2020 has hit us hard. And fast. We had little time to make decisions, but they had to be done. If I had to define the 2020 Lesson, it would be: every cloud has a silver lining.
Was 2020 a blessing in disguise? Did it allow us to ask ourselves the RIGHT questions? Understand what REALLY matters?
Here are 4 post-pandemic takeaways:
- Great & Relevant Content Social media
People spend more and more time on social media, and this has shown brands what people really care about: They want to learn, to laugh, and to share and engage with your brand. The latest is what makes them resonate with your brand.
Understanding your segment is key. It is who you are speaking with and what makes them tick.
The rise of Tik Tok is a great example: “Diversity in content and the kinds of creators that were creating content on the platform [during the pandemic] went from pretty simple offerings to diversity around cooking and DIY and education,” explains Blake Chandlee “amazing creators (…) telling inspiring stories all year long and that just continued, which then led to the adoption of the platform for a variety of audiences” (Cynthia Littleton, Variety Magazine).
- Have a UX Mindset
Being user-centric is essential for a brand to thrive.
“If you told me two years ago that people would buy properties online, I would not have believed it”, says Abhay Kumar – CMO at Damac. “Most processes have been designed for the offline world, but as digital becomes important (…) now we try to migrate them to the online world.”
In banking, “ Customer experience is absolutely essential, especially during a pandemic”, says Aimee Peters Senior Executive Vice President, Group Head of Marketing, at Mashreq Bank. She mentions the importance of a clean and seamless customer interaction at every single touchpoint of their experience, especially when the level of fear and uncertainty has increased – in parallel, the company has perfected the digital experience even more.
In healthcare, the pandemic has opened new opportunities. During the pandemic, “some People had to have their healthcare in a remote form because of the mobility restrictions”. This opened doors for telemedicine for which “we’re only starting to scratch the surface” opines Rami Zahran, Group Chief Marketing Officer. Saudi German Health, KSA.
- The importance of KPIs yet be open to change
KPI can be seen as assumptions of what the future will bring. “A goal to work towards” It is so essential to have KPIs in common to set the right direction and “assess ourselves.
This comes of course with a required skill: be open to change and plan for volatility.
Rami further emphasizes the importance of KPIs, he recommends any company to do this first hand to empower each team member to assess themselves every month and daily. On a daily basis, one can use real-time tools to track the flow of customers and indicate when there has been a drop (e.g. Hot Jar, Content Square) he further states.
In a nutshell, you want to keep in mind the best-case scenario, but also the worth. The pandemic came out as a surprise for all of us. We found ourselves caught into a situation that is quite unique, a feeling of uncertainty, feelings of falling behind, yet also opportunities to think out of the box! In design thinking, they say that constraints can be good for businesses. If you lean into them, you’ll prevent them from leaning into you. What does that really mean?
In healthcare, it can be looking into treating patients remotely. In real estate, it can be providing the best customer experience to sell online. Remove doubts, be extra informative, double down on educating the client to remove the uncertainty of buying online.
- The importance of purpose and empathy
Build a community around your purpose. “Purpose survives the test of time. It is there from the inception of any brand, Rami further explains that Saudi German Hospital bases its “Why” on acknowledging people’s suffering and drive empathy. The tone used to touch people’s hearts add a universal message such as “caring like family”.
“Your message should link back to your values” says Sandeep Poduval, Chief Marketing Officer, Trusted Bank UAE. Which is why it’s always good to apply a filter on trends and ask yourself: Is this relevant? Does it resonate with the brand’s values? Trends are not necessarily bad, but if we take a step back and have a look at Keller’s Customer Base Brand Equity formula, we can easily maximize the use of communication and language for a brand.
Brand equity: Keller’s brand equity – CBBE
-Dunia Bounader, Founder & Managing Director, Arts & The City FZE
