Crisis and post-crisis marketing

During the crisis, many businesses optimize costs. Marketing is often included in the cut list. But reducing this function is tantamount to cutting off the branch you are sitting on. Let's talk about why marketing communications are extremely important during a crisis and what tools will be most effective in the summer, after the release from quarantine.

Almost a century ago, Henry Ford said that saving money on advertising was like stopping the clock to save time. To stay afloat and feel a second wind, a business must communicate - with its customers, suppliers, partners, and the like. And this is not surprising. The one who will be heard and will not let himself be forgotten will survive. But you need to remember that communication must be of high quality and meet the needs of the audience.

Talk about protecting people, not your business

More than 70% of consumers are ready to permanently abandon the goods and services of companies that prioritize profits, and not caring for people. Another 81% of respondents will trust a brand if it takes into account the interests of society, and 37% of respondents noted that they first purchased goods or services from a brand that showed empathy or proved to be an innovator during a pandemic.

So, the time has passed when the business talked about itself, now the first place comes to concern and willingness to participate in solving problems that concern everyone. Remember how, for example, sewing companies began to produce protective masks, cosmetics manufacturers - antiseptics. Like supermarkets and catering establishments that have always worked in a traditional offline format, they quickly established delivery. For many, this became not only a reaction to current market demands, but also an opportunity to master new business areas and business processes.

Relevant communication channels

Research data from the consulting agency Kantar (COVID-19 Barometer: Consumer attitudes, media habits and expectations) indicate that during the quarantine, surfing the web grew by 70%, and the use of social networks - by 61%. Moreover, according to Cisco forecasts, in 2021, 82% of all Internet traffic will come from video content (YouTube, TikTok). And in confirmation of the given data, YouTube and Facebooke entered the TOP-3 most popular sites visited by Ukrainians in April. Therefore, the answer to the question of which communication channels should be focused on is obvious.

Key vectors

At a time when society is experiencing another crisis and is as sensitive as possible, it is important for business to maintain confidence in itself. For this you need:

• Act proactively: respond to the needs of society and come up with proposals, outstanding solutions. For example, when food markets were quarantined, virtual online bazaars began to be created across the country. According to the founders, this way entrepreneurs managed to get up to 70% of their usual income.

• Collaboration. The effectiveness of this tool during quarantine has increased significantly. Let's remember at least the collaboration of delivery services (Glovo, Raketa) with food establishments and supermarkets.

• Not selling, but offering solutions to problems. During the crisis, many brands gave free access to useful information or their products (lectures, e-books, free training, etc.). This is a great opportunity for consumers to “test” companies' products and services and become loyal to the brand. For which in the future they will vote with their wallet.

• Emotions and facts. People need support and understanding. If they feel it in brand communications, then the trigger “they are like us” is triggered. Remember, we are most inclined to listen and trust those who speak the same language with us, share our values and pains. Plus - it offers a solution to how to get rid of the latter.

Expert advice
Anastasia Glushchenko, founder and CEO of the strategic marketing agency Stasy Passion
In a crisis, companies will be able to survive by adapting to new rules and transforming old business models. For example, the usual banners, billboards, print advertising, BTL today have lost or significantly reduced the effect for most areas. But new tools are entering the scene, such as the do-it-yourself format, which has proven itself well during the quarantine period. So, masters of beauty salons, restaurateurs, etc., having prepared a set of necessary materials (ingredients and recipes for dishes; paints and hairdressing tools) and supplemented it with video instructions for use, allowed consumers to try to cook a dish themselves or make a hairdo. Of course, the result obtained might not be the same as that of the professionals, but this reminded clients of their favorite places and increased the desire to visit them after quarantine.
The basis of the classic marketing complex is "4P": product policy, price and pricing, sales, communication. The updated complex is complemented by the following elements: people who are able to influence the perception of a product on the market; the process of interaction between the client and the company; the physical environment that forms the consumer's perception of goods and services upon purchase.
Today you need to analyze your market and product from a 360 ° perspective. You should plunge into the competitive environment of your business. Do you sell clothes and therefore compare yourself with other companies in the fashion segment? And if you look at the product - clothing - through the prism of modern competition, you can understand that your competitors are not only Ukrainian designers or global brands, but also modern business schools, online courses or even the services of an English teacher. Today consumers are changing their attitude to clothing and prefer education, so they can choose the latter between a new dress and a lecture by a famous psychologist. Therefore, you now need to compete with them.
The next area of total revaluation is sales, or rather, the place of sale of goods or services. Previously, each food manufacturer sought to get on the shelf of a chain supermarket, but today the business seeks to open separate branded stores. Yesterday the consumer tried to personally purchase the goods, today he sends a courier for it. Previously, separate phone lines were created for online orders, today they are smart chat bots. With the reassessment of the perception of the "commodity zone", even on the personal pages of stars and bloggers, marketplaces appeared. Reevaluation of each of the marketing tools, selection of new forms of work with clients, partners and forms of product or service development allows the brand to differ from competitors, and most importantly, to find new consumers and ambassadors.
Another important point is taking a healthy approach to your marketing budget. This is an opportunity to spend less money to get the best results. Modern technologies allow you to get high-quality big data: information about the preferences and tastes of your customers is the most valuable find for interesting promotion. This information has a simple form: what the client most often chooses, what products are bought before the couple, at what time the purchase is made, men or women buy a certain group of goods, and the like. Proper processing of such information allows you to customize targeted advertising and select the most appropriate audience and messages for it. This means spending less budget on attracting one client.
When choosing a promotion strategy, you need to take into account modern trends, but it is equally important to evaluate both the decision-making path and the client's life cycle. Sometimes simple and straightforward solutions are the most successful. Constant presence in the network and quality content allow you to gain favor and form a circle of regular customers. The technological capabilities of modern smartphones allow you to create any interesting publications almost free of charge. Creative thinking and unconventional approaches take on an interesting and elegant form even in the hands of teenagers. The key to development is a constant systemic presence on the network, open communication and authenticity. By providing this, well-chosen creative solutions will help get the viral effect.
Budget marketing is not zero financial budget items, it is reasonable costs for creating ideas and creativity, studying your customers and developing a service. There is no perfect formula for financing a company's marketing activity, but we are well aware of the Pareto principle: 20% of efforts should bring 80% of the result.