What can Marketers Learn from the Covid-19 Pandemic?

Introduction 

It has been almost three years since the Covid-19 pandemic hit, but it still profoundly impacts marketing. The pandemic changed everything: how we live, interact with each other, and use technology – not to mention how marketers need to adapt their strategies. 

People are online more than ever

While it is undoubtedly true that the internet has changed over time, many marketers can learn from how we use it now. As consumers, we are online more than ever before—and not only that, but we also spend more time on the internet than offline. 

Omnipresence, not omnichannel 

People are online more than ever. 

They’re online on multiple devices, including phones, tablets, and computers. 

Virtual worlds are becoming the new norm – meaning emmersive 4D marketing strategies are required.

As such, businesses should craft content that allows people to find what they want with as little friction as possible — regardless of whether it’s accessed through a mobile device or computer screen! 

Digital touchpoints 

In today’s digital world, there are many touchpoints where you can build your brand. It’s hard to think of a place that doesn’t have some form of digital presence. That makes it more important for marketers to understand how each affects their customers’ perception of their brand and how they react when facing issues like the Covid-19 pandemic. 

With so many channels available for brands and businesses, it can be challenging to know where in this vast expanse your customers will first encounter your presence online—or even what type of person they are. Fortunately, there is one thing that unites us all: our media devices! 

Creativity is key 

For marketers, this is a time of opportunity. If you are willing to take risks and come up with creative ideas that stand out from the crowd, then people will notice and remember your brand. 

People are looking for inspiration regarding their clothing choices: they want something different from what everyone else has on. 

They’re also looking for brands that make them laugh—they’ll appreciate being entertained and feel good about themselves by what they wear. 

Empathy is the new marketing

1. Marketing is a team sport. 
2. You are not alone in advertising your product or service. There are many other businesses out there that may be competing for the same dollar as you. Empathy is key to understanding them better if you want to win over your customers. 
3. Empathy has is defined as “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person” (Merriam-Webster). And that’s exactly what marketers need today: the ability to understand their customers’ feelings about products and services. 
4. Empathy allows marketers to create products and services that meet customers’ needs and wants more effectively than ever before because they can relate their own experiences with those of their target audience members—and make sure they’re doing everything possible within their control so that everyone feels understood when interacting with each other.” 

Different demographic responses 

As a marketer, you’re likely to have a different demographic response to the pandemic than your B2B or B2C counterparts. Your customers are more likely to be in rural areas than urban ones, and they’re more likely to be on messaging apps rather than social media. 

Personalisation and relevance are vital to cut through the noise 

The key to getting through to people in the era of Covid-19 is personalisation. Your content needs to be relevant, not just about you but about them. It needs to be tailored to their needs and interests, rather than trying desperately (and usually failing) to get them on your side by plastering your brand across everything. 

What does this mean for marketers? Well, it means we need to stop thinking about ourselves as marketers and start thinking about ourselves as human beings capable of empathy and understanding other people’s situations—and then write accordingly! 

It will be a while before things return to normal

If you work in marketing, it might not be a bad idea to take a step back and think about what you learned from this pandemic and how it can apply to your work. Here are some ideas: 

1. Have an emergency plan. In an age where disinformation is everywhere, you need to have a plan in place that lets people know they can trust the information they receive from your company or brand. If something like this happens again—and it will—you want to make sure that everyone knows who is behind the information they get from you and why they should trust them with their health or other emergencies.  
2. Consider how disruption affects consumer behaviour. The best way for us all (including marketers) is to stay home until we fully recover from whatever illness we contracted during the pandemic. * 

Conclusion 

As we have seen above, the Covid-19 pandemic has profoundly affected how people use technology. This is not just about marketing, either: it is far-reaching or affects every aspect of our lives. The most important thing for marketers to remember is that the need for convenience and efficiency has driven this change—and that if you can deliver on those two things in your campaign, you’ll be doing well!