Getting ahead of the game, and staying there.
In a previous blog posts, we wrote about how "a crisis is a terrible thing to waste". As the Crisis changed from something new and horrifying to a world wide phenomenon that we need to accept as a matter of routine, it's important to learn what - if anything - we can do to keep businesses growing and thriving.
Three key take outs and what they mean:
1. We're still here
Businesses are struggling in a downturning economy, e-commerce is creating trouble for brick and mortar and Jeff Bezos is getting richer. Despite the feeling of impending doom from March - nothing much has changed radically. If anything, the pandemic has emphasized that "life goes on" and we, consumers need food, cars, services as banking just like before.
2. Bad habits are worse than before, in business and in life
Choosing to not exercise, spend time with the people that matter to you, enjoying life. If those things didn't make sense to you before March - they probably do now. In the same way: Paying good money for things like bad listings, likes and clicks or media spending without a clear purpose, these actions under intense scrutiny as the pandemic has made EVERY business look long and hard at how to optimize, fine tune and increase its chances of survival.
3. Turning off your marketing communication in a time of uncertainty defies its purpose.
Looking back at the last 6 months the pandemic has been an accelerant of other issues in most western societies. From social unrest to increased awareness around income inequality or environmental impact. In this midst of this, the debate around trust in media and Science Denial has reared its ugly head. In times like these people turn to who they trust - and in a number of cases, this trust is placed in BRANDS. (More about this here) If you're not tuned to and part of the conversations your audiences are engaged in, chances are they will find another source to listen to.
Look to the future, smart moves for the times ahead
Leaning into change is always the best way to ensure you're not getting left in the dirt. Here are some examples of change we will see in the coming months.
Automation across multiple sectors and services
Any form of repetitive input or process is an obvious target for automation in the name of efficiency and cost reduction. Is your job a daily grind off the same chores? Then you should seriously question your future job prospects / look to learn new skills. Make this change true not just for your business but also for your clients. No one likes having to go through long log-in processes, remembering passwords or answering the same 5 questions every time they meet a chatbot.
Data privacy matters
In their recent hearings before the US congress, leaders of Amazon, Google, Facebook and Apple all admitted to breaches in data protection and / or a sub-contractor hierarchy so complex that it made security impossible. Look at Trumps rants against Tik Tok fueled by a xenophobic fear of user-data export risk. Look for non-intrusive ways to connect with users and clients that protects their right to digital privacy. Aim for "privacy by design"
Locality matters
Audiences care deeply about their neighborhoods and communities. Consumers perceive belonging and relevance as important factors when making a choice. Show you colors by supporting your local community or the business upon which they rely. No one wants every city to be the same high-street of chain stores, no one benefits from a lack of media outlets that write about what engages them and no one wants to have less impact on their community. Support and empower through the choices you make. Where you spend your money says something about what kind of world you want to live in, also in business.
What we do at Strossle
We live by the following mission statement:
«We connect advertisers to consumers through a network of premium publishers, using our Content Discovery Platform. We use Contextual Targeting to create a privacy safe, non-intrusive experience for millions of consumers who visit our more than 700 media companies across 10 European markets.
We optimize value for our partners by delivering the right content to the right user at the right time.»
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Photo by Nathan Anderson on Unsplash
