Marketing Insights to Navigate the Coronavirus Pandemic – Weekly Recap of News You Can Use

Week of May 18, 2020

Greetings from the home office.

As business shifts from crisis survival mode to adaptation and long-term recovery, brands could find that some pivots made to their core offering and marketing strategies prove to be long-lasting. Both a blessing and a curse, the pandemic accelerated the timeline for innovation. The urgency of the situation also forced greater collaboration across not only departments but geography. In this roundup, we’re taking a look at how messaging strategy and consumer behavior have evolved and what marketers can expect as states slowly begin to reopen and we all attempt to regain a sense of normalcy.

How is messaging strategy evolving?

“During these uncertain and unprecedented times of social distancing and quarantine, remember we are all in this together as we adjust to the new normal. Stay safe.”

Sound familiar? It certainly feels like just another version of every other brand’s message right now. But, as the weeks roll on and brands continue to execute meaningful campaigns to secure their place in the rebound, it’s crucial to monitor messaging strategy in relation to consumer sentiment and competition.

You don’t want to say the same things everyone else is saying, but you want to acknowledge the landscape. Your message a month ago may have been wonderfully empathetic and yet disruptive, but now it sounds like everyone else’s.

Are consumers tired of COVID-19 messaging? Are ads resonating? Is it time to change themes? It depends. This study by Ace Metrix shows brands are having a harder time breaking through the clutter in a sea of sameness. However, opportunity still exists to connect with consumers using pandemic related messaging, but it will take a fresh creative approach to capture viewer attention. Learn more.

Source:  Ace Metrix

With the 2020 Olympics postponed, what’s a sponsor to do? Press pause on the campaigns they’ve spent two years perfecting or pivot to adapt to the circumstances? Here’s a look at what each brand is doing with their $100 million buy-in to the four-year stint in The Olympic Partners program. Learn more.

The disparate opposition in opinions on how the pandemic is being handled makes a brand marketer’s job even more difficult. No matter what you do, you can’t appeal to all audiences. This blog offers tips on how to tailor messaging for each channel that takes your brand, market and consumers into consideration. Learn more.

How is consumer behavior changing?

On average it takes 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic. After weeks of altered consumer behavior due to quarantine-induced lockdowns and staggering unemployment rates, it’s likely some will endure. This brief from Marketing Dive dissects Kantar’s latest COVID-19 Barometer that looks at how consumer behavior, attitudes and expectations have been impacted and what the lasting effects may be. Learn more.

This study conducted by Survata on consumer buying preferences shows that despite rethinking their total spending, consumers are choosing brand-name products over store brands or private labels in certain categories. Consumers are three times more likely to research products prior to purchase and 40 percent of respondents cited trust in the brand as the biggest influencing factor driving purchasing decisions. Learn more.

Source:  Survata

Although consumers may prefer brand-name products, supply chain shortages could force them to settle for whatever they can find on the shelf. The big question though is what the long-term impact will be. The key to regaining straying loyalists is understanding what drives the desire for a specific brand and leveraging that to connect with consumers on a deeper level. Learn more.

What should marketers expect?

This blog from Forbes considers what marketers should expect in the post-pandemic future and how to shift marketing strategies to reflect the changes in consumerism and start gaining a competitive edge now. Work now to position your business to successfully meet the pent-up demand as restrictions are lifted and consumers are back in the market for your products or services. Learn more.

Nielsen has mapped out three scenarios for re-emergence beyond the pandemic: rebound, reboot and reinvent. Scott McKenzie, Nielsen Global Intelligence Leader said, “The world is fundamentally recalibrating right now. Consumer habits are changing at pace and understanding those changes, in the context of these scenarios, will be critical as businesses prioritize how they too recalibrate to meet the changed circumstances driven by COVID-19.” Learn more.

Like Darwin said, “adapt or die.” Adapting your brand’s marketing strategies is a must for survival on the other side of the pandemic. This webinar by Nielsen provides insight into shifts in media consumption, the importance of continued advertising investment and marketing strategy action items to adapt for success. Learn more.

Compiled by Salesforce Research, the sixth annual “State of Marketing” report is based on insight from 7,000 senior marketers leading through this time of change. It underscores the importance of finding innovative ways to improve the customer experience and drive engagement. Learn more.

We hope you’ve found our compilation insightful. Stay safe and if you haven’t already, subscribe to our blog to get next week’s roundup delivered straight to your inbox.