The world of marketing is changing

04 May 2020 / Neil Pendrey

And as you’d expect, digital marketing is becoming increasingly important as a channel to reach customers during this time. Many more professionals are seeking and consuming digital content, with many CEO’s leading the communications, delivering compassionate messages out to their workforce and offering support to their customers. Some businesses are exploring Webinars following event cancellations, identifying partnerships and producing utility content. Content ideas ranging from general hints and tips, articles, to downloadable guides or even remote training. Social and digital channels have become more important than ever.

The big brands are acting fast, shifting comms from sales messaging to delivering empathy and compassion – quickly re-evaluating current marketing plans, adapting and changing creative and Ad messaging. Filtering down, we’re seeing a similar shift within smaller organisations, using simpler communications to build closer connections and offer support to customers.

Businesses of all sizes need to ask themselves what they can do to provide a meaningful contribution. This is an opportunity to give something back, but also to me remembered and build loyalty. There has been a wonderful sense of community with brands refocusing their businesses to innovate and create products, changing and adapting their production lines to create medical supplies and delivering food and supplies to key workers and people in need. It’s a time of incredible change, and those who play their part will be remembered and recognised in the months ahead.

There have also been moments of brilliance and inspiration from unexpected heroes. The nation-wide Clap for our Carers campaign which went viral after Annemarie Plas, from Brixton, made a poster and started sharing it on WhatsApp before building a website with GoDaddy. And of course, Captain Tom Moore, who has captured the hearts of the nation and has raised within just two weeks more than 20% of the total raised by Live Aid.

As we work with our clients, we are focusing on some core topics:

The here and now
• Helping businesses maintain connections with their customers
• Communicating on a more human level, acknowledging that we’re all in this together

Adapting to survive
• Repackaging products and services to suit people’s current needs
• Using digital channels and video to replace conventional communications

Looking ahead at the future
• Creating messaging and planning return to work campaigns
• Learning from what worked in lockdown and re-inventing marketing for the ‘new normal’

Covid-19 is having a significant impact to many businesses, with social distancing likely to remain an important requirement going forward. But businesses are finding new ways to adapt, using new tools and approaches to work collaboratively, seek out new opportunities and make their offerings relevant for a new world.