In a devastating pandemic that is affecting nearly every citizen and business, some are struggling more than others. Research shows that there are racial and ethnic disparities among the afflicted, with Black and Hispanic/Latino communities being hit disproportionately harder by Covid-19 than white communities.
In the past, a company’s brand image was a lot easier to craft. Brands were more isolated and could count on consumers to buy their products even if they maintained their distance. With the world becoming more connected, brands have had to shift their focus. Today’s consumers, especially the younger ones, are more drawn to brands they can personally identify with.
With social distancing protocols and shelter in place orders part of life these days, businesses have had to become more creative in engaging their audience. Livestreaming sites offer these companies the perfect chance to do so. The sector has seen massive growth between March and April of 2020 because of how many businesses are trying it out as a means of marketing outreach.
The novel coronavirus. National and state lockdowns. Black Lives Matter. Police protests. Corporate diversity (or more often, the lack thereof) landing in the spotlight. Suffice to say that 2020 has been through no shortage of major historic events so far, including a growing demand for brands to do more than offer lip service when it comes to their stance on some of the major issues confronting consumers today.
It’s not exactly an easy time to be in the business of looking ahead as a marketer, as the ever-changing Covid-19 situation continues to impact consumers and businesses. Challenging as it may be, however, this is when retailers need to start thinking about holiday plans — and preparing for what is likely to be an unusual shopping season.
It’s no secret that influencer marketing has taken the industry by storm. Most brands that want to make a name for themselves on social media have partnered with an influencer that appeals to their goals.
Many marketers across the world are having to reevaluate plans for 2020 while consumer needs and interests shift during the Covid-19 pandemic. The concept of a “new normal” is fluid: state regulations are changing at different rates and, of course, even in a shared experience, each family and individual is affected in vastly different ways.
Marketing strategies require input from both the company doing the campaign and the ad agency itself. Clients need to be kept “in the loop” for them to have a chance of doing their part in a campaign. Sadly, many agencies lack a defined strategy for informing clients, while many customers tend to leave the reins of the campaign fully in the hands of the agency and don’t offer their input even when required.
It surely isn’t news to you that influencer marketing has been criticized for having a diversity problem. As blogger Stephanie Yeboah wrote last year, “by exclusively using white influencers to tout holiday experiences, beauty and skincare products and fashion pieces, the story being told is that these experiences are only available to white people.”
But how can a company best apply marketing principles to attracting talent? Twelve contributors to Forbes Agency Council explore this subject in great detail, using examples they’ve witnessed themselves.
One of the most innovative approaches to marketing in the last year has been the growth of experiential marketing. By making the audience part of the marketing push, companies have managed to generate more interest in their products as a result. Even so, this type of marketing takes a lot of setup, and many businesses aren’t sure they’re ready to invest in the trend of experiential marketing as yet.
Companies and organizations have had to make a lot of changes in recent weeks — from operations to services to figuring out what kind of brand messaging strikes the right tone during a pandemic. Many businesses are also faced with the brand-new challenge of adjusting to remote work. As we all do our best to stay home and #FlattenTheCurve, how can businesses best help their employees stay connected and productive?