The projected number of coronavirus cases in the Valley is expected to peak in the coming weeks, according to Maricopa County health officials. Many Valley organizations have paused operations to wait out the storm, but the businesses strategically preparing for recovery are positioning themselves for successful reentry into the marketplace. A proactive recovery marketing plan will provide your business with an advantage over competitors caught in a holding pattern.
Be nimble. Be quick.
Speed to market is going to matter. Your team won’t have the luxury of dawdling when the time comes to capture attention-share at the same time as everyone else. Having the outline of a strategy in place ahead of time will allow you to break to the front of the pack and lead the narrative for your industry.
Encourage decision-makers to be light on their feet and adhere to this mantra: embrace uncertainty. While it might be challenging to get a team of people who are used to dealing with hard numbers and strict deadlines to be flexible, there’s a lot of room for creativity. Have an open mind, and trust that your marketing team has had their ear to the ground throughout the duration of the crisis.
What to include in a recovery marketing plan.
Flexibility is key. Ensure each arm of the strategy is amenable to change, otherwise, you risk losing entire swaths of work and time as a result of new updates to the situation.
Content strategy
Messaging is going to be important for audience positioning. Copy that isn’t thoughtfully crafted runs the risk of appearing insensitive in unanticipated ways. Entice and reengage your consumer base without compromising integrity.
Targeting
Hopefully, over the course of the crisis, your true following rose to the top. Reassess what makes your business attractive. Decide if targeting strategies need readjustment. A marketing team that’s well versed in analytics, persona composition and media targeting can help through these conversations.
Media
The way people interact with media is subject to change. During this crisis, the rates at which people consume online content have skyrocketed. Once consumers are given the go-ahead to resume their normal activities, it is predicted that behaviors will shift offline to make up for the lost time. Depending on your business model and offerings, it is worth considering out-of-home advertising as people begin driving again and meeting up at venues, restaurants and other social spaces.
Recovery starts with planning
It can be daunting to strategize the long term when even next week is a complete unknown. Consider investing now in a marketing partnership that helps you develop a strategic comeback to ensure a tactful advantage over your competitors.
Veronique James launched The James Agency from her living room in 2005 with the vision to create an agency focused on open communication and transparency. What began as a one-woman show has become an award-winning integrated agency that specializes in consumer advertising, public relations and digital marketing.
