With people spending more time than ever in their homes during lockdowns, it’s been a busy few months for the team at Made.com. The homeware and furniture brand has seen a massive surge in demand for its products, yet social distancing measures have also made it much harder to get items out of factories and warehouses and into people’s living rooms. With coronavirus upturning our daily routines and shopping habits, the brand’s creative team have had to rethink planned events and communications, and work out how to engage with consumers and press in the absence of physical events or in-store shopping, all while being sensitive to the fact that we are in the midst of a global public health crisis.

For chief creative officer Jo Jackson, this period has provided some important lessons in preparing for the unexpected. It’s also inspired new ways of working, and given her a whole new perspective on brand purpose. Here, Jackson reflects on what the pandemic has meant for Made – and what changes she would like to see in the world of retail.