Plan your comeback.
When you’re in the thick of a crisis, it might be all you can do to deal with the fires in front of you. But the businesses most likely to succeed are already beginning to think about what comes next. The steps that your business takes when reentering the market will be a crucial differentiator. While it’s impossible to predict what will happen next and when things will return to “business as usual,” having a proactive plan in place will keep you ahead of category competitors who haven’t thought that far ahead.
Be nimble. Be quick.
We mentioned in our blog “Why having a marketing team in a time of crisis is crucial” that speed to market is going to matter. Your team won’t have the luxury of dawdling when the time comes to capture attention-share at the same time as everyone else. Having the outline of a strategy in place ahead of time will allow you to break to the front of the pack and lead the narrative for your industry.
Encourage your decision-makers to be light on their feet and adhere to one of TJA’s favorite mottos: embrace uncertainty. While it might be challenging to get a team of people who are used to dealing with hard numbers and strict deadlines to be flexible, you’ll find that there’s a lot of room for creativity when some of the rigid structures need to be circumvented. Listen to your marketing team with an open mind, as they’ve had their ear to the ground throughout the duration of the crisis.
Importantly, be sure to share your capabilities with your marketing team. Talk about ideas you’re open to, what your budget looks like, and any other important parameters. It helps your marketing team know how to create appropriate and realistic solutions for you.
What to include in your recovery marketing plan.
It’s important that your plan remains flexible. Make sure each section is amenable to change so that you don’t lose entire swaths of work as a result of a new update to the situation.
- Content strategy
Messaging is going to be an important part of how you position yourself to your audience as everyone readjusts to the new normal. Pretending that nothing happened comes off as disingenuous. Copy that isn’t thoughtfully crafted runs the risk of appearing insensitive in ways you hadn’t anticipated. Make sure you’re working with people who know how to entice your consumer base to reengage without compromising your integrity. - Targeting
It’s possible that over the course of current events, your true following rose to the top. Maybe a new segment of consumers gravitated toward your offerings that you didn’t have exposure to before. Reassess who your business is attracting. Decide if you want to readjust your targeting strategies. A marketing team that’s well versed in analytics, persona composition and media targeting can help you through these conversations. - Media
The way people interact with media is also subject to change. During the current example of coronavirus times, the rates at which people consume online content skyrocketed. Once consumers are given the go-ahead to resume their normal activities, we’re predicting that people will engage offline more often and for longer periods to make up for lost time. Depending on your business model and offerings, it might be worth reconsidering out-of-home advertising as people drive to see each other, and meet up at venues, restaurants and other social spaces.
Recovery starts with planning
We know it’s daunting to consider the long term when even next week is a complete unknown. With 15 years in the industry, The James Agency has weathered hard times before and helped put our clients in a position to succeed even through intense adversity. If your team has enough on its plate and wants to consider a strategic comeback, reach out; we’ve got the know-how to help you come out on top.
