As a brand it is critical to understand the tears, fears and cheers in the consumer’s life .There is a huge debate raging around work life balance , long working hours not good for affecting mental sanity due to the stress it will create . This seems to be a never ending debate and lots of people in the corporate world are having fun thanks to the L&T CEO not being able to hold his tongue on why a working Sunday makes sense and Deepika Padukone’s response on mental health cannot be compromised.
The Internet is being flooded with memes and the nation seems to be really angry about the 90 hour topic that’s raging continuously on social media.
The 70 hour and 90-hour workweek is being glorified by certain business leaders and policymakers who argue that longer working hours could help achieve greater economic goals. The idea is framed within the narrative of “working harder to build the nation” and achieving parity with global economic giants. However, this suggestion has faced significant backlash from many work professionals , start-up founders and mental health advocates.
Industry luminaries including Anand Mahindra have highlighted the importance of quality over quantity and how holistic living actually leads to greater productivity at the workplace.
While brands can ride this opportunity by having a genuine point of view on this and create purposeful communication around the same or direct memes at the 90 hour charade at the workplace. A meme fest could get you noticed in the short term but is there a larger opportunity. Hard work and number of hours spent in office is rooted in Indian culture and therefore changing that mindset is not going to be easy .
So how can brands really make a difference and what are the categories that can ride the opportunity to make working hours more productive, fulfilling, saner and healthier . What can brands do to support the hard working Indian who needs to be at his or her best despite the crazy working hours of the day .
How Brands Can Help You Destress During Working Hours
In the fast-paced corporate world, stress has become a common companion to productivity. Deadlines, meetings, and constant emails can take a toll on mental and physical well-being, ultimately affecting performance. However, can innovative brands step up to provide solutions that help employees combat stress right at their desks.
Here are some categories that can perhaps grow at a breakneck speed in case they ride this opportunity of providing the necessary balance despite a challenging work environment
1.Mindfulness Apps and brain wearables as a category could explode if targeted in the right manner
Can brands enable individuals to find their islands of calmness and relaxation amidst a crazy stressful work environment
Mental wellness apps could increasingly partner with businesses to offer their services as part of employee wellness programs. These apps provide guided meditations, breathing exercises, and stress-reducing techniques tailored for short breaks during the workday. Such tools help employees reset their minds and regain focus within minutes.. After all the issue is not just about the number of working hours it is also about regaining focus and enhancing productivity.
State of the art innovative wearable devices while right now a very niche segment could see huge growth especially amongst the cash rich time poor audience. When topics like work stress, anxiety, restlessness, lack of focus and irregular sleeping pattern and a slew of other day to day problems associated with a restless brain are on the rise mindfulness as a topic will gain currency . Mental wellness apps and brain wearables will promise higher levels of mindfulness which translates to higher levels of focus and productivity .
Perhaps start-up founders will be the greatest brand ambassadors for such products
2. 24×7 – Ready for anything,anytime categories could explode
Especially in the start-up world 24 x7 alertness is expected . A certain level of mental stamina and physical stamina is expected to get through the long working hours of the day without letting your productivity drop . Energy drinks could strongly pitch themselves as enabling you to be at your best 24 x7. A loss in productivity could have serious consequences in today’s corporate world .When the stakes are getting higher and higher performance or productivity oriented brands will become critical for some and not optional
Mental sharpness and alertness will become an even greater potential growth area for an energy brand looking to enhance its relevance in a challenging work environment.
3. Snacking Categories could be seen as categories that enable you to bounce back everyday
The power of a little bit of spontaneous fun, laughter and a burst of energy in a regimented day is often underestimated . Long back when we cracked the idea for Britannia Treat “Fun in the middle ” which was all about spontaneous bursts of fun in the middle of a regimented day we realized that this does not apply only to kids but to all of us .
The energy that comes from a snack can lead to outbursts of banter, fun and laughter during the day . Brands like Kitkat that espouse the virtues of a break can highlight how critical it is to take a break and perhaps enhance your productivity. Having in the fun the middle of the day will no longer just be time pass it will become an important strategy to bounce back everyday
# bounce back # get back can become good content pillars for snacking brands that help you cope with the rigorous day
Snacking brands could champion the cause of a break and become even more relevant in the lives of the hardworking Indian
Perhaps owning the “The great Indian break” has never been as important .
4. A different cut to fitness – Not just strength but powering your day
Fitness is always looked at from a goal perspective . Fitness goals , before after etc
But can the fitness regimen be looked at from the point of view of being able to measure upto the challenges thrown at you at the workplace with a more refreshed mind and body . Can fitness be more accessible to all by not just extolling dreamy goals but just about everyday readiness for the longer challenging work environments .
This could be a fresh new space for fitness apps to address
5. Sleep will become serious business – No pun intended
Sleeplessness has been rated as among the top disorders globally. There is huge awareness being created about the brands and their benefits in the mattress category. Not able to sync your sleep cycles results in a significant drop of productivity in the work life balance . The opportunity for companies in the sleep / mattress category is become more and more tech integrated analyzing sleep patterns and enabling individuals to integrate their sleep cycles better with their challenging work environments
Subsequently even widen their brand architectures to include stress related disorders in their ambit and ensure that great sleep becomes a serious discussion among stressed out corporates in discussions
6.Introduction of targeted destressing activities
There could be whole host of packages targeted at enabling employees to destress
- Pickleball courts in specific areas where employees of certain corporates get discounts . This also encourages feeling of camaraderie across employees of different ages while destressing
- Upcoming stand-up comedians tie up with corporate houses and perform at certain specific times of the week. Ensure a weekly dose of laughter could be an ideal example of fun in the midst of a monotonous regimented day
- Spa treatments
- Gyms
Stress-relief solutions can come in multiple forms By leveraging innovative offerings from wellness oriented brands, companies can foster a healthier, happier, and more productive workforce. Whether it’s a five-minute meditation, a healthy snack, or even just a short stand up gig , these small but impactful interventions can make a big difference in reducing workplace stress.
As brand custodians let’s attempt to make momentous difference in the lives of the consumer rather than indulging in moment marketing.
(The opinions expressed in the article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication.
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