Change your brand strategy in Ireland
In a crisis situation is a subject to rapid changes and companies need a proactive plan to adjust and adapt how they can lead their teams, communicate with their clients and manage their brands. Customers get to know about a brand through the help of marketing hence during a crisis it is important that marketing takes the centre stage, the brands move is reflected in every advertisement campaign, message and channel.
Marketing helps set the tone how the customers perceive the brand during a difficult time. Taking the right actions and finding the correct message can be challenging especially in a fast changing environment. All companies should operate with integrity and trust even they come under pressure from an evolving situation.
Among marketing the greatest problems are predicting how customers’ needs, wants, expectations and purchasing decisions will evolve over time. Marketers should not wait for issues to occur or the market to point in a clear direction before making plans and taking actions. They should follow certain steps to define scenarios, monitor customers and plan for marketing changes.
Engage in scenario planning
It is important to define the best, worst and moderate scenarios that can play out during the crisis from the perception of the business, customers and partners. Marketers should drill down to identify the specific challenges that customers, the brand and the organization could experience in each scenario and identify the actions which are required to be taken.
Listen to the changes in customer sentiment and behaviour
Long before the corona virus emerged, consumer trust in brands and government has eroded. People now support close family, friends and local businesses. The current crisis seems poised to amplify the distrust that the consumers have in brands. Brands can push against that wave by rising to the occasion and re-establish trust amongst the public through customer-centric actions. It is important to listen to the customers and get to know what they want and feel.
Companies can use social listening to monitor customer discussions about health concerns or information relevant to the various brands. Marketers should support customers and protect consumer relationship while staying faithful about what the firm can and cannot deliver at this time. The company should be careful while taking actions that provide short-term stability for the firm at the expense of customer trust.
Anticipate operational impacts
Challenges to product and services delivery thrive during this crisis. Closed industries and supply chains create reduced supply on one side of the business while customers create rising service demand on the other side. Marketers must adapt theirs brand message to reflect the on ground realities while staying true to the brands values. It is important that the brand manages their promises while setting realistic expectations about products, services and availability of the products and so on.We must evaluate current policies and consider rational changes like allowing cancellations or extending payment terms.
Brands should create a capacity to address customer service volumes while crafting proactive messages to distribute via email, social media and the web to answer questions. Reactive drafts should be created to help customer service representatives handling sensitive one on one interactions. Brands should promote application and other mobile tools and services. They should ramp up the capacity for online transactions and digital interactions. Innovate ways to deliver their services and products online, like telemedicine for routine doctor visits or online learning for millions of students who will be out of school.
All organizations functions will be called on to prioritize spending while trying to avoid cross-the board cuts. It is important for brands to drive efficiency and reduce obligations that don’t bring value to the current environment. At BrandYou some clients have anticipated the required changes and are gearing up towards it.
One client who handles a high-end restaurant has adapted takeaways and have innovated a healthier choice during this problem and has modified to the environment. They are also preparing for what requires to be done once the customers come back from a lockdown and have established a strategy for their way forward. At the time, deliveries are a playing a big role hence the restaurants has modified their ways and leaned towards delivering their products.
Adapt the marketing plan
The next three to six months will bring about many societal changes that filter down to the marketing plan. It is important that companies use the best, worst and moderate case scenarios to anticipate possible and likely changes and take alternative actions. Restrictions on large gatherings are cutting into businesses that serve events. It is essential to develop an alternative idea for physical events planned for spring or summer. Companies should not wait till the event is cancelled but should develop a plan well in advance. People are spending time at home and on their phones.
Brands should provide light-hearted and uplifting informative and encouraging content to audiences looking for support. A lot of businesses are not going online while conducting meetings online and still pushing ahead with their company. It is very important for businesses to utilize their social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Twitter, Google Adwords and Facebook Ads. At BrandYou we help our clients unleash their correct potentials on social media and help put the magic in their brand while keeping their values intact.
It is important for brands at this moment to sit down and look at their business model and marketing strategy and how they can restrategise during these difficult times. Brands can start blogging and talking to their audience informing them about the situation or what they are doing to overcome it and by this he brands can position them self and build awarenss across Google platforms as it will help in organic growth.
Brands have the best opportunity to market themselves during this time as all eyes are on news feed. But brands should be careful that the content is authentic and helps in informing the community and not leveraging their vulnerability. If brands are keen on retaining customers through these difficult times, attempting to figure out ways to support them even if it does not include the brands product will result in longer-term loyalty and satisfaction.
Social media plays a vital role for many businesses as it shares information on its social channels as the situation evolves and is provides the audience with interesting and innovative data to keep them engaged. Brands should keep their message consistent and frequent during this time while taking the format and distribution channel of the message into consideration with every engagement. The communications should align with the brand mission and vision it should also ensure authenticity as people seek connection during these uncertain times.
Brands which interact with customer effectively are those that will resonate the most from this crisis. In times of uncertainty transparent and open communication is the key to retaining trust and loyalty. Consumers are more willing to respond and resonate with information during this time. There’s a significant need for people to help during times like these hence it is important for brands to share their message on all platforms.
In times like these brands and marketers must leverage their social media platforms and provide consumers with helpful information. In a crisis information is only helpful if it is accurate and relevant. Brands should inform the various ways in which they are operating and what they are providing customers and society.
Customers will be more active on online platforms and try to provide other users data such as cooking recipes, videos etc. For instance if a restaurant has an online presence they can share content related to recipes, chefs cooking live etc. and offer their expertise in this field. This is exactly what we do at BrandYou. We as an agency realise what you require and during these difficult time and develop a plan according to the current environment.
We have a team of experts who have come on board and work towards brand equity through different platforms. We help clients create an effective brand with all the required fundamentals which are essential. BrandYou provides its clients consultancy, coaching and assists them in planning a project.
We will understand your brand and teach you the fundamentals and help you understand them so that you as a client can manage it properly and drive your business. We will also provide you with on-going support and help you build your brand from scratch and help you strategize your correct business model and help in building the business.
Brand You Creative
Creator – Lee Kavanagh on Apr 20, 2020
