From home deliveries to priority trading, virtual events to takeaways, home schooling and home working, businesses across Sussex and the South East have had to change the way they function in response to COVID-19, since England went into its first official lockdown back in March 2020.
Messaging is king in times of crisis
Marketers have had a fundamental role to play in helping businesses across Sussex and the South East drive value, stay relevant and adapt to the changing business conditions A marketer’s role is to understand the needs of their customers and the market their business operates in. This insight is vital especially at times of crisis. While there is a temptation to simply pick up where you left off pre pandemic, this is not necessarily the best way forward as we now start to resume life after the subsequent lockdowns.
Both consumer and business priorities have changed, and fresh strategies need to be applied to address change accordingly. This could mean a greater focus on digital and content marketing or re-evaluating your your product offerings and overall messaging. Whatever the changes it is essential to communicate clearly what your business does, where you stand in the current market and the value you can give your customers. Be sympathetic to your customer’s situations and adjust your tone accordingly, through honesty and transparency in your messaging.
Making a positive difference
Consider putting socially responsible marketing front and centre stage, with consumers increasingly opting to purchase from companies that value purpose as well as profit, it can be an effective awareness tool for businesses.
There are so many great examples of this from our region. With the continuing harrowing news coming out of India, where the country passed the 300,000 mark in Covid deaths this week, Sussex businesses have shone the spotlight on those in need. Co-working and flexible office operator, Freedom Works Ltd for instance, have sent 4,500 medical masks to India and have started to raise funds to help support their efforts at supporting some of the most disadvantaged communities in Mumbai.
Having the right skills to recover
Key to achieving all this will be ensuring marketing staff, particularly those who have been furloughed, are equipped with the skills to meet these challenges.
With traditional classroom-based learning impractical for now, businesses should consider online learning to develop the skillsets of their employees before they return to the office, as well as the changing expectations employees may have towards to workplace, perhaps offering hybrid working options to take advantage of the gains that the adoption of technologies to work remotely have given us.
The Chartered Institute of Marketing in partnership with Hays Recruitment conducted research at the end of last year, which provided new insights into marketers’ views towards the workplace and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The research found that six in 10 marketers (60%) plan to change jobs within the year, with 38% anticipating they would make the move before May 2021. Appetite that is mirrored by industry demand, with 67% of marketing employers planning to hire in 2021.
The data suggests that marketers’ expectations have changed; seeking roles and career opportunities that reflect fundamental shifts such as hybrid and flexible working brought about by the pandemic.
How can CIM support local businesses in Sussex?
At the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), we have seen a huge increase in demand from marketers looking to expand their digital marketing capabilities through courses in digital marketing, PPC, SEO, paid social and copywriting.
Marketers are in a prime position to both support local businesses and communities in Sussex and across the South East, as the UK economy recovers, provided they are prepared, proactive and above all, flexible in their approach.
If you would like to learn more about CIM, the world’s professional marketing body and would like to learn more about how to join CIM’s South East regional network which offers the opportunity to network with other marketers in our region, please visit: https://regions.cim.co.uk/south-east/home
