At this point, it’s probably cliché to say “what a difference a month makes!” – but here we are. The last month has seen our entire global ecosystem challenged in ways it has never been before. And it’s having a massive effect on everyone’s lives, both personally and professionally.
We’re seeing it everywhere: feelings of uncertainty, fear, anger, and grief. But we’re also witnessing some of the best we have on offer: courage, tenacity, and unity. And with that comes the promise of a future where we will not only survive, but prosper.
And we’re also going to change. We are used to seeing hundreds, if not thousands of messages in our daily lives. So how has this global pandemic changed them? Social sentiment has clearly shifted, and messaging should shift with it.
I consider myself a student of my profession; I’m always learning, and curious to determine what’s next. At this point, I’m looking at companies (big and small) and paying close attention to how they react and communicate in such uncertain times. Many are asking the essential question: How do we navigate this?
Are Marketing and Communications even appropriate right now?
As with all business functions, common sense is a prudent first step when it comes to messaging. But between the two disciplines – marketing and communications – what is the priority? Should they be prioritized at all?
The answer is yes…..and no. Let’s play this out.
First rule: Know your audience. Second rule: Know your audience.
For all businesses, the two most important recipients of your messaging are your customers, and your employees. And at this juncture, knowing what they need to hear is vital. What’s necessary to ensure their health and well-being? What problem does each audience want to solve? What need does each audience want addressed? And once this is determined, what is the best way to reach them?
What is essential vs. what is discretionary?
This is a hot topic right now. If you listen to state and federal officials, these two words have been spoken a lot in the past 6 weeks. This distinction has become part of the current climate, albeit with varying opinions on the subject. To that end, businesses should be taking a good look at themselves and asking the same question: do we manufacture or provide products or services that are essential or discretionary? Sometimes this answer isn’t black or white. But where the answer lies on the spectrum helps inform messaging strategies moving forward.
Marketing and Communications? Marketing or Communications? Neither? Both?
Let’s start with marketing.
For as long as I’ve been in this industry, I’ve heard varying opinions of what marketing is. Often I hear, “It’s promoting, advertising, influencing, persuading.” All true. But it is much more than that. Marketing should be every conversation, and every experience anyone has with your brand that helps them solve a problem, address a want, or a need. This is what ultimately defines your brand.
As to whether or how you should be marketing right now depends on the answer to the aforementioned question: do we manufacture or provide products or services that are essential or discretionary? Again, the answer determines how you should adapt your marketing strategy.
Here are a couple scenarios: If you’ve determined that you aren’t providing an essential product or service (think food, medicine, healthcare, social services, supply chain, banking and the like) you may just want to dial back advertising right now. Do I want to be receiving two emails a day from one of my favorite clothing brands telling me the incredible offers they have on their new collections? Sure, it would be nice to take them up on their offer. But right now, in lieu of a mortgage, car payment, insurance, tuition, utilities…….you get the point. Offering me huge discounts is attractive, but given there is no acknowledgement of the times we’re living in right now, all that approach is doing is commoditizing their brand.
To be clear, do brands need to keep selling to stay afloat? You bet. It’s not that they are messaging me….it’s how they are messaging me. There are other options. Starting or accelerating content marketing is another story. This is an opportunity to all at once stay authentic and acknowledge the elephant in the room (empathy is a must!), tell your story, let customers know you’re still open for business, and let them make the decision to buy or not. There are paid, earned, shared and owned assets any business can utilize – they don’t all necessarily need to be implemented together to stay connected with your prospects and customers.
In addition, thinking of alternative audiences, category prospects, and different uses for your products may be a great idea right now. I’ve seen multiple regional craft breweries temporarily shift their production to making hand sanitizer. They are promoting this via content marketing, and building tremendous goodwill for their brands, creating an essential product, and producing an entirely new product line, all in a matter of weeks. Other businesses have begun to investigate new channel distribution that they had slated to consider much later in their company evolution. Why now? Because they suddenly have the bandwidth, and these other channels may provide viable options for distribution and revenue. Shifting go-to-market plans to address new audiences could be the key to sustainability during this time.
If you’ve determined that you are providing an essential product or service, the answer is a bit clearer. Your brand is already in demand, and now is the time to do right by your customers. Providing alternatives to access is critical. In just a few short weeks many companies have shifted to at home delivery services, improved telemedicine options, new online banking features, virtual events, webinars, and e-commerce solutions, to name a few. These methods are being tested right now, but suffice it to say, they are here to stay and will become more mainstream as we move forward.
Which brings us to communications.
Nature abhors a vacuum. Especially now.
In this age of media proliferation, social connectivity, and people just searching for reliable, trustworthy information, telling your own story is incredibly important right now. It may be referred to as “controlling the narrative”, but who better to deliver critical information about a company than the company itself? In the absence of communications, employees, prospects and customers may reach their own conclusions, or worse yet, assume the business is no longer viable.
Let’s start with employees. Whether a small business or a Fortune 500 enterprise, connecting with employees personally and collectively, is vital right now. And be transparent. Chances are employees are anxious, afraid, and motivated to keep working. Many companies have to pivot quickly to remain solvent, and regular and transparent communications to these employees is critical to maintaining trust. And, as indicated before, empathy is an imperative right now. Tough decisions are being made in almost every company worldwide; these are not decisions that are made lightly, or without consequence. If you’re able, reach out to your HR partners and work with them to ensure you’re all on the same page, and that employee’s well-being is a priority.
Communicating with your customers isn’t really that much different from communicating with your employees. The same rules apply: connect with them collectively, and if at all possible, connect with them personally. Collectively, regular communications from the CEO, Owner, Founder, President, etc., are mandatory. Be empathetic (there’s that word again!). Let them know you recognize the uncertain times we’re all facing, the challenges they are facing, and that you’re there to help in any way possible. And whenever possible, inform them on the state of your company, and how you plan to adapt and change business models to address immediate service and continuity issues.
And, now is the time for all of your employees to reach out to customers as well as vendors and partners. Your employees are the best face of your brand, and they have forged relationships with many people. The most genuine thing any employee can do right now is to check in with them, ask how they are doing, and yes, thank them for their business, support and/or partnership.
Lastly, and just a practical tip, if your business is not in the medical field, is not collecting information on this pandemic, and in no way is associated with regional, state, federal or international health officials, don’t dispense data or advice regarding the current pandemic. While the temptation is there to want to help and offer good, practical advice, this can put your company in an accountable position and set a precedent you may regret later. If you want to help and provide accurate and current information, include links to the appropriate health and medical authorities in your communications.
As I mentioned before, I consider myself a student of my profession; always learning, and curious to determine what’s next. To that end, I invite and look forward to any feedback that can help us all navigate these unprecedented times.