Issue link: http://digital.nexsitepublishing.com/i/1289303
BY NONA RAYBERN PUBLIC RELATIONS & MEDIA MANAGER MBAKS Marketing in Times of Crisis You don't. This is counterintuitive to the entrepreneurial spirit. As businesses, we're driven to advertise and convert. But if 2020 has taught us anything, it's to take a step back and re-evaluate both how we define "normal" and how we respond to crisis. Be Flexible & Change Course Good marketing requires the ability to pivot. Regardless of how many weeks a campaign took to plan, that all gets postponed when crisis hits. Your campaign may no longer be relevant. It can also be insensitive to continue planned advertising in the midst of crises, especially those involving loss of life or societal injustices. And appearing insensitive can hurt your reputation and your sales. Even if people aren't calling for a boycott, subconscious negative feelings for your company can linger long after a crisis is resolved, priming potential customers to favor your competitors. Now ask yourself—how can I meet my customers' needs during this time? Consider adapting your marketing objectives to fill a new role as an educator, community builder, or advocate. Using COVID-19 as an example: • Educator Share information on safety measures or create original content that shows how to follow safety protocols. This might include blog posts, videos, webinars, or handouts. • Community Builder Focus on meaningfully helping and bringing people together. This can mean offering light-hearted content to boost peoples' spirits or it can mean creating or sharing content in solidarity with others making a difference. • Advocate Push for changes to how your industry responds in the future. Highlight ways the public can call on legislators, officials, and industry leaders to make necessary adjustments and help with future preparedness. When life requires reflection, how do you continue marketing? Take Stock & Expand At its most basic, taking stock means analyzing your marketing demographics and outreach, then asking yourself—could I expand my base by listening and relating to communities I haven't traditionally served? Oftentimes, we'll create our target demographic and call it good. But marginalized communities need services, too, and are often ignored. Challenge yourself to broaden your clientele. A crisis doesn't mean the world stops. It just means we find new ways to keep going. A crisis doesn't mean the world stops. It just means we find new ways to keep going. 23 FALL 2020 | master BUILDER MEMBERSHIP VALUE