Covid-19 – The marketing world a month later

It has been over a month since the world went into isolation… So here at Square Media, we have done some digging and pulled out some interesting facts that really tells the story of what has changed in the marketing world…

The general world is still very much the same as it was three weeks ago; most of the population are continuing to stay at home with stores, pubs, clubs and restaurants all closed down whilst public events, concerts & sporting events are all either postponed or cancelled. So the question lies “where does that leave the marketing world?”

As expected, more time than ever before is being spent on social media -70% more of our time in fact- with a total of 45% of global consumers spending more time on social than they were pre-lockdown! This means that the content we publish on social platforms is more important now than it has ever been!

If there has been one major craze of the last month it is TikTok, the app has seen growth like never before bolstering a monthly user count of over 800 million and holding nearly 2 billion downloads worldwide. What is even crazier is “How to make a TikTok” google searches are up nearly 400% since March 1st!

In the past, marketers have been guilty of neglecting email marketing, it is clear to see in the last month that it’s massively coming back into use by agencies and businesses alike and it’s clear to see why when you look at the statistics. Retail email open rates are operating at a 40% higher open rate than they were pre Covid-19… with emails often being used as a quick way to notify subscribers of any updates and business statements.

What is key to gauge from the last month is that the world is moving digital, however much faster than we could have ever expected… So with now only 14% of UK marketing campaigns now continuing as normal how do businesses adapt their marketing plans to the current climate?

It is important not be put off by fear when it comes to marketing during lockdown, there is no specific right or wrong way to go about getting your message out but there are definitely ways to align your brand in the COVID-19 pandemic, however:

Inform – Let your followers, and customers know what it is happening, people will lose trust in your brand if you are not being honest with them.

Help – Find your way to help, whether that be offering a discount to NHS workers or offering free local delivery, there are multiple ways to help people, it is key to find your way to help!

Adjust – Every day is a learning curve and will continue to be long after the lockdown. This is a new world we are living in and we must be prepared to amend our marketing to adjust to the situation every day.

We have been taking a look at how some brands are helping during the current pandemic and here’s some of the best we found from your huge brands to your town butchers:

• Crocs Shoes are donating 10,000 pairs a day to those working in healthcare and currently have more than 400,000 people in line.
• Audible are offering hundreds of free book titles for children and students.
• Jamie’s Butchers of Kettering are offering hamper deals on their meat selection to be delivered to their customers. They are also donating a pound of every order to COVID-19 urgent appeal, NHS charities, and your local air ambulance charities.
• Real Cleaning have shifted their whole operation to make sure workplaces are clean & safe for when the lockdown is lifted.

Businesses large and small are really pulling together to help not only their customers but the public as well, so here’s how can we help you in the current climate.

Taking the information, we have learned from you. We develop a plan that we believe will help achieve your business objectives. The plan is there to make sure we all know what’s what and will be underpinned by our professional experience and knowledge. We are here to help so get in touch today!