March 16th. That was the last day I physically left my home to visit a client. I remember feeling nervous at the time because they are a retailer and the CDC guidelines were just starting to hit the press about COVID. That was before we knew exactly how the virus spreads. Since then, we have learned that being in contact with other people within 6 feet of us can spread the virus, even if they aren’t showing symptoms. We have learned that if we touch something that an infected person has touched for up to 7 days ago, and then touch our face, we can get sick. And we have learned that while our pets can’t get us sick, we can get them sick. Wearing a mask that covers our nose and mouth doesn’t provide 100% protection, but like wearing your safety belt in a car accident, it does offer us some protection, as well as for those around us. So I’m all in on masks.
Our country is facing a dilemma of health vs. the economy, and for the moment, the two seem mutually exclusive. When 95% of Americans were under lockdown in April to help curb the spread of COVID, we began to see sustained declining plateaus of new cases. Then, despite researchers from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security recommending that a state should experience a two-week decline before re-opening, some states, like our Florida, jumped the gun. Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina were among the last states to issue stay-at-home orders in April after many other states had already clamped down in March. And of course, because of our natural beauty, our residents and visitors initially interpreted the lockdown as a vacation, and everyone went to the beach. We finally got the message, and more or less remained at home until May 4th, when we were one of the earliest states to begin the process of reopening. On June 5th, the state entered phase 2 of reopening. Since then, Florida has seen record-high new cases, and daily new cases over the past week have been 3 to 4 times what they were in April when we had our last peak. Clearly we’re not out of the woods yet and COVID will be our new reality for some time to come.
In the middle of this craziness, we all have businesses to run. It seems truly bizarre at this point to be talking about marketing in a post-COVID world, but that is where we are. Small business owners are concerned about so much more than making sure employees are washing their hands and respecting social distancing. They’re trying to figure out how to maintain the visibility of their brand, and their revenue, while their clients are thinking about where they can buy enough toilet paper and Clorox. And by the way, the fact that we are in a hand sanitizer crisis in this country the magnitude of the OPEC oil crisis of the late 1970s is seriously unacceptable for an industrialized nation like ours.
But my conversation today is not about gloom and doom, it’s about renewal. While employees of corporate America may be discussing doomsday scenarios, mostly because they were never in real control of their careers, that’s not the kind of people we are as entrepreneurs. We’re scrappy, we’re creative, and we know how to turn lead into gold. So how do we apply that scrappiness to the worst kick in the pants our economy has seen since the Great Depression? We dive in, we pivot where we need to, and we get creative.
Despite all of the craziness, two things haven’t changed. Our clients still have needs, and we’re still smart. But we need to adjust our approach to meet our clients where they are right now.
If your business serves hotels, know that many of them have shifted to provide housing for traveling first responders and those who feel uncomfortable treating patients and returning home to their families each day. If your clients are healthcare providers, their practices are hard hit by reductions in elective procedures and their patients are afraid to seek critical care unless absolutely necessary. They are trying to shift all or a portion of their practices to telemedicine. If your clients are retailers, they are having a much more difficult time importing wholesale goods, and they are either seeing a spike in online orders, or they’re trying to migrate their stores online. Any businesses that offer physical services are trying to take them virtually. Consultations and events are moving online. Companies are creating online educational resources to support their clients in order to maintain brand recognition. Websites, content, webinars, blogs, and social media are increasing, but the message is changing and many companies are shifting from advertising to philanthropy, inspirational content, and helping their communities to connect, as they recognize the strategic play of forming deeper relationships. As the CEO of Terminus said, “Retention is the new acquisition”. So how are you going the extra mile to retain your clients? How about just checking in on how they’re doing without actually trying to sell them something?
One thing is consistent across all industries. Companies are reducing their non-essential costs. If you can find a way to deliver your services and save them money, then you’ll have their attention. Can they outsource something to you more cost-effectively than doing it themselves? Can you combine your services into a creative package that either increases their top line or reduces their bottom line?
And I don’t want to forget about those of you who are selling directly to consumers since clearly that world has also changed. On a bright note, it appears that retail therapy is as healing as ever since the week ending June 13 marked five weeks of consecutive year-over-year growth in discretionary retail, according to the NPD Group, and is nearing our pre-crisis baseline. Restaurants, however, are down by 12%, but video game products reached the highest total in US history in the first quarter of 2020, Netflix usage is up 72% and outdoor toys surged as families took refuge in their yards. Family sized food item sales are up, and consumers are seeking reassurance of high levels of sanitizing and cleanliness. In fact, watch for a rise in sanitization seals of approval as multiple industries seek to make consumers feel comfortable consuming their services.
It goes without saying that as the economy tightens, consumers are focusing their spend more on essentials. So how can your business be considered essential? According to a study by McKinsey, the categories where US households are spending more are groceries, household supplies, and home entertainment. The biggest dips are adventures & tours, hotels and flights. But there are several categories where the reductions in spending are quite small and bordering on neutral. That means they probably haven’t reduced their budgets. These include snacks (which many of us are feeling in our waistlines right now), takeout and delivery, alcohol, and personal care products, especially those DIY versions. So these are your clients who are likely somewhere between doing ok to growing. How can you help them?
In general, our post COVID world will look much like our COVID world for our marketing, at least for a while. The big trends are DIY, virtual, anything online, and family-sized. Maintaining relationships, shifting to digital, and checking in are key right now.
Personally I have found lately that by simply checking in with past clients and prospects, I have been able to keep a steady stream of new business going. So my challenge to you this week is to just check in with 3 people you haven’t spoken to in a while. You may be pleasantly surprised at the outcome.
Before I sign off, let me leave you with a quote from Steven Covey. “To solve our most difficult problems, we must radically change our thinking.” And if there was ever a time to radically change our thinking, it’s now.