What does COVID have to do with marketing? Let’s be real. COVID has everything to do with everything. Humanity has fundamentally changed during the pandemic, and that has caused a re-evaluation of everything we hold dear – we’re living differently, working differently, socializing differently, buying differently, and thinking differently.
As marketers, consumers, and humans alike, these last two years have rocked what we know about ourselves and the world to our core. As a result, our attitudes, behaviours, and purchasing habits are changing, likely for the long-term.
In the long list of “what has changed during the Pandemic”, we as consumers have turned up the dial on our hyper-critical nature and infinitely increased our purchasing considerations. Our expectations for brands have intensified. We’re tuned in and are rallying behind brands we believe in – those who hold the same values as us. Our patience for nonsense has wained and we crave realness now more than ever. Above all, we have realized the power our purchasing dollar holds, and our true value as consumers.
As we continue to push forward and forge a new world order, it’s time to reconsider your brand strategy and ask yourself – am I answering what today’s consumer demands?
As public relations experts, we have always been advocates of the value and necessity of relationships. And in recent years, this pillar of PR has only strengthened. Now more than ever, relationships are worth their weight in gold, hyper-personalization is the new expectation, and purpose driven brands conquer. If your business hasn’t already considered it, now is the time to respond to these important consumer behaviours and ensure you’re living these characteristics in your brand strategy.
Six brand strategy principles that are king in the (post) COVID era:
- Authenticity – Consumers are craving real and raw. Historically, all lines of brand marketing (from social to advertising and everything in between) aired on the side of perfection. Perfectly posed shoots, photoshop, and canned messaging dominated our lives. But not today. During COVID, we as humans shed the need to be perfect. We’re wearing less make-up, being more candid about life behind the camera, and sharing approachable content about the ‘everyday’. Brands are celebrated for saying no to photoshopping and are casting diverse and inclusive ambassadors that represent real people. Above all else, brands who know who they are, act authentically to themselves, and are relatable to their customer will win.
- Relationships – We’ve said it once, we’ll say it again. And again. And again, until it catches hold. The importance of relationships isn’t a new concept, but their value has only amplified. Brands should look for any and all opportunities to build relationships with everyone. Cultivate community. Make every interaction feel like your only one. Your interaction should feel less corporate and more authentic (yes, these principles are very much connected).
- Hyper-Personalization – This can extend to many different lines of your business from PR and marketing to packing, distribution, and social media management. The effort here should make whomever you’re speaking to, be it a customer, media, influencer, or your staff feel like a VIP – because they are. How can you make the experience with this one person that much more memorable? It’s the smallest of gestures that often mean the most, and today’s consumer respects these small but mighty efforts.
- Purpose Driven Brands and Programming – What do you stand for? Can you clearly articulate it in 10 seconds? Is it meaningful? Does it do good in the world? As brands become more human, there is a real requirement to do good and to stand for something beyond yourself that is intrinsically connected to the ethos of your business. And it should come from the heart. It can be connected to the business you do tangibly, but it doesn’t have to be, as long as the story is real and the reason is true. Be classy in communicating about your good, stay humble, and work with a skilled PR team to articulate the good news when the time is right.
- Transparency – Linking back to authenticity is transparency. Always be truthful, transparent, and open with your customer. Why? Because transparency cultivates trust, and trust is critical in any human relationship. When brands form strong relationships with customers, customer loyalty quickly follows, and this is the pinnacle of brand success. A strong, dedicated base of engaged, loyal, and testimonial-wielding brand believers is the holy grail of marketing.
- Digital Personas – A brand that knows who they are and can clearly articulate and represent it in creative form on social media will win in most cases. All of these principles feed into the creation of a digital personality that will reflect your authentic self, humanize your brand, and resonate with your customer in real and relevant ways. Keeping these brand identity considerations at the forefront of your social media strategy will help you build a social community that consumers will want to be a part of. Build it well, and they shall come!
In short, know who you are as a brand, be yourself, treat your brand as a human, and most certainly, your customers as one too. It may seem obvious, but this approach is mastered by few. If you put in the work and commit to the process you can not only navigate but master the changing consumer landscape.
Until next time,
Your friends at atomic