The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a crisis as "a situation in which a difficult or important decision has to be made.” In the economy, the difficult and important decisions taken in response to changes caused by a pandemic will have a lasting impact. Given the far-reaching effects of the global financial crisis and increasing climate change, there is no doubt that we are now in the midst of a "crisis." But how should we face up to this new reality and respond to this crisis?
At Digidarts, we believe that our experience in helping clients transition to pandemic-centric marketing via our performance marketing services in response to COVID-19 has provided valuable insights. By learning three important lessons from this experience, companies of all kinds can develop effective strategies to adapt to these unprecedented times.
Don’t Just Advertise - Educate
As the coronavirus crisis worsened, companies quickly shifted their business models to services that were not generally accepted before. For example, according to data cited by eMarketer, 14% of consumers had never heard of telemedicine before the COVID-19 outbreak and only 28% of physicians offered it as an option. The rapid transition from traditional medicine to telecommunications is a huge undertaking, but, as many healthcare customers are doing, it is fast becoming the new normal.
Your brand message must shift from advertising to education and ensure that consumers have access to the most up-to-date information about your company and its services. Your website also needs to be updated to add features that take into account virtual office visits.
Develop a control panel to easily manage, update and assign different messages to specific offices. Develop control panels for each of these systems and strategic approaches to ensure that you can adapt quickly and effectively. The key to success is to combine strategic planning with precise execution. Align your company's offerings with the changing needs of society and enable it to adapt quickly to changes, effectively expand its new approaches and change for the company.
Without adapting to the new normal, all your work is in vain until it is the one you know and love, not the old one. That is why it is essential to spread the word convincingly through all channels, including educating people on how to seek medical help in uncertain times.
Push the Limits of Creativity
Try to find creative ways to meet people's new needs, rather than sticking exclusively to what you have done in the past. For example, you can implement a weekly e-mailer that educates audiences about how the pandemic is affecting different aspects of digital marketing services. This can be supplemented with interesting data, beautiful graphics, and exceptional content.
Companies who adopt explosively creative ways are better at connecting with audiences and adapting to the new normal. For example, the introduction of customized face masks by one of our clients led to increased awareness about and sale of face masks, while allowing audiences to flaunt their sense of style. By responding to new needs in a new way during this time, it is possible to ensure the long-term success of your company and its customers in this new environment.
Survival of the Kindest
By adapting to changing conditions, businesses are more likely to help meet the needs of their consumers and serve the greater good. With a creative emphasis on words and the pursuit of greater value, businesses will be able to address the COVID-19 crisis effectively. Find out ways in which how your company can serve the greater good and make sure the tide turns with a quick press release. You can share your efforts with your audience and create a win-win situation for a great story.
This only serves to highlight that companies that adapt to the new normal can not only survive today's conditions but also prepare to prosper in the future. After all, our human race, while propagating the survival of the fittest, should also lay emphasis on the survival of the kindest. These times warrant more empathy than ever before. Once we, as businesses and people understand this, the world might end up healing a little.
