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Three Weeks Into A Global Pandemic: Planning for The Future

by Emily King | 02.04.2020

It’s been three weeks since W.H.O. declared COVID-19 a worldwide pandemic and a lot has changed. We don’t want to repeat the details of everything that has happened, but instead help you plan for the future.

Consumer Behaviour Changes by Channel

PPC:

Social:

Organic Search:

OOH:

Press:

Audio:

TV:

Display:

What is Tug’s Take?

Short Term Impact (2-4 weeks)

Medium Term Impact (5-9 weeks)

Long Term Impact (3 months +)

Planning Your Marketing Activity (From Home!)

Marketers must adapt their marketing strategies to the changing times to gain SOV in the short-term to grow profitability and success in the long-term.

Here are our five key take-outs for marketers:

  1. Consider the user journey

Consider how user behaviour has changed by channel and amend your media, messaging and content strategy accordingly e.g. customers searching for ‘how to’ instructions and ‘online’ availability rather than ‘near me’ services.

Keep users updated and informed of any changes:

  1. Double up your SEO efforts

Doubling your SEO efforts now will see significant ROI in the long-term once search trends begin to normalise. Take the opportunity to make technical improvements to your site and focus on creating and optimising onsite content to increase rankings.

In the short-term, with some advertisers pulling back PPC, SEO CTR and visibility will increase. Ensure that top keywords and messaging from PPC activity are shared with SEO teams.

  1. Build your brand

Higher reach across social channels, display, radio and daytime TV means they are great for branding, with increased engagement rates, there is a big opportunity to tell brand stories using video and high impact formats. 

If you are struggling to create, or are unwilling to test, new creative; then use your past ‘evergreen’ creative that you already know works.                       

  1. Engage your audience (for remarketing later)

Test and learn across social and display to get insights and learnings on formats and performance. This provides brand awareness in the short-term whilst building remarketing lists for the long-term

Encourage people to register interest for travel, shows, products etc. that will be back once we return to some form of normality. Customer data can also be used to build lookalikes for future activity.

  1. Be flexible with your media plan

Move budget from non-committed ATL plans online or to audio based on the new user journeys e.g. for a sports brand, look at Twitch rather than televised football matches to reach your young male target audience.

Focus on making flexible media plans and creative that can work across multiple mediums.

Plan For The Future

Make realistic plans and plan in more flexibility in the future so you can continue to adapt your marketing strategy with the changing times.

If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Tug via your Client Service or Channel Director.