In These [Redacted] Times
Let’s face it, 2020 has been less than ideal, but social media is thriving in the midst of the storm. The pandemic has forced us inside and to our computers and gave us more time to spend on our phones. So much time, that social media usage was up 11% in July compared to the same time last year. And that’s nothing compared to Facebook Messenger, which has seen as much as a 50% increase in usage in markets hit hardest by Covid-19. But what does this mean for our ad strategies and our client’s ad dollars?
Messaging, messaging, messaging
We’ve all heard it, those trite pieces big corporations released mid to late summer, assuring us that they’re cleaning their restaurants SUPER well – as if they weren’t before – and that they really care about us in these “Covid times.” They knew that in order to reach their audience effectively, they had to drastically change their message from what they ran in 2019 and even in the first two months of 2020. While those commercials seemed to be a dime a dozen, it is what brands believed people needed to hear: positivity and reassurance in dark times.
Adapting to the needs of your audience, staying flexible in any situation, and ready to turn messaging on a dime, that’s a hallmark of an agency that is worth working with.
Bringing the feeling of normalcy to the “new normal”
The entertainment industry has been decimated, live music, cinema, sports, and so on. The things that we would turn to for comfort even on the best days are no longer viable. Even now that we are at the end of the year, we still feel no closer to “normal“ than we did in April. So as marketers, how do you position your clients in the entertainment industry to create experiences for their audience that make things feel more normal and drive engagement?
One of our clients, Eldora Speedway, was faced with this dilemma moving into September of this year. With every in-person event canceled, 2020 had been a difficult one as many other entertainment venues can attest to. However, the mentality changed when our messaging went from presenting the events as normal to presenting them with the fans at the forefront. The content we created captured everything that the fans would want to see if they were there, instead of what they’d see if they were watching on television. The strategy proved to be extraordinarily effective, with a 449% increase in post engagement, 225% increase in reach, and 110% increase in page likes for the month. Huge numbers because of a change in strategy and bringing a feeling of normalcy to this “new normal.”
Invest in good strategy
Your marketing strategy should look nothing like it did back in February. Investing in relationships with your audience, creating heart-felt messaging that captivates them – that’s the way to go as we move into this brave new world.
Let’s face it, 2020 has been less than ideal, but social media is thriving in the midst of the storm. The pandemic has forced us inside and to our computers and gave us more time to spend on our phones. So much time, that social media usage was up 11% in July compared to the same time last year. And that’s nothing compared to Facebook Messenger, which has seen as much as a 50% increase in usage in markets hit hardest by Covid-19. But what does this mean for our ad strategies and our client’s ad dollars?
Messaging, messaging, messaging
We’ve all heard it, those trite pieces big corporations released mid to late summer, assuring us that they’re cleaning their restaurants SUPER well – as if they weren’t before – and that they really care about us in these “Covid times.” They knew that in order to reach their audience effectively, they had to drastically change their message from what they ran in 2019 and even in the first two months of 2020. While those commercials seemed to be a dime a dozen, it is what brands believed people needed to hear: positivity and reassurance in dark times.
Adapting to the needs of your audience, staying flexible in any situation, and ready to turn messaging on a dime, that’s a hallmark of an agency that is worth working with.
Bringing the feeling of normalcy to the “new normal”
The entertainment industry has been decimated, live music, cinema, sports, and so on. The things that we would turn to for comfort even on the best days are no longer viable. Even now that we are at the end of the year, we still feel no closer to “normal“ than we did in April. So as marketers, how do you position your clients in the entertainment industry to create experiences for their audience that make things feel more normal and drive engagement?
One of our clients, Eldora Speedway, was faced with this dilemma moving into September of this year. With every in-person event canceled, 2020 had been a difficult one as many other entertainment venues can attest to. However, the mentality changed when our messaging went from presenting the events as normal to presenting them with the fans at the forefront. The content we created captured everything that the fans would want to see if they were there, instead of what they’d see if they were watching on television. The strategy proved to be extraordinarily effective, with a 449% increase in post engagement, 225% increase in reach, and 110% increase in page likes for the month. Huge numbers because of a change in strategy and bringing a feeling of normalcy to this “new normal.”
Invest in good strategy
Your marketing strategy should look nothing like it did back in February. Investing in relationships with your audience, creating heart-felt messaging that captivates them – that’s the way to go as we move into this brave new world.