Advertising in a post-pandemic world

In early 2020 the world (as we once knew it) changed on pretty much every level. The pandemic transformed our personal lives and the corporate world socially, politically and environmentally – and the changes weren’t all bad news. Indeed, the post-pandemic world faces many new challenges but it also offers many new advantages, and it will take time for us to fully identify and appreciate all of these.

So what does all this mean for marketing and advertising?

In a nutshell, these global transformations have created inspiring new opportunities for smart advertisers and thoughtful brands. But you need to tread carefully to get the benefits and not risk alienating audiences.

Here are some of the top things you should consider:

Budgets and internal marketing

Money still talks. And, post-pandemic, many industries and companies continue to watch their bottom line.

For many brands, this means less activity across their marketing channels. As this article rightly points out, the instinct of many business leaders is a focus on cash flow preservation – and marketing budgets are often the first thing to get axed. But you should continue to have conversations with your key internal stakeholders, and remind them that branding is crucial and decreasing marketing campaign activity will only have detrimental effects to the brand in the long run.

Brands need to have a continuous presence in the market, even (or perhaps especially) through challenging times. Without strong marketing and advertising you risk becoming invisible to your target market, which can mean death for sales.

Focus on loyalty and retention

Never forget that your customers have stuck by you throughout all the ups and downs, and this means everything in the fickle world of business and commerce. Always reward your current customers with value or offers that are exclusive to them. Recognise that these are returning customers, committed to your brand – and it may actually cost you far less to hold on to them than it would to splurge on marketing budgets trying to attract new customers.

Digital everything

Digital has never been more important than it is right now, and the pandemic proved it. Top of your ‘to do’ list should be working with your agency to understand where your audience is and how to reach them effectively, replacing traditional channels with digital channels.

Depending on your campaign strategy, if ATL channels are required, then another alternative is to go digital. Accessing traditional channels through programmatic buys could also be an option. Whilst it’s not the same as securing direct premium inventory with suppliers, it can be a clever way to get around reaching an audience across ATL channels such as Outdoor and TV.

Of course, there will be limitations, as not all formats are available through programmatic inventory. But another important advantage is the data targeting that can be applied across all digital ATL channels (which is not available for direct buys).

Utilise nimble strategies

Think about your target markets and audiences, specifically: Who are they and how are they moving out of the pandemic? Do you need to consider flexible bookings and contingency plans for possible future lockdowns or changes impacting media consumption of the general population?

Work with your agency and test the market through small bursts of activity so you can learn and see what works. This is a new landscape for everyone, but the smart companies will go out there and search for answers.

Don’t sit back and wait for data to be handed to you. By then it will be too late and your competitors could very well be way ahead of you. Instead, gather your own insights by directly connecting with your market and then rollout at a larger scale with a new and flexible strategy that can be quickly adapted.

Find efficiencies and pare it back

When it comes to your central campaign strategy, think sleek and efficient. Identify the focal point of your campaign and how you will achieve this. Ask yourself: What can be simplified? Are there overlaps across other campaigns you could bring together? How is activity being managed across your brand and are you cannibalising audiences you could consolidate? Look for a simpler and more elegant solution, and then think strategically when communicating to new audiences. The results will speak for themselves.