NCET Biz Tips: Marketing Takeaways From 2020

by Andrea Quiroz

First Came the Holding Pattern

Andrea Quiroz

Reflecting on February and March of this year, at the outset of the pandemic, countless businesses great and small paused their existing marketing campaigns.  Whether these campaigns were promoting upcoming events, new business launches, or semi-annual sales, many became virtually irrelevant and, in some cases borderline insensitive almost instantaneously. 

Marketing teams across the country and seemingly, the world sat down to analyze their present strategies on a granular level.  There was a historical, widespread urgency to determine which, if any, sales pursuits were essential and/or ethical enough to warrant advertising spends and solicitations during a time of crisis.  Businesses in nearly all industries went into marketing dormancy, watching and waiting for the pandemic to go away or to reveal itself further.

In what felt like an immediate universal shift, commercials, digital ads and social media postings shifted toward themes of gratitude for frontline workers, promoting social distancing, and helping consumers to cope with quarantining. 

The Takeaway

During even the grimmest moments in history, marketing opportunities can always be found.  Several restaurants that effectively promoted their food specials, curbside pickup and (arguably most importantly) their efforts to care for their employees amid significant financial losses, are still in operation today.

Pharmacies, grocery stores, and the like – those businesses that begrudgingly involve groups of people amassing indoors to buy essentials (and oftentimes touching things they don’t plan to buy) pivoted heavily toward curbside pickup up and delivery, as well. Their marketing messages were overwhelmingly centered on how much they care for the health and wellbeing of their patrons – invoking an optimistic sense of trust toward those companies.

Then Came the Statements

After the first week turned into the first month, and it became painstakingly apparent that this was no temporary misfortune, the conservative attitude toward when and how to promote businesses shifted toward a necessity to have their respective company voices heard.  Consumers likely received an email from every single site they’d ever subscribed to – all saying the same thing.

Traditionally loyal purchasers were bombarded with variations of the same concerned, compassionate and COVID-centric messaging.  While these efforts were unquestionably sincere and well-intentioned, most were rendered ineffective. 

The Takeaway

Unlike those businesses that stood out early by advertising the ways in which they improved their offerings to make them safer and socially distanced, these cookie-cutter emails ads were generally at best, drowned out.  At worst, they were featured in memes and compilations highlighting how apparently canned these company statements were.

Even so, with the alternatives being either to stay silent, to pretend there’s no pandemic, or to join in and repeat the familiar messaging – there was/is no shame is choosing the latter.  During this increasingly long span of uncertainty, businesses have critically assessed their brand and voice, innovated their products and services, and reworked their best practices.  Notably, those businesses forced onto a path of authenticity in every facet of their operation have proved that honest businesses that continue to provide value can overcome.

Andrea Quiruz is the Marketing Director/Corporate Partnerships Manager of The Barracuda Championship PGA TOUR Golf Tournament (barracudachampionship.com), and proud VP of Special Events for NCET.  NCET is a member-supported non-profit that produces educational and networking events to help people explore business and technology.