So 2021 might not be the fresh start we all hoped for - but there's important work to be getting on with. Here's our top three resolutions for marketing managers
- Fix the plumbing and articulate your value
We’re helping our clients use this time to revisit their brand identity, fine-tune their marketing materials and generally get the plumbing in order.
Look at what value your brand is to your audience at the present moment, and those to come. Do the work now on understanding that. More than ever, people need brands that can deliver real value to them and understand what they need. That might be help, or just a laugh.
Plan an exit for the day restrictions ease. You don't know when things will get better, but they will, so be ready to respond (while understanding that "better" won't be "back to normal", and may never be).
- Use this time to get to know and connect to your audience even better
Talk to them. Plan research that involves them. Allow them to help you shape your plans.
Don’t neglect your socials as an opportunity to foster strong connections. If you want them to feel extra valued, you could even promote user-generated content.
These connections will reap dividends once you need to go up a gear.
- Think about experimenting with something new
Searching for the solution to a problem could turn into discovering an even better way to go about things.
If you can’t shoot video content under the new restrictions, consider whether commissioning an animation (which can be created through remote collaboration) might bring something new and different to your brief.
If your in-person event is currently out of the question, might there be new opportunities to tell your story in the virtual world? Concentrate on “better”, not just “instead”.
One of our resolutions this year is to stay positive and keep an open mind to new ways of doing things. Amidst last year’s challenges and disappointments, we learnt so much and developed new skills. That’s one thing we’re not so hasty to leave behind in 2020.