COVID-19: Will it change Marketing?

Never has there been more a time to reflect on past experience and adapt to a ‘new normal’ driven by the impact of COVID-19. Both personal and economic disruption has run through Asia and businesses are mostly suffering, as they deal with the changes taking place as a result of policies introduced to fight the spread of the pandemic in respective communities. Some businesses have benefited, but the overall picture is not great and as second and third waves of the pandemic loom, the pressure on marketing is huge.

Most businesses in Asia have pretty much come around to tossing their 2020 plans out the window as they quickly work out how to adjust to the situation they are facing….and then look to plan their way out.

I was working as a Marketing Director in APAC when SARS hit the region in 2003 and the Asia Financial Crisis in 1997 too. What will the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant recession mean for marketers and marketing going forward?

• Budget changes
• Consumer attitude and behaviour changes
• Purchase behaviour and channel changes
• Tech, social and media consumption shifts

Find out more here

Is your brand strong on the inside as well as the outside?

So you’ve developed and established the brand’s positioning that delivers differentiation versus competitors and resonates effectively with the target market, even during these challenging, changing times during COVID-19 as well as looking forward to the market recovery phase.

‘Job done’ you might say, now you just need to keep the brand fresh and relevant as time goes by to ensure market growth, but are you missing something?

Yes, your brand is looking great outside of the organisation, but is it playing a role within it?

In both my marketing and consulting experience, I’ve seen the opportunities taken, or missed, by organisations. Often the resources are committed to the brand facing their consumers, but not their employees. To get the whole eco system working together creates a powerful recipe for greater brand growth and business success. Find out more here .

Is decision making overload causing poor marketing decisions?

Let’s face it there are more decisions that marketers need to make today (and especially so given the turmoil that COVID-19 has brought on), than say a decade or so ago. And no-one thought things were easy back then either, in choosing the right blend of activity and spend options. It was already complex with ‘traditional’ media options on offer in targeting consumers as consumption habits kept evolving. Then came digital media channel opportunities and the targeting options that this added to the potential mix.

When this is coupled with often declining real budgets, this dilemma is amplified and needs to be reconciled with marketing decision making that delivers an optimal path for the ‘right’ brand activity plan, that targets its customers and consumers effectively.

Resources are scarce but marketing options are many…..creating a maze of decision options that may look impossible to navigate. Find out more here .