Realising the true value of marketing, as we move into the new normal

We already know that effective marketing delivers enormous value to business and in turn to the wider economy.  As we continue to face into these unprecedented times, it is becoming increasingly clear that marketing is going to be more important than ever. In short it is definitely a time to see marketing realising opportunities and supporting our recovery efforts. It is going to be a time for creativity and a time for us to demonstrate our significant value.

Yes, of course it will feel like there are still a lot more questions than answers and many of us might see the emerging questions, as ones without any answer anyway.  But maybe that is the very place where the magic will be found.  Our marketing solutions will need to be able to meet extraordinary requirements and we will need to be innovative in how we respond to this. Those in our profession can face into this type of situation with vigour and resilience, coupled with creativity, will be better placed to add real value.  Remember it has always been easy to excel when times are easy, it is in the most challenging moments though that we find our true character and build our skills and resilience.

That doesn’t mean that we go about our business in some sort of denial about the nature of national emergency though.  In fact, although there are businesses who have found themselves to be better placed to cope with the challenge, the sad truth is that there are also organisations that are really up against it and will continue to be very focused upon their very viability as a going concern. Even more sadly, there are some that have already had to make difficult decisions about their future and workforce.  There will also clearly be a divide in how we as individuals are faring in this unprecedented times too and we need to respect them and their circumstances. There will be a situation whereby businesses, even within the same locality, will feel like they are operating in totally different economies for us to contend with as well. This will in itself present strategic challenges and make the application of much wished for panaceas almost impossible. Within this context, it is inevitably going to be very tempting for some of us to look for measures that can turn a fast buck, to try to mitigate the disruption and the uncertainty.  However, is this going to be the best way forward? Are there alternatives that could provide better, more sustainable results and how should marketers set their stalls out as we move across the levels of concern?   

Good Marketers are always all too aware that we need to be alert to the likelihood of bad things occurring. We know that as a profession, we have always been mindful that unpleasantness is often just around the corner and is likely to happen. That is what happens when you are in touch with the business environment.  Somehow however, we always seem to be able to manage to balance this, with our firm belief that good things can and will happen too. Often we find we need to give these need a little encouragement though of course, but happen they do. Good marketers tend to be realists too though. In fact, we have always been good at producing original ideas and working within unfamiliar circumstances.  Taking a balanced view and being mindful of risk, but looking at ways to mitigate these, rather than simply using them to stifle opportunity, is always a sensible way to approach things.  

This is a time when we can demonstrate how our qualities and skillsets can add value in a number of significant ways. If we are to do this, we will need to be able to focus upon what is actually going to be important both to us and the wider environment.   So where might we wish to focus?  Well, there are at least six themes emerging around what our professional epoch will require:

1. A time for compassion. We have to acknowledge that lives and livelihoods have been and are still being impacted. There’s no one story to benchmark against of course. There is sorrow, there is worry and there is going to be a general sense of disorientation.  However this does not mean that we have to embrace inertia, but it does mean you have to proceed with sensitivity, respect and care.
2. A time for contemplation. We need to take some quality time to engage in some serious and quiet thought around what will be important and what will be different. The temptation will be to just get started and think on our feet.  There will be some thinking on our feet inevitably coming our way and everyone will be doing that anyway.   If you take steps to minimise this though, it will not only act as a something of a stress buster, but it will give you something of an advantage. Undervaluing the need for quality planning has never been a great strategy and there are no indicators whatsoever that this is the moment when a gung-ho approach’s time has come. Analysing our circumstances and using this a basis of our plans for action, is the way forward.
3. A time for collaboration. This is already a key competency for marketers and will come into its own more than even now.  We must look to our networks and beyond, to seek out worthwhile relationships that can generate synergies that we cannot establish alone. The very dynamics of this scenario can sometimes at first sight feel very off-putting. Effective collaboration does actually require some serious thought and effort. It is perhaps ironic the very people who are not just like us, who are the ones that we will need the most. If we willingly work together with others, to create and deliver the various activities required to realise our collaborative agenda, we can only move to a stronger place.
4. A time for creativity. We need to continue to come up with novel ideas, but we also need to be able to bring these ideas to life too. We need to consider what can be turned into workable solutions. Enterprises that are innovative and creative, typically achieve stronger growth and increased profitability. It will not be any different as we look ahead. Are you able to define your big contemporary ideas and how they will be able to make an impact?
5. A time for commercialisation. The bills still need to be paid and we need to remain cost effective.  We also need to be able to think about how our ideas will convert into income streams, as well as considering if they are plausible from a technical / operations perspective.   To commercialise our creativity, we must be able to get the attention of our customers, if we are to show how we are providing them with solutions.
6. A time for communication. Combining the five key areas above, in an appropriate way, will prove to be key to making our communication efforts effective. Looking at how we achieve commonality with the needs of our target audience, will require some careful thought though. Think about why they need you and what you can offer, think about how different this is now though and think about how you will communicate the positive changes being made.