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Online shopping is increasing as we practice social distancing and self-quarantine against coronavirus. When we choose Instacart or Amazon Prime, we buy brands that we know. We buy these brands not only because we have used them in the past, not only because we understand their advantages and not just because we trust them. We buy these brands because they make decision-making easier. Well-known brands like Tide, Kleenex and Lysol are soothing and trustworthy.

Choosing a well-known, trustworthy brand simplifies the selection. In a complex, overwhelming, diverse and uncertain environment, brands are “one-think” purchasing decisions. Why should you now bring more uncertainty into our lives by choosing an unknown or new brand? This is no time for new brands. It's a good time to build on the strength of brand awareness and trust.

We live in a very select shopping environment. Just go for a walk through granola, pet food, snacks, energy bars or toothbrushes at your local supermarket. We are faced with the diffusion of choices in their most powerful form.

Where selection is a problem Brands are the solution

Brands solve one of the great paradoxes of today's brand shopping: the desire for multiple selection and the desire for simple selection. We like making decisions, but too many decisions increase uncertainty, slow decision-making, and require more physical and mental effort. We want more choices, but we want the selection to be easier. One-think shopping reduces the uncertainty of too large a selection and helps the consumer to choose wisely. At this point in our collective life, it is incredibly comforting to have confidence in what we buy.

With One-Think-Shopping we can quickly make decisions based on the trustworthiness of the brand. A trustworthy brand is an optimized way through the confusion in the selection. Trustworthiness is part of a brand's value. Trust is the basis for brand loyalty. Brand loyalty is a great advantage in an uncertain environment.

Brands use the power of one-thinking shopping

One-Think-Shopping means easier decisions: It means easier, faster and more trustworthy decisions. One-think shopping means that we don't have to think twice about buying a product or service.

One of the reasons why people wanted to hoard popular items was not only that they knew these items would be sold out, they also wanted to make sure they weren't running out of their favorite items that they felt most comfortable with.

The companies that make brands that we know and prefer reflect our One Think Shopping approach to decision making in their earnings. We attract our favorite brands for many reasons. A particularly important reason that marketers must always keep an eye on is that brands are one-think shopping. Brands make decision-making easier. Brands take the uncertainty out of shopping. And the last thing we need more today is uncertainty.

Contribution to Branding Strategy Insider by: Larry Light, CEO of Arcature

At The Blake Project, we support clients from all over the world at all stages of development. Redefine and articulate what makes them competitive in critical moments of change through online strategy workshops. Please email us for more.

Brand Strategy Insider is a service from The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy that specializes in brand research, brand strategy, brand growth and brand building

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