2020: Long-Term Impacts on Marketing

Entrepreneur.com shared a fantastic article this week, titled: 5 Ways Marketing Strategy Has Changed Permanently – and it really got us thinking, what does this new world we live in mean for our industry?

We can all agree that 2020 has changed the way we wash our hands, and the way we socialize, work, and have fun, and this year has had an obvious impact on industries such as travel and venue-based entertainment. But, what has it meant for an industry that was already quite “digital”? The major benefit to working in marketing is that our industry is all about trends. Our industry is innately diverse, and you, as a marketer, can find opportunities in any sub-industry. With that, it’s an industry that makes weathering the storm of this new normal just that little bit easier; if you’re able to identify which waves to ride, and which to hop off.

“It is up to the marketer to understand how their industries are changing (rapidly!), adapt to these changes, be agile with marketing strategies and implement marketing strategies to attract new customers and make them brand loyal.” – Entrepreneur.com

This Entrepreneur.com article shared some great tips, and they really struck a chord with us. So, we thought we’d share our takeaways with you!

Shifting Away from Face-to-Face Interaction, Towards Online Experiences:

The first, and most obvious long-term change that comes to mind is the move away from in-person meetings – particularly large conferences. But what else could be shifting in favor of online? I for one, used to be an absolute sucker for in-person shopping experiences, and rarely bought anything without the ability to feel and see something first. Now, however, I can say that my in-person shopaholic tendencies are far behind me, and I’m learning to love this new shop-from-home life. With that, the brands that I have gravitated towards are those that give me the best possible online shopping experiences, that perhaps afford me the luxury of an as-close-to-real-life experience as possible. Warby Parker, a prime example of this, now let’s you try on their frames using your phone’s selfie camera – and it’s pretty awesome! From retail, to networking brands and industries that leverage technology to offer “real-life” experiences from the comfort and safety of home are likely here to stay!

Riding A New Wave of Social Responsibility:

A second interesting consideration that this article made was the idea of a long-term shift towards greater social responsibility! This has been a trying year for the entire world, and it’s safe to say that 2020 has left its mark on every single one of us. With that, a new wave of empathy is apparent, and many businesses – from small to large – are doing what they can to make this world a better place. Though, as the article states, it’s not just about making a statement to tell the world that you’re feeling their pain: It states, “Having a socially responsible marketing strategy means that your company does good work for the community. Starbucks continued to pay wages for workers even when they could not work. Many healthcare systems have provided free healthcare. Old Navy donated $30 million worth of clothes to those in need. These types of actions endear customers to a brand and promote brand loyalty.”

Mobilizing Consumers with Health-Based Messaging:

Remember the days when not offering a handshake was considered rude? Now, I can’t think of a situation where a handshake from a stranger wouldn’t be met with a frown and a swift dousing of hand sanitizer shortly thereafter! The global population is more aware than ever of their health and the cleanliness of their environment, so be sure to capitalize on this new focus! While we are unlikely to see a population of germophobes that sustains for decades, we will likely see a positive shift towards effective marketing messaging as it relates to health. Pay attention to trending key-words and search terms, and make sure that whatever you’re doing is in the line of focus for your audience. If your audience is searching for hand sanitizer during a global pandemic, now probably isn’t the best opportunity to pump advertising dollars into finger-food that can be shared at a large gathering. 2020 is not the time for double-dipping those pretzel sticks…

Getting Ahead of Your Consumers with Customer Service-Centric Messaging:

How many times have you heard your grandma say that she’d rather drive to the bank to speak with a teller, than to spend time trying to figure out the online banking app? Well, in 2020 and likely in our future, this kind of interpersonal interaction may no longer be an option! Not just for our less-tech-savvy relatives, but for all consumers, brands are having to ensure top-quality customer service at all times. Modern consumers have access to so much online, which often means tough competition between brands to win their business. With that, great customer service remains an absolutely imperative component of the online marketplace. What does this mean for you as a marketer? It may not be the case that you have anything to do with your client’s online chat-bot, but try crafting your messaging in a way that answers consumers’ questions before they have the chance to ask them. The fewer roadblocks that exist in the customer buying experience, the better!

Creating a Conversation with Content Marketing:

Gone are the days of selling products without a purpose, or without a story. Through content marketing, brands are able to connect with their consumers on a deeper level, and build that kind of brand loyalty that will bring them to the top in our “new” world. Particularly now, meeting consumers where they are at, (online), through social media sites and other online platforms, will be all the more important. I, for one, have spent a whole lot more time on Facebook than I have community past freeway bill boards, so it’s to be expected that brands will be adjusting their budgets and strategies to align with the demographic changes of the future.

We hope the insights into this article have been as interesting to you as they were for our team! As an industry, we depend so heavily on what is happening in the world around us, and many of the decisions that we make are based on our consumers. We’d love to hear what your thoughts are on the long-term implications of CoVID on the marketing industry! Ping us a message on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn and join in the conversation!