Create Goodwill And Effective Communication

The Covid-19 pandemic has been an eye-opener for institutions across the world. Brands of all sizes and geographies have had to endure this disruptive economic phase. In an interview, Dhruv Bhalla, Sr Vice President & Group Head – International Business & Brand Communication, SREI Group, enumerates essential strategic considerations that brands can adopt to successfully wade-through this disruptive economic cycle. 

What is the first step brands need to take to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic?

To stay relevant to consumers’ needs, one needs to reassure them about how your company or your brand has responded to the pandemic.  We all will agree that the best form of marketing is always when you create goodwill with all stakeholders. People always remember the thing your brand stands for. For example, several high-end fragrance manufacturers have pivoted their production lines to make hand sanitisers. Few have also donated ventilators, donated money to various relief funds, distributed groceries to the needy, etc. Brands need to talk about their organisation’s initiatives which have made an impact during these trying times.

Brands may use videos with strong, warm, embracing visuals. After all, TV is the best medium to captivate audiences with panning to sight, sounds and emotion. The organisation should communicate its philanthropic activities well too. Don’t forget, there is a thin line between creating a sense of urgency and a sense of panic. As a brand, you must be a visionary and not an alarmist.

With people’s movement restricted, how should brands stay connected with their customers?

Improving digital presence of your brand will keep you connected to your customers and enable a unified experience for them. If you have relied on your field sales executives, make them the face of your social media accounts. Allow them to continue to interact with their existing and prospective clients. They would be the best front line innovators to help their clients adapt to this new normal and retain the unified brand experience.

What are the key areas that brands need to stress to improve their online presence?

Given the current scenario, one must revisit their current content marketing and keyword strategy. Try and rethink how your products or services relate to questions people have about the pandemic? Leverage keyword research and social listening tools for topics that provide insights into the information they are seeking. Check your PPC (pay-per-click), too. 

Keywords targeted yesterday may not be the most relevant today, as search volume and trending keywords keep changing. An email or social media campaign can convey your marketing message to your target audience for a fraction of the print campaign or TV advertisement cost. While a lot depends on your industry, I believe, now could be the perfect time to increase your (PPC) advertising. More people than ever are on the internet now, giving a greater chance for your ads to appear before your target customer base. This can give you a tremendous competitive advantage and reduce your budget outflow.

How should one tweak Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategies to stay relevant?

Customers today want a relationship with the companies doing business with them. They want to go beyond the product-patron association and prefer to engage with the entire brand purpose. The supply-push-based ‘hard-sell’ model has to be shelved at present. If you do not already have a regular cadence of communication with your customers, now is the time to build one.  If you have not already, must introduce a  well-rounded CRM tool. E-commerce companies have consistently been able to accommodate these challenges by simultaneously and seamlessly adopting new ways to address economic shifts and obstacles; they always communicate with their customers with the intent to retain the ‘Goodwill”. This economic slowdown offers an apt opportunity for brands of all sizes to rethink, ‘how should one position themselves in a constantly expanding digital world marketplace’.

How should one use the data collected online? 

Do a deep dive into your analytics and sales/lead data to find out what customers want. Compare offline and online trends and determine what you could change now that you possibly did not have time to do in the past. Use Artificial Intelligence (AI) seriously, if you haven’t been using it already. Adapt your communication to the analytics emerging in real-time. Observe consumer sentiment and responses while drafting new messages.

Do you feel there is a need to change marketing communications for brands?

There are many resources available to help brands build a literal empathy map that can be used during a team exercise after customer interviews and surveys. Use primary research to understand emotions customers exhibit before, during and after your product or service. This will help refine the brand’s communication effectively. 

Will brands need to change their marketing strategies? 

Have you noticed all those television ads of late that seem irrelevant to the current situation? Television networks have even still been running ads for travel agencies, suggesting you should take time out now to travel the globe. Successful marketers move quickly and adapt to the current circumstances instantly. There is little point in continuing your existing marketing techniques if consumers are unable or unwilling to buy your products or services at the moment. 

What is your advice for brands at this juncture?

Now that we are not commuting to the office or taking in-person meetings, our schedule has likely freed up some time for you. Those marketing items that may have fallen through the cracks and been overlooked can now be addressed. Perhaps your website needs a fresh look with a redesign. Website professionals can overhaul your website in two months, all while working remotely. This is also a great time to have a specialist perform a Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) audit of your website. They can ensure that your call-to-actions (CTAs) turn leads into customers. It’s also an ideal time to do an SEO audit of your website to ensure you’re maximising your optimisation strategies.

How should brands handle marketing after Covid?

We are presently in the ‘acknowledge-and-adapt’ phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Once the lockdown is lifted, we should now start putting a contingency plan in place as well. As we move forward, marketing heads must keep their customers happy by thinking realistically and anticipate their customer’s requirements for this next post-Covid 19 phase. After the pandemic ends, there are ought to be many changes that one would need to quickly adapt to retain their orgasnisation’s growth trajectory and client base.