Cities around the country are opening back up and businesses that were forced to close are restarting their operations. But lifting of social distancing guidelines won’t necessarily bring customers back.
This pandemic has in many ways permanently altered the markets and environments in which businesses operate, and some of those changes will only start to become clear as we set about trying to resume our normal lives. But life as we once knew it might still be years away from returning.
Despite all the economic and personal stresses, the need for marketing executives to re-evaluate their brand’s marketing and refocus their messaging cannot be overstated. Now, more than ever, authentic messaging is imperative to a brand’s survival. Here are some thoughts on how to evaluate your brand messaging through the next transition.
- Go back to the basics and review what problem you’re addressing for your customers and what value you provide to them. Your customers’ priorities have surely changed, so your brand might not have the same value proposition you had three months ago.
- Be clear with your communication and open about your challenges. Let your customers know exactly how you’ve been handling this crisis, as well as how you plan to move forward as social distancing rules are relaxed and the economy opens back up again. Be honest and human.
- Understand that your customer has changed. Be sensitive to their public health concerns, and figure out what they need from your brand in terms of community and brand values.
- Try to avoid jumping on the bandwagon of whatever industry you’re in. Whatever your competitors are doing, look for ways you can differentiate and focus on where you can provide the most value.
- Be prepared to pivot. Both economic uncertainty and a rapidly changing information landscape are likely to remain with us for a while. Both conditions will require your brand to be flexible and agile.
Coronavirus-induced lockdowns have taken a huge toll on the economy already, and the journey for your business and your brand is far from over. But as we chart a path back to something closer to what we once knew, there will be opportunities as well as challenges. Make sure you set up your marketing strategy in such a way that you’ll be positioned to take advantage of them.
Image: Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash