Softening the blow: A look at the advertising world in times of COVID19
Softening the blow: The world of advertising is one that is ever-evolving to the patterns and trends in the world. It is an art of persuasion which is much more than simply selling something, it is a process of creating an experience. But today like any other field in the global economy the industry of advertising and marketing has taken a hit. Live events are getting canceled; media buying is facing expenditure cuts and advertisers are now entering a world of unprecedented consumer behaviors and patterns.
Making the best of the situation: How are advertisers using the state of a pandemic?
A huge pattern that advertisers are following all over the world is the concept of coming together in times of crisis. Sport England ran a campaign created by FCB called #JointheMovement asking people all around the world to stay active in times of lockdown and build a sense of community within their target publics. Those who like to stay on track when it comes to health and fitness. Another route taken by advertisers these days is the idea of gratitude towards those going in for work every day.
McCann used this concept to create the #SupporttheDoctors campaign urging people to take a moment to appreciate the great risks taken by healthcare professionals all over the world for the good of others. All of this and much more shed light on a very interesting arch of advertisements. It’s not only about selling. It’s about making your audiences resonate, remember, and most importantly respond to who you are as a brand and an advertiser. This is something that has become more prevalent than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The winner takes it all: Brands that have great advertising and growing opportunity during COVID-19.
While the world is facing one of the toughest times in terms of its economy there are a few winners in this situation. What do you do now when you get up? Probably visit Instagram or binge watch something on Netflix right? Netflix has seen a jump of 16 million more subscribers sew in the first quarter of this year alone. That’s 9 million more than what almost every business publication and even Netflix themselves had anticipated. “Let’s get on a Zoom call” is something people might start hearing in their dreams now which is no surprise given the fact that the video conferencing app has added more users in the past 4 months than in all of 2019.
What advertisers can take away from this is that while several fields are taking a major hit others are flourishing more than ever. In a world where people are not necessarily thinking about taking a trip or going to the Cinema, brands that cater to the needs of boredom and convenience have an edge. Advertisers and marketers have once in a lifetime opportunity for harnessing these brands. If done right can still stay relevant once the world starts going back to normal.
…..Now what? Where can advertisers take brand communication after the pandemic?
Anyone and everyone talk about how they cannot wait to go back to their lives the way they used to be. Advertisers in the time to come will have multiple communication opportunities. They can talk about the relief of being back for example stationery brands can put a completely new twist on the saying “back to school”.
Brands that took extreme hits like tourism can run campaigns on how social distancing is not a norm anymore. It’s time to treat ourselves with maybe a trip to Bali. The possibilities are endless.
In today’s world of uncertainty, advertisers remind us through creative ways to come together, be happy, and look forward to happier times in the future.
“Never stop testing; your advertising will never stop improving”
David Ogilvy