Feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of resources regarding marketing during the COVID crisis? Have you bookmarked more content than you could possibly get through in a week? Wish someone would just distill all that information into easy, bite-sized bits?
You’re in luck! We did just that.
Top Stories on Digital Transformation During the Health Crisis
In the midst of a national lockdown, many companies have had to quickly and unexpectedly transition to doing business digitally. Here are the top stories about how you can leverage technology and digital channels to keep your business running smoothly.
- Preparing Your Business for a Post-Pandemic World – HBR
- With the future so uncertain, it’s tempting for businesses to focus solely on immediate needs. However, the Harvard Business Review recommends a 5-step preparedness plan aimed at readying businesses for a post-pandemic world. Based on the 5 P’s strategy from management theorist Henry Mintzberg, HBR suggests businesses focus on position, plan, perspective, projects, and preparedness as you keep an eye to the future. If you’re still unsure what actions to take, check out our recent blog post and see how Neoscape can help.
- 5 Messaging Tips to Help Brand Marketers Navigate the Pitfalls of Coronavirus – TNW
- The Next Web shares a few practical tips for communicating in a time of crisis. For example: A study from Marketing Week and eConsultancy found that over half of brands are considering delaying their campaigns and slashing budgets, as they figure out what exactly they’re facing. But keeping quiet could create even worse risks than putting a foot wrong. Currently, we have no idea when or how the virus will subside or how the various restrictions will be lifted. It may be gradual, taking place over months. If your brand is maintaining radio silence now, at what point is it no longer insensitive to start putting out messaging again? If it takes until the fall for things to start feeling “normal again,” your customers could forget about your brand entirely.”
- With in-person shoots out of the question, advertisers turn to CGI- Digiday
- Since in-person film and photo shoots have been called off for the foreseeable future, businesses are turning to agencies to get creative with computer graphics and animation. The challenges and opportunities associated with this seismic shift are not only logistical and budgetary, but educational. As marketers look for new solutions, some of the work involved is simply learning from agencies what is possible.
Top Marketing Strategy Pivots This Month
Businesses and brands must always remain agile with their marketing, but our ability to adapt has never been put to a tougher test. With the COVID-19 pandemic constantly evolving, companies have to be able to pivot their marketing strategies as the situation changes, sometimes weekly and even daily. Read through some top examples of great marketing this month for inspiration!
- This PSA About Social Distancing Is the Most Effective So Far – Adweek
- So far, the Ohio Department of Health is the frontrunner for “Most Creative Coronavirus PSA” – and the thing that makes it so great is how simple it is. Mousetraps + ping pong balls = possibly the best marketing video of the month. Check out the video here if you haven’t already seen it on social media.
- Bill Murray Returns for Jeep Because Every Day Feels the Same Now – Adweek
- Jeep managed to put together a campaign that looks out for the public good (#StayOffTheRoad), stays true to the brand and promotes the company all at the same time. That’s the magic of Bill Murray and an adaptable marketing team!
- Chipotle’s CMO on how the brand quickly pivoted in response to coronavirus – Marketing Dive
- In a recent interview, Marketing Dive talks with Chipotle’s CMO on how the company quickly pivoted its marketing plan in the wake of Coronavirus. Top tips include: “You have to have a good sense of who your brand is, what it can do and what people want it to do, and you have to be really decisive.”
Top Tips for Social Media and Email During Quarantine
Since virtually all communication has gone online, companies are taking an extra-close look at the possibilities offered by social media and email. Read through some of the most interesting opinion pieces on social and email in the age of coronavirus.
- Reducing Digital Marketing Due to COVID-19? Read This First
- Thinking of reducing your digital marketing spend in an effort to be more efficient with your overall marketing budget due to COVID-19? Search Engine Land shares a few helpful strategies for allocating spend while maximizing results during this turbulent time.
- It took a global pandemic, but Facebook Live is back in favor
- As people continue to stay home, live-streaming platforms like Facebook Live are quickly gaining popularity, with the number of U.S. users watching live videos on the platform surging 50% compared to February, according to Facebook. From virtual festivals to weekly game shows, companies are finding new ways to engage and entertain fans and customers online.
- Social media is a must during pandemic according to business expert
- With stay-at-home orders in place for the foreseeable future, it’s imperative that companies and businesses find creative ways to maintain connections with customers. Social media is a simple, cost-effective means of communication, and a great way to engage with your audience remotely. If you’re new to social media, the Neoscape team is here to help. Check out some of our digital offerings to learn more.
- 5 Things To Avoid on Social Media in the Wake of a Crisis
- Did you dust off your crisis communication plan to find it was more dust than plan? You’re not alone. According to experts: “In 2019, a study by PR News revealed something truly astounding: While more than 60 percent of businesses claim to have a crisis management plan, only half said that their plan was up-to-date – and many admitted they had never seen it or didn’t know what it entailed. What’s more, few have considered how social media plays into their crisis communications; while often not the first line of connection with employees or the public, social media is nonetheless an efficient way to share news, instruction, and updates. The question is: Are you using it correctly?”
- Smaller Marketing Budgets and Increased SEO Focus During COVID-19
- In light of these unprecedented circumstances, business owners may feel like there’s little within their control. However, rest assured there are options left in your playbook to help maintain business as usual (when possible). Everyone is talking about going digital and it’s true — now is the time to think about digital marketing more than ever. It’s a cost effective way to strengthen a brand in the eyes of its consumers. One way to do this is through SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, which focuses on building a stable framework for your site so that you can focus on building your business.
Top Feel-Good Stories
Amid all the pivoting and confusion surrounding marketing during COVID, here are some uplifting or just plain fun stories coming out of the marketing world.
- Google How to Help
- Unsurprisingly, Google’s ad strategy revolves around the many ways people search. During the health crisis, they’re spotlighting how people search for ways to help one another. Meanwhile, we’re searching for how to deal with all the feels.
- Famous Movie Posters Just Got Some Social Distance for 2020 – Adweek
- One agency had some fun photoshopping classic movie posters to show how they would change in the age of social distancing. We’d still enjoy an excellent adventure with Bill, but we would sure miss Ted!
- “Bobby Bandito” or Matthew McConaughey Shows You How to Make Your Own Mask
- In an educational and whimsical spot, Matthew McConaughey shows viewers how to make a simple mask at home using cloth, rubber bands, and a coffee filter.