COVID-19’s rapid growth into a global pandemic has without a doubt completely altered the dynamics of how brands are managing their marketing and advertising. We have witnessed firsthand how TV commercials for big name brands such as Google, Frito-Lay, Ford, Walmart, and Apple have shifted their messaging around highlighting people especially essential workers, not their products.
Many brands have re-invented themselves, some within days, utilizing their staff, materials and equipment to support the efforts to ensure medical supplies, PPE’s and masks are no longer scarce. This pivot has allowed their team members to stay employed and their businesses afloat.
In both examples proactive steps in a very reactive world.
It is common in a crisis to lean heavily towards a reactionary frame of mind. Unforeseen circumstances cause a majority of us to reflexively knee jerk because it is part of how we are wired as humans to deal with danger. We are seeing these behaviors exponentially infiltrate both our personal and professional lives right now. It’s expected and normal.
However, the absolute best thing you can do for your brand as a business owner, in the midst of all of the uncertainty is to attempt to anticipate the changes across consumer markets and consider unplanned opportunities amongst the seemingly endless obstacles.
Yes, that is a big ask but more and more we are seeing organizations and people doing exactly that. It should make us mindful that most of us can make lemonade out of lemons by stepping into a proactive mindset.
We have mentioned in some of our most recent blogs that Re-tool® recalibrated our business model at least for the short term. It just makes a whole lot of sense. In doing so, it can provide some control for businesses in a situation that feels very out of everyone’s control.
Evaluating and creating a plan to maximize your brand (and budget) while staying ahead and optimizing, needs to be done NOW in order to remain relevant and top of mind with your customers as many continue to navigate the pandemic’s fallout.
You want your raving fans to continue finding comfort or relief or joy from your offerings and with a new normal evolving for everyone, cultivating new raving fans might be easier than you think. The latter might be consumers finding themselves adopting new buying behaviors, new passion pursuits,or experiencing new reflections on life. Those are golden opportunities that we are hopeful for as people re-engage with brands (and us with them).
Marketing campaigns and content planning need to be reconsidered and messaging and narrative recalculated to ensure it is appropriate at the present time. Read a great article here on doing so.
With so much on people’s collective minds, you want to tame, not trigger, you want to educate or inform, and you want to define/refine your solutions in a way that suits evolving pain points. Be vulnerable with your brand, showcase or share what is going on with it currently, in real time. Have you made any changes, shuffles or a complete shift in your service suite? Tell your audience about it.
We are advising many of our own clients to get back to their roots as well as tell their stories of navigating COVID-19 and deliver clear, value-driven campaigns which can create more viability for their brand now and down the line as everyone takes gradual steps forward towards our new normal.
