THE 4 R’S – IT’S MARKETING’S NEW NORMAL

In the new normal, businesses are re-evaluating their current business model, including their marketing strategy. The reality? This is not business as usual.

Many companies are fighting to stay afloat. Forward-looking teams are strategically adjusting their sails and navigating towards uncharted territory. This includes throwing archaic marketing strategies overboard and adopting more effective solutions. Recalibrating marketing efforts to focus on the personalized experience enables brands to reach a new level of customer intimacy with their audiences.

As we enter the new normal, the 4 P’s of traditional marketing have become the 4 R’s. It’s a make or break moment for businesses to steer themselves on an alternative course and position themselves as the captains in this customer-centric era.

Remain relevant

In the coming months, business leaders will be actively seeking insight into how to reach audiences more effectively. Staying visible and providing solutions to your customers’ problems is crucial.

Tear up the playbook and get realigned with your purpose. Even amid widespread change, brands must remain trustworthy and add value. Now is the time to show that you’re listening and genuinely care about your customers’ needs.

You must move quickly and stay ahead of the curve. This can be done by monitoring online conversations to identify changes in your customer’s behavior and priorities. This isn’t revolutionary information, but it is critical. Not keeping a pulse can lead to messaging that’s unclear and lacks proper timing, making businesses appear tone-deaf and insensitive.

Humanize your brand by being relatable

People are trying to decipher what this “new normal” will look like. Emotions are high, and more than ever we need to be sensitive about how we’re communicating: while many things are uncontrollable, businesses can control how they respond.

Customer experience has transformed into customer empathy. More than ever, brands need to lead with empathy and tell their audience, “I get you”.

Maintaining a dialogue with your customer base must remain a priority and shouldn’t be lost in corporate communication or pushy sales tactics. According to a recent survey of brand trust amid the pandemic, 71% say that if they perceive that a brand is putting profit over people, they will lose trust in that brand forever.

Get real

Authenticity is important. 62% say their country will not make it through this crisis without brands playing a critical role in addressing the challenges. Instead of staying socially dark, proactive brands pivoted by reflected the reality of their community of followers with realism and acknowledgment.

According to a recent survey, 70% of individuals working are more stressed amid the pandemic than any other point in their lives. 41% of people are anxious about the everyday cost of living, with 30% feeling as though they have new stressors on their job security and income. Customer behavior is changing, more people are working and staying at home and changing their daily routines. It’s important to reflect this shift in your brand’s messaging, including giving transparent updates, communicating compassionately, and being mindful to not over-promise.

Overall, using emotional intelligence to speak about the current climate in a way that shows your audience you are engaged and dedicated in being part of the solution as, globally, we navigate this new normal together.

Invest in relationships

Keeping a customer-centric mentality is critical right now. This is the time for community, not competition. Brands need to readjust their strategy to connect with their audiences in less fluffy, more meaningful ways.

Shared knowledge, staying connected, familiarity and trust, and a sense of normalcy and belonging are of the utmost importance right now. This is an opportunity to connect on a deeper level with your audience and nurture your existing relationships by practicing patience, delivering timely information and communicating frequently.

As we shift into new mindset on how we communicate with our customers, more than ever, timing and pertinence is needed. With the new lens, we look at new approaches to connecting with our audience, people want to feel connected, and businesses can bring people together, use their voice to create positive change, and find creative ways to use their business to establish community, even in times of uncertainty. Take this pivotal opportunity to new shape your approach and connections with your audience and seize these new connections with meaningful, purposeful communications.

Originally Article Published Here: https://www.magnoliamc.com/blog-post/the-4-rs-its-marketings-new-normal/