Has the pandemic infected your brand with confusion? Here is some clarity.

 One of the unfortunate side-effects of the pandemic has been that of brands being knocked off their regular marketing orbits. Where there was once order and familiar, comfortable rules now stands a seemingly chaotic, unpredictable mess. And understandably so. These are unnerving times. Entire nations are reeling from a virus and its attendant lockdowns. Almost every industry, corporation and category of product has had to reckon with sharply dropping consumer spends.

 So is this the marketing apocalypse then? Far from it.

 Good brands and good marketing heads stay in step with the change. If there ever has been a time for timeless marketing wisdom to join forces with hyper-adaptive, fleet-footed, guerilla thinking, this is it.

 The following is a qualitative thought piece to help your brand maneuver through the marketing and communication challenges of the pandemic and find a way forward for your brand.

 So let’s get into it, our marketing light-sabers in hand. It’s time to send the uncertainty and confusion packing.

 First, a timeline:

 We can broadly classify the pandemic life into three phases: life under lockdown, life immediately after the lockdown and finally, the return of largely normal life. We can call these phases as the Restrained Phase, the Restart Phase and the Rebuild Phase. Each phase represents a stage in the currently unfolding life cycle of the pandemic. Understanding and empathising with consumers during each phase is key to finding marketing solutions.

 The Restrained Phase:

 If this were a map, this phase is the big, red dot that says, You Are Here. The world is still in lockdown largely. Our social, professional and even economic lives have been severely restrained.

 What consumers think, feel and do:

The fear of catching the virus continues to loom. Almost everyone remains indoors, stepping out only perhaps for essential purchases. Manic hand-washing and extreme hygiene are the norm. There is palpable anxiety over income, bringing on a collective financial tight-fistedness. There is a sense of helplessness and vulnerability, especially if one has a job that can’t be carried out online. Pessimism and frustration are rife.

On the plus side, staying fit and healthy has become top priority. Families have had time to bond. The work-from-home culture has taken root and flourished. People have realised you actually need very little to get by.

 What are the opportunities for brands:

The Restrained Phase is a tricky time for brands. As the social and economic effects of the pandemic hit home, consumers have largely closed their minds to irrelevant marketing messages. Intuitively, a good brand changes gears, chucking the hard sell out of the window. It chooses to stay visible and not shrink away in confusion. It doesn’t pretend that it’s business as usual. Instead, it shows deep empathy with the new daily habits and concerns of the home-bound consumer. It becomes a source of positivity, of practical and healthy solutions. Consumers would love to be gently reminded that the good times will soon be back. Of course, a good brand is genuine in its understanding, not merely topical. As a marketing head, when you strike the right notes in this phase, your consumer will resonate with what you say.

 The Restart Phase:

 This phase will be the transition phase between complete lockdown and the return to normal living. It will begin with the Government calling off or significantly easing up the lockdown, like it has already happened in some places. People will restart their social and professional lives but will still be wary of catching the virus. The world will have cautiously started to move ahead.

 What consumers think, feel and do:

There will be happiness over once again being able to step outside for professional, social or fitness reasons. But social distancing will still be necessary. Working from home, as a culture, will go mainstream. With a shaky economic climate, consumers will audit their expenses, trying to weed out whatever isn’t strictly essential and necessary. There could be a drop in prices and interest rates that may offer relief to hard-pressed consumers.

 What are the opportunities for brands:

Consumers will appreciate hopeful, uplifting messages from brands that inspire them to restart living normally again. A good brand becomes an agent to normal living. With people choosing to forego unnecessary expenses, it becomes critical for a non-essential brand to recraft its positioning and communication strategy. Through precise strategy and creativity, a non-essential brand should compel people to look on it as an essential. For example, an automobile brand repositions itself as the essential and safe private travel option to the dangers of public travel; a furniture brand as an essential in the work-from-home environment which calls for efficient, comfortable work and leisure spaces. On the other hand, essential brands, which have enjoyed boom-time so far, will need to re-establish their credentials and connections with consumers, as multiple players will enter the market, all seeking to gain consumer preference.

 The Rebuild Phase:

 This is the phase that the world is praying comes sooner than later. At long last, the corona virus threat will have passed or at least be considered manageable. People will begin returning to the routines of their pre-pandemic lives. Societies, governments, corporations and brands will seek to rebuild robust economic foundations on which the world can flourish again.

 What consumers think, feel and do:

Normal life will have returned. But it will be a new normal, with technology becoming central to lives. People will be more determined to bounce back but this will be balanced by caution and practicality. For years, our out-of-home and in-home home behaviours will be influenced by lingering virus fears. People will continue to think twice before spending on anything. At the same time, they will be eager again for the perks of normal living: out-of-home pass-times and entertainment, socialising, celebrations.

 What are the opportunities for brands:

In this phase, after a long time, people will feel that things are somewhat returning to how they used to be. For brands, this phase will thus present some unique marketing opportunities. Good marketing heads will have recrafted brand strategies, aligning with abundant creativity, aggressive intent and budgets, to fully tap into these new opportunities and make up for lost time.

 Let us first consider one such unique opportunity that the Rebuild Phase can offer. As the economy will slowly start to find its feet again, there can arise the phenomenon of Revenge Spending.

 Simply put, Revenge Spending is when consumers, especially those with high disposable incomes, will rebel against all the enforced financial stinginess and will swing to the other extreme of wild, extravagant spending. This is what happened recently in Guangzhou, China, after their government eased the lockdown there. As French high-fashion retailer Hermès reopened its flagship store, wealthy consumers splurged $2.7 million on luxury goods in a single, spectacular opening day. Brands can tap into this heightened consumption instinct to design messages that ignite consumer interest.

People will also take time to feel reassured that the pandemic is indeed in the past. Through empathetic communication, brands can look to be part of this reassurance process. With crafted messaging, a good brand can reassure its consumers to feel free about living normally again, to re-embrace the joys of life, to reconnect with the values of indulgence, fun and celebration.

 Alert marketing heads will have many more opportunities to launch successful campaigns in the Rebuild Phase and re-energise brands.

 A fresh and hopeful way forward:

 Yes, the pandemic may seem like the Godzilla of our times, but like in the movies, this giant monster will be vanquished eventually. Despite its long-term impact, this too, like everything else, shall pass.

As marketing professionals, the pandemic is an opportunity to pause and think, to reassess the merits and demerits of overt consumerism and materialism. It is heartening then to know that core human values will remain constant and last. There will always be felt the need for fresh air, sunlight, love, travel, sports, deep connections with people, social mingling, a meaningful existence, hope, fun, opportunities for growth.

Any brand that enables the fulfillment of these basic needs will always be admired and successful, will always find an indispensable role in people’s daily lives. And that, dear folks, is good news indeed, corona or no corona.

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