May 1, 2020

With stay-home directives and quarantining measures being implemented on a global scale, this agency is seeing a myriad of responses from large and small businesses alike. Even Mosaic had to take pause to reassess our own marketing techniques and media agenda. If you’re in charge of making decisions to promote a brand or business, there are a million questions running through your head. Is anyone hearing the message we’re putting out? Is this budget being wasted? What do I do now? With clientele that spans the United States and proffers media budgets of all sizes, here are the top three trends I’m seeing as the head of a media agency.

#1 Hitting Pause

A seemingly prudent choice, some clients are choosing to pause all traditional and digital media placement across the board.  Without drivers to see billboards or listen to the radio, and with television being overruled in favor of streaming or other digital tactics, it could be considered a smart move to save that spend for future instances.  Business like social clubs or educational facilities that depend on public gatherings are the most affected, but even large retailers like Coca-Cola have withdrawn its Q2 marketing efforts in some geographies.

What should you do? While it makes sense for some industries to pull back on paid media, we highly discourage any brands from cutting media altogether. In order to maintain your market share, you must stay front of mind. Whether this is through lowered media budgets on traditional/digital outlets, or from taking advantage of owned and earned media platforms, content and messaging must be generated to remind consumers you’re there.

#2: Changing the Message, Keeping the Placement

Considering the current situation, you’ve probably seen many brands doing a quick redesign of traditional messages and methodologies. Guinness has redesigned their product image with a nod toward stay-at-home schedules, used on posters and in digital ads.  This clever response abounds in consumer praise, while other faux paus were quick to be condemned by the masses.  Constellation Brands, maker of Corona beer, managed to stay ahead of any fallout despite the name association.  Until, that is, they made a ‘bad taste’ move when they released the Corona Hard Seltzer line, complete with the tagline “Coming Ashore Soon.”

What should you do? Maintaining placement is unfortunately measured on a case-by-case basis but changing the message may be a great place to start. Avoid coming across as “taking advantage of the situation.” Keep to an empathetic tone and try to connect with your customers/consumers on their level. What changes are you making to keep employees and consumers safe? How are you helping the community? What special offers are you running in consideration of the harder economic period?

#3: Pivot

The final trend I’m seeing is the tendency to pivot and utilize mediums in higher demand. With fewer people on the road during drive time hours, many have started looking into the practicality of audio streaming to reach their target demographic. Billboards are likewise not being seen, but display ads and social media ads are gaining more eyes than ever. Rather than cutting the budget, they’ve taken their existing creative to meet the audience wherever they are.

What should you do? First and foremost, consider whether your target audience can still be found with your existing placement or if they’ll be found more easily through digital means. Some of our clients are increasing their frequency and reach by making the move to digital platforms and are seeing their budget go further. I recommend at least checking out the opportunities available through OTT, programmatic, streaming audio, and social media campaigns.

Conclusion

So, which one is right for you? Just like media placement during the most mundane years, deciding how and when to alter your media presence should be a custom-tailored decision for you. There are numerous factors to take into account and Mosaic Media is always available if you need us.