Effective Marketing Strategies During COVID-19
The coronavirus has forced us to reevaluate many aspects of our lives, leading to talk of a “new normal.” There’s hardly anything that won’t be affected once restrictions are lifted and we try to strike a balance living with a virus while still going about our business. Marketing isn’t immune to these changes, either.
How to Establish Brand Recognition & Trust During a Crisis
The World Federation of Advertisers shared the results from a recent survey and the numbers are compelling: over 80 percent of large advertisers are holding off on ad campaigns and almost 60 percent have decreased their budgets “somewhat” or “greatly.” Even well-established Fortune 500 companies are affected.
Savvy marketers understand that even in times of crisis there is opportunity to be found. Those companies that are innovative and can figure out smart ways to promote their brands and products have the ability to not only survive, but thrive, during the pandemic.
Doing so takes ingenuity and skill, especially given the drawback of decreased face-to-face interaction with customers. Those companies that have developed smart online marketing campaigns, bypassing the need for traditional in-person contact, have been rewarded with sales. Auto dealerships are an excellent example. The point of marketing is to create brand trust and loyalty; consumers who have heard of brands previously—especially if they have had positive experiences in the past—are more likely to buy those brands again. Many consumers don’t even want to talk to salespeople until they have developed knowledge of the brand; successful marketing strategies play up this idea by creating a sales funnel that attracts the right prospects: educated consumers who know what they want. This sets the stage for the salesperson to step in and close the sale.
Another good tool for establishing brand awareness and trust is public relations. When consumers encounter positive press about a brand, they are more likely to seek out that company’s products and engage with their salespeople. Smart marketers learn to harness the power of media, in effect relying on them to create validation.
So, what can you do right now to create positive brand recognition and turn a negative into a positive? Experts recommend promoting your company’s COVID-19 response and focusing on your customer appreciation efforts. In these trying times, that gives you a good head start toward opportunity.