The COVID-19 pandemic upended nearly every aspect of life, including how companies market and sell their products. Because marketing campaigns were put on hold, companies had to create new pathways for brand outreach that relied less on traditional media and more on technology.
These pathways have likely redefined brand communications for good. So if your brand wants to keep up in the post-pandemic world, here’s how you can put 2020 brand outreach strategies to good use in 2021 and beyond.
Help Your Customers Feel Less Alone
During the pandemic, effective brands used their websites to update their customers on how they were dealing with the pandemic internally and what they were doing to support their customers and community as a whole. These messages helped their customers feel less alone during a particularly anxious time.
Don’t Pretend Everything Is Normal
The effectiveness of those website messages hinged on a few key concepts:
- They didn’t pretend that everything was normal. Smart brands addressed the issue head-on, usually with banners on their website’s first page that highlighted links to pertinent information.
- They adjusted their marketing promotions. Instead of keeping scheduled promotions running, brands with effective communication strategies reviewed their promotions, canceled those deemed insensitive in light of current circumstances, and paid for ads to thank first responders and others who put themselves at risk to help others.
- They focused on hope. When facing challenging times, words of hope and encouragement create a positive feeling around your brand. Customers will remember those feelings long after the pandemic has ended. So the importance of infusing hope in brand strategies in the future can’t be overstated.
Use Social Media To Communicate and Curate Resources
Because social media changes all the time, brands recognized that it was the best place to curate resources, have conversations with customers, and keep everyone abreast of updates to corporate policies and customer service outreach activities. This not only bolsters engagement, but the transparency and outreach proved that these brands were willing to go the extra mile and were trustworthy.
At Ebony Marketing Systems, we are experts at designing and conducting multicultural research that meets your company’s unique needs. We tailor our work to best suit you, the communities you serve, and those you want to serve. For more information, call us at (718)742-0006 or send us a message today.
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