Marketing in the Face of Uncertainty

There is no doubt that we are living in unprecedented times with a global pandemic, political and social unrest, and an overall uncertain economic environment. As a marketing agency, we have had to frequently ask ourselves how we best guide our clients through all of the uncertainty while keeping brand messages in front of potential customers. 

In a world where information is at the tip of our fingers, it is easy to get bogged down with all that is being thrown at us. Over the past few months, as pandemic and political conversations have flooded our social news feeds and mindshare, it has become increasingly difficult to reach consumers with brand and product messaging. Additionally, our clients have reached out asking how to be supportive and responsive in digital while not coming across as tone-deaf to what is happening in the world.

To best support our clients during this time, we have had to take a step back and assess the core strategies of our clients. Being nimble and open-minded is key. Our team is awake early each day evaluating the news and social climate so that we can best advise our clients. Changes are made to content daily so that messages are timely and sensitive. 

In a digital year such as this where there is no example to follow, we’ve put together a list for our clients to refer to as we all navigate this uncertain time of marketing (and life) together:

1. Remain flexible. We love having a long-term plan that outlines our client’s goals, strategies, and promotional calendars. But in a world where things change daily, we all have to be adaptable. We still aim to keep meeting business goals together, but we may need to tweak how we reach those goals based on how tactics we implement are performing– and what is happening in the world.
2. Be informed. Making sure that we are in the loop with what is going on in the world and how consumers are getting their information is vital to the success of a business. Also, being aware of how consumers expect brands to react during this hypersensitive time is important. We’re working right alongside our clients to stay in the loop and craft relevant communications.
3. Stay relevant. It is important to continue to provide value to your customers. For example, if your industry’s major trade show has been canceled, build your own virtual trade show experience or distribute a digital lookbook of new products. Now is the time to ensure your digital properties are in top-notch shape and get creative in how you appeal to your audience while people are social distancing– but desire to stay connected.

We don’t all know what the weeks, months, and year ahead look like– but we do know that businesses must stay afloat and consumers still have needs. Businesses that stay a step ahead and proactively communicate with authenticity will come out on top, and we’d love to work with you to guide you through this season of uncertainty. We’ll all get through this and come out on the other side, together.