Agile Adjusters | #3 Self Sufficiency

Six weeks in, and most of the short-term beneficiaries of lockdown are seeing demand for their products return to something approaching ‘normal’. Hand sanitiser, pasta and nappies are once more readily available for all. The country continues to self-medicate with booze, consumption up 30%. But for how long?

The next hurdle for Unilever, as an example, is reversing a dip in demand for cleaning and beauty products, as personal appearance and hygiene cease to matter quite so much. It will surely only take a sniff of an ‘unlock’ to see consumer demand happily rebounding.

But some consumer behaviours will be changed permanently. Lockdown is stimulating some powerful underlying behavioural trends for a thriftier more environmentally-aware approach, and one that can reduce reliance on outside factors beyond our control. A Crisis 2.0 of recession/depression will compound things. And so renovating, repairing, making-do and upcycling across a wide spectrum of human activity is becoming more entrenched - and possibly for the long-term. Acts of self-sufficiency also bring creative fulfilment plus the satisfaction of learning new skills. And of course, if and when our economic woes deepen, saving money is a big added bonus.

And if unemployment and financial constraints bite down harder, then trust in the government to ‘protect and provide’ may also come under the spotlight. Being self-sufficient then becomes as much about practical reality as it is about idealism. Overlay the already growing trend for crafts and handmade with the global movement towards sustainability, with people having some time on their hands and the opportunity to learn new tricks, and… you just may have the ingredients for a once-in-a-generation cultural shift.

But what does all this mean for creative and marketing agencies? In Agile Adjusters #2 we spoke about a critical time window for new business opportunity, between now and September. During this period, agile adjusting brands that address emerging trends such as self-sufficiency will be seeking support - to help them align with the evolving needs of their existing audiences whilst establishing connections with new ones. They’ll need new products, services and content – they’ll crave intelligent marketing.

And then there are thousands of brands across hundreds of categories that are already highly relevant to the self-sufficient consumer, and with blurring lines between the pros and amateurs. Some of these we’ve mapped out below from our ‘In-Play’ data.

Let’s take a closer look at DIY...

DIY Shy: DIY is a well-known space for consumers of all ages and genders to feel intimidated and to find it difficult to shop. Successful brands for each category above are the ones able to quickly inspire confidence, provide support and build loyalty and enthusiasm for their offers.

A Growing Confidence: But once confidence is established, amateurs quickly aspire to professional standards, and so the premium brand end of the market for tools, supplies and finishes becomes attractive. Do you want cheaper or better? And for each of the self-sufficiency categories above, there are detailed, step-by-step-how-to videos, on social media. Learning to be self-sufficient has never been easier.

The Creative & Marketing Opportunity: A plethora of channels, advisory portals and influencers provide a rich growth media for brands looking to exploit the market for people doing things for themselves. Once the agile adjuster brands are identified, marketing agencies of every discipline (and many specialisms) will be relevant to help them build an advantage.

Make Your Own Luck!

“Agency businesses should always be on the front foot in order to be making their own luck. Rainmaker will help you to be more lucky, more often.” - Ian Milner, CEO Iris.

The longer the lockdown continues the more ingrained will be the changes to consumer behaviours. Many individuals will have already experienced a profound realignment of perspectives and priorities.

Marketing budget-holders are people too - and will be affected by both their own experiences and the pressures from the c-suite to ensure they have the most effective, least wasteful external suppliers in place. Yes, goodwill and personal relationships help. But faced with tough decisions on who will help their brand to succeed (and their own personal job security!) the most convincing business case will win out.

In turn, those responsible for agency new business now need to get back to basics and to take nothing for granted. Do the brands you want to work with know what makes you special and different? Situations are changing rapidly. When did they last hear from you? It is time to take control of your own destiny and proactively engage with the best prospect in your markets.

It’s time to focus on what is most effective. So I’ll say it again – ROI on virtual events, awards, networking and trade press coverage can be hard to pin down at the best of times. If you want to engage with ambitious brands you need to uncover them for yourself and you need to engage with them - yourself.

In times like these, you need to be self-sufficient, and if you don’t have the skills or tools to create new business relationships yourself, then you need to buy those skills in to help you to do it. Of course, I would say that!

How are you adjusting?

As well as keeping a keen eye on which brands are likely to be in need of additional support, it's essential to be as objective as possible about your own offer. What do you provide that's essential to your markets? How does this out-play your competitors? Do you need to adjust how you position your services, or which ones to lead with?

And if brands are in survival mode, what can you credibly contribute?

At Rainmaker we continuously adjust client messaging in response to real-time feedback and outbound success indicators. In practice, this has included helping experiential clients to refocus on their impressive design credentials and ensuring comms decision-makers are fully aware of the menu of strategic and tactical capabilities of PR clients.

Our approach to agile adjustment is: -

• Continuous - on a weekly basis in terms of nuance, sector focus, reaction to commercial environment and language.
• Frequent - monthly adjustments to offer and messaging as required.
• Comprehensive - annually, at a full-scale demand and supply review of messaging.

As you recalibrate your new business strategy and its resources, I would be happy to offer my perspective on very practical steps you can take. Feel free to connect with me on here or [email protected]