Marketing during a pandemic....Where do we go from here?
It feels like we’ve been doing this Covid thing for years….is there an end in sight? Depends on who you ask. But it does feel like the country is slowly coming out of hibernation/quarantine…obviously, given restrictions lifting but also just mentally and emotionally. There seems to be a sense of “light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel” mindset trickling in.
In March, when marketing and businesses came to a screeching halt, there was mass confusion and terror and no one knew which direction was up or even forward. Some found their footing, some waited to see what others did and some, well some came face to face with their worst nightmare. If anything, this shutdown has shifted priorities for all of us. We stopped looking at that nicer car or bigger house and started looking at our elderly parents, our kids struggling to learn virtually and our own mental well being.
And today…this is where we are. We still like nice things but we now also realize keeping ourselves, our family and friends happy, healthy, and close to us is the key to happiness and most important in this life.
SO! That brings us to our marketing. Our messaging, tone, brand, voice, and alignment during this time is critical. You come off tone-deaf, unaware, or aloof, you will lose. What top 3 things can you do to resonate with your target audience during this time….
Read The Room
Address the elephant (err….global pandemic) in the room. At this moment in time, no one needs you to sugar coat it or see it through rose-colored glasses. We’ve all been living through the same hell. Be honest and be human.
Make a Commitment
Now is your time. Offer a long term advantage to buying your products or using your services. How can you help your customers get through these times? How are you conveying that you are here for them, for the long haul, and the “we will get through this together” attitude? Be bold and throw something out there they can grab.
Give Hope <— MOST IMPORTANT
Every message you deliver should include an image and a sense of hope. Share your vision, provide solutions, and CONFIRM to your audience that it’s coming…there are better times ahead. You KNOW it, you SEE it and you are HERE for it. Help get them there so they can look back at your company and feel like you were part of the solution.
That’s it! It’s JUST THAT EASY! LOL. I’m kidding…kind of.
Bottom line:
I ENCOURAGE you to be real and authentic. Which should be pretty easy to do. But I guess if you’re in a room full of cooks brainstorming, you will need to set the tone. Whatever we come out of this room with, it needs to be genuine. Now is not the time for fluff.
I DISCOURAGE a long term marketing plan set in stone. I know most companies threw their 2020 budget and revenue goals out the window for the year which makes sense and you should have also done that with the marketing plan you created in Dec 2019/Jan 2020. That’s not to say you can’t have a “general” or “core” idea of what you would like to do and clarify it as you go. Maybe there are certain products or services you are looking to promote this year. HOWEVER, you need to follow steps 1-3 above and keep the plan fluid and open for revisions and customization based on local, regional, and national changes. Make sure those services and products are RELEVANT right now. Stay open and willing to pivot.
And one day, we’ll look back on this time impressed at what we accomplished, we sacrificed, and frankly, what we lived through.