With all the talk of self-isolation and not going out, it poses the question of whether advertising is still relevant or when it the point where businesses need to stop marketing to their customers? Many businesses have continued to market to customers and so they should, they have a living to make and our economy needs businesses to survive, but when is it time to call “now” and assess the type of marketing activity to stop, refine or continue with?
I feel that this is a really hard question to answer, one that is probably causing more stresses for business owners due to the current economy plus is likely to be different for each industry, state and business, especially as not every state is following the same restrictions. The thought of stopping marketing means the potential of reduced or no sales and the possibility of doors closing but there is also an ethical challenge here.
Many states and territories are now discouraging consumers to leave their house, to the point that people are being fined for unnecessary travel. As a business that relies on getting people to your location, is it the wrong thing to do to encourage customers to come and see you? Non-essential travel to certain businesses is being touted as the consideration however, how do you determine “non-essential” when it comes to needs and wants. What I see as an essential item may not necessarily be the same as my neighbour? How then do we discourage people from travelling for non-essential reasons when we can’t remove basic so-called human rights, and the messages that we read and hear each day are having difficulty in defining essential at the current time. We are fortunate that technology allows us to stay connected with loved ones but is a late-night chocolate craving non-essential or does it lean towards the need of basic joys to help maintain mental health and wellness. I would suggest that driving down the street just for a chocolate bar could be non-essential however, doing your grocery shopping which includes some chocolate for the week, is definitely essential.
Many people have had their basic routines completely interrupted and their safety nets of every-day life taken away from them and, in this time of complete unknown, where do we draw the line of marketing to try and persuade, create a want or get people to come and purchase from you? Should businesses be considering a change of strategy or is it morally okay to encourage people to leave their home to shop with you whilst your doors are open as you are not being asked to close?
It’s really tough and many businesses can’t simply switch off their advertising as the investment has already been confirmed and, even if you don’t use it, you pay for it any way so is there different ways of doing things to make sure that you don’t waste your money, efforts, or do the wrong thing ethically and morally.
If you need to continue advertising, here are just some thoughts on different approaches that you can take:
- Change your call to action: If you have an online store as well as a physical location, consider driving customers to the online store as a way to purchase or interact with you. You can still be available behind the scenes to process queries or orders however, you don’t need to be forcing customers to come to you when they don’t need to.
- Develop an online presence: Don’t have an online site? Consider developing one. There are many simple ways that you can create an online presence including eBay and other third party apps which can help you to continue to drive sales, but not necessarily the physical interaction with the customer.
- Enter into a partnership: You might also consider collaborating with another local business that is related to yours but hasn’t had to close. Potential partnerships to help move stock whilst reducing overheads could ensure your product continues circulation. This will also ensure that your regular and loyal customers are able to purchase your products ensuring that they don’t try other products whilst you are closed. A great example of this is some local gyms who have created online programs for their members to use. This ensures that customers are not only staying fit and helping with their mental and emotional wellbeing, but they are also staying engaged with their local gym whilst not utilising free programs on YouTube.
- Change your message: If you have booked media and are unable or hesitant to cancel it, you might want to consider changing your message to be more about your brand than a sales message. I’m impressed by a few retailers who have very quickly responded to the need to change their message in order to meet their media commitments. Nick Scali is one retailer who has adapted with a “We’re home on the couch with you”, “shop online” TV ad. It’s simple yet effective – our stores are closed but we are still available 24/7 to purchase. This is keeping their brand present and front of mind but also creating an ethical message. This type of messages ensures that customers who are considering purchasing new furniture still have the opportunity to review what Nick Scali has to offer. If they are really keen to purchase, they can choose to do so online or delay until the stores are open. If you are going to encourage online shopping, a key to this is considering the delivery cost to customers. Many businesses are offering discounted or free delivery services so you might want to check out your competitors before making a decision.
- Postpone marketing where you can: If the objective of your marketing activity is to drive customers to your physical location and, you are able to cancel it, you might want to consider cancelling this in the short term and re-visiting as times improve, if you are not wanting to divert to a brand message. In doing this, you are supporting the safety of your customers and staff whilst also removing un-due costs. If customers are not out and about then there is no point trying to get them to come and see you if they won’t. If your product is well aligned to online purchases, make sure you consider all options first before postponing as you may find something is better than nothing.
All of these are difficult decisions and will have ramifications for businesses and people however, help to minimise the potential long term impacts for your business.
For businesses that have had to make the choice to close their doors, especially restaurants and bars, keeping engaged with your customers is probably quite important but I would discourage spending a lot of money. Look to your own channels such as email, website and social to help you keep chatting with your community. This is so important for small locally based businesses such as bakeries and coffee shops. Customers are going to be fulfilling their needs with someone or something else whilst you are closed so you are going to want to make sure that they are aware of your intentions to return and anything special that you are doing like launching a new product, menu, new team. All of the great positive things that you have been doing whilst stepping away from the day to day grind.
These are really difficult times and you need to look out for people within the community more than ever before. Protecting those who you care about, or who possibly need you and respecting the situation that we are in now, is going to allow for improved long term relationships with customers and your local community.
It’s a bit like the “think before you dig” slogan – “think before your act”: assess all implications before you panic and make the wrong decision. Customers will respect you for it.
Take care and Good Luck!
The Marketing Elf
© April 2020