Time to Zoom Out
October 4, 2020
With 2021 on the mind, people are thinking about how they want to evolve their lifestyle & habits for the new year.
Today we’re diving into the momentum for 2021 lifestyle changes: Zoom Boundaries & updates to the home.
The Decode
We usually start with the UP… but this week we’re switching it up, starting with the down.
Momentum for Zoom is on the DOWN.
We’re ready to Zoom out. The MFactor for Zoom dropped from a high of 100 in April to a 80 this week.
We all know and appreciate how well Zoom works. We needed Zoom through the quarantine to communicate while sheltering in place. It’s been reliable and came through when we needed it most: collaboration and meetings for work; remote learning; connecting with friends and family; Weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, Shivas, Memorial Services, holidays. Zoom was there for it all.
Zoom’s technology isn’t the problem. It’s the way we use it.
We’ve over-used it and we’re ready for Zoom Boundaries. New guidelines & norms for when and when not to Zoom and how to Zoom. An understood time and place for a Zoom video call so that it is not the default. Time to regain privacy when home. We don’t need every colleague, client and classmate peering into our personal lives.
For Zoom’s Momentum to go back up, it will require an evolution in boundaries, best practices & Zoom culture. To help us help ourselves Zoom could evolve their user experience to shift our expectation of video always on — features that indicate the purpose of the call and a way to set expectations of video on or off.
ON THE UP: 2021 Lifestyle & Home Updates
People are updating their homes & lifestyles as they plan for 2021. The MFactor for 2021 Planning & Resolutions is up from 28 in June to 55 this week.
Turns out: Outdoor spaces can be enjoyed year round for safe socializing & entertaining. Sustaining organization at home IS possible with the right method. Workouts done at home can be effective. Family dinners are more meaningful than ever. Work from home is appreciated.
Here’s how home updates are evolving & hitting the 5 Drivers of Momentum:
DISRUPTION: Gyms at home have always been considered a luxury. Many resisted at-home workouts. Unless you had an extra room for a designated gym — they were clunky and disruptive to the rest of your home. And the work outs felt less effective and exciting.
Now workouts from home are the norm. Brands like Mirror, Scavolini, FDG,and PENT Fitness are winning as they offer more discreet, aesthetically pleasing and multi functional ways to integrate workout equipment into the home. And on-demand fitness apps like Peloton, Apptiv and Apple Fitness Plus allow people to workout from wherever. Rather than dedicating an entire room to a gym, these brands disrupted working out from home by providing accessible solutions to integrate them into your space as is.
INNOVATION: Keeping the home organized is an age old challenge (and pain). That’s why we’ve traditionally confined major clean ups to spring and fall. Marie Kondo helped us think about these major clean ups in a new way with her straightforward method: get rid of anything that doesn’t “spark joy.”
Now we have a new challenge: Quarantine brought on a clutter-crisis. We’re stockpiling more than ever, especially as we hunker down for winter. People may be spending more time at home — doesn’t mean they have more time to clean. We need an evolved, more sustainable solution.
Enter the latest Netflix binge: Get Organized with The Home Edit with Clea and Joanna. The Home Edit method embraces excess stockpile and turns clutter into aesthetically pleasing, organized, livable spaces. Their process is designed to be intuitive & sustainable. And with their Container Store x Home Edit collaboration viewers can join them in trying their method at home.
POLARIZATION: Remember when quarantine started and it was hard to get toilet paper? Now desks are the new toilet paper. The MFactor for Desks has increased from 45 in May to 65 this week. Almost all office furniture & supplies are in short supply or on backorder.
Amid the great debate between work from home and work from work, many agree that the hybrid model works. Working from the couch in pajamas on WFH days does not. That’s why people are mad rushing to invest in a more productive and professional WFH space.
STICKINESS: Family dinners are more meaningful than ever. The MFactor for family dinners increased from 10 in May to 28 this week.
For many, nightly family dinners was one silver lining that got them through quarantine. Not surprisingly, TikTok inspired families to have fun with them with themed dinners.
As our routines and habits evolve with the re-opening, designated time for family meals is a habit to carry through in 2021. We expect food providers (meal delivery services, restaurants, etc) will lean into this momentum opportunity and help families make family dinners memorable.
SOCIAL IMPACT: Heat lamps for winter? Ground breaking. Summer 2020 forced us to get creative with how we socialize at home: new patio furniture, outdoor bars, pool floats. Now the MFactor for heat lamps is on the rise, up from 8 in May to 16 this week. They are flying off shelves. People are relying on heat lamps / outdoor heaters & fire pits to stay warm & connected through Fall & Winter 2020 / 2021.
Takeaway
As we enter a new year, the “new normal” doesn’t have to mean business as usual. 2021 will be a momentum year of breaking norms, evolving routines and setting new standards.
