During a crisis of epic proportions, the rules for building and sustaining a brand have gone out the window. More than just trying to maintain business as usual, the pandemic is pushing brands to dig deep to find ways to be genuinely useful to people around the world. And with it, every category is being forced to reassess what individual customers need most—both physically and emotionally. Enter: big brand opportunities.
As we look ahead we welcome a rebirth and a cycle of turnover that brings with it a fresh perspective and chance to grow. Here’s four strategies to consider as you optimize your brand’s value to consumers.
With consumer behavior changing right before our eyes, brands will need to dedicate focus to amplify the pace of insights. By conducting more real-time, ongoing research touchpoints, brands can successfully evolve product or service offerings to meet the consumers where they are.
As consumers come out of a suffocating period of isolation, storytelling will be paramount to driving connection. Brands who are social-first and create focused storylines that bring people together can create new avenues of brand loyalty and demonstrate commitment to the customer. One example is Chick-fil-A’s recent creation of a virtual band to help kids from kindergarten through 12th grade “#BandTogether” as they continue to stay home. The chicken chain wants them to grab their instruments to help create a rendition of “Rockin’ Robin” that will be shared on its social accounts and elsewhere.
Society has a newfound reliance on digital ecosystems to feed, clothe and entertain us, pushing brands to reimagine and amp up their digital experiences. Companies are rethinking the allocation of dollars from in-store promotions to e-commerce, inevitably this will drive much more impressive experimental digital activations, native advertising and entertainment-focused promotional channels.
Finally, this period of great unknowns has brought a great reckoning for brands that have long rested on their legacy offerings to see them through. To navigate future disruption, the proven strategy of revenue diversification presents a lifeline and an opportunity to continue to serve evolving consumers. Those who uncover new category white space will be better poised to have a strong, diversified model in the long-term. This creates opportunities to attract new audience segments who are currently in “switching mode” and ready to trial a new product offering.
Brands who are fastest to pivot can be sustained, and steal share in the process. BrandJuice is helping brands of all sizes take action now. These brand solutions can sprint in as little as four weeks, integrating mission-critical inputs and high-value outputs your brand can quickly execute.