadcast: March 31st, 2020
Fight or Flight Webinar
Martin Jordan, Equator's Innovation & Insight Director, looked at what brands should be doing to survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
Watch the Webinar Catch-up
Travel Sector Report
What travel brands should do during the COVID-19 crisis
The effects of COVID-19 will be felt long after the lockdowns are lifted. The next few months aren’t going to be plain sailing for the travel industry. For the travel industry, preparation, insight, research and proactivity is critical right now. When this is over, it will be the biggest fight for revenue the market has ever seen.
Read Report
Lessons from the 2008 crash
Fight or Flight
With the COVID-19 pandemic, we are living through one of the most significant global crises in fifty years. Read our report on what brands should be doing.
Read ReportPost-Pandemic Transformation Toolkit
Learn about how you can use digital to capitalise on the opportunities arising from the new normal.
A good time to transform
COVID Crisis
The COVID crisis has given every business a voluminous dose of enforced change. We explain why putting business transformation and innovation at the forefront right now is a critical path to unlocking post-COVID growth.