The Evolution of New Jersey Marketing Agencies

Adjusting to the Covid-19 world has been a daily challenge in itself, but as a business owner, it is a float or sink situation. We are living in a media-driven age and each change we face globally creates a change in the media and how products are advertised. For New Jersey marketing agencies and marketing agencies around the world, the advertisements created prior to the world returning to pre-covid normalcy, are a crucial part of the future of businesses.

Accepting that your business and company will not operate the same way it did prior to Covid-19 is the first step in creating a marketing plan that works just as efficiently as it did before the virus. Modifications must be made to services and products to adjust to the sensitivity of the times. Maintaining an online and digital presence is more important than ever with everyone having extra screen time, but other forms of advertisements, such as print and outdoor ads, should not be abandoned. Staying true to the values of your company is essential in preserving relationships with valued customers. Adjusting your marketing approaches while sustaining your overall goals will create a trustworthy environment with clients, promoting their loyalty. 

The media and marketing are intertwined and must evolve simultaneously to adapt to the current circumstances. Having people trapped in their homes generated a surge in social media advertising and online sales. Online media produces a direct response from viewers since analytics show the reach and engagements of each post, especially posts that use search engine optimization methods. Platforms including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn have proven to be effective places for marketing. The recent shelter-in-place guidelines led to much more online streaming of movies and TV shows, leading Netflix to gain nearly 16 million subscribers during the pandemic. The extra attention to online entertainment made ad-supported streaming services one of the top means of marketing during the pandemic. 

Understanding your audience’s needs and how they are reacting to the circumstances is the first step in creating a targeted advertisement. All social media impressions are not the same and it is important to keep your audience in mind when deciding which platform to advertise on. For businesses targeting a younger audience, social media can provide the most exposure, along with ads shown in online streaming services. For a more mature customer-base, a combination of online and outdoor marketing are efficient means of advertising, especially now that we have eased some of the virus restrictions and more people have been out and about. Targeting the location and habits of your audience creates a more successful advertising platform, as well as interactive ways of marketing to get people involved with your business.

This is foreign territory for every business and consumer since this is the first time many of us have faced a deadly pandemic. When there was a mask shortage, brands that have never produced masks started to because they knew that is what their consumers were looking for. When social distancing became effective, essential stores announced their plans on ensuring the safety of those entering their stores. Having compassion towards your customers’ fears and being flexible with their wants and needs proves that your brand stands by their consumers. Showing your support for different causes and companies helps positively promote your brand by showing consumers your benevolence in hard times. A recent study by the American Association of Advertising Agencies showed that 56% of consumers said they liked hearing how brands are helping their communities during the pandemic.

Marketing is an essential component in business recovery in a post-Covid world. New Jersey marketing agencies and marketing agencies in general need to have a plan in place for when life starts to go back to normal. Strategies are necessary for boosting a business’ engagement, impressions and overall revenue. What better way to introduce a new “normal” world than to reinvent the brand slightly as well? This is a time for rebranding and proving to customers that when the world changes, your business is dedicated to adjusting with it.

The question on the table: where do we go from here? The first focus needs to be about what customers need. Communicating with customers is key.  When we faced the outbreak of the pandemic, it was easy for marketing agencies to tell the public things they wanted to hear. The public needed to know that the brands they support were going to be there for them in a time when everything felt so uncertain. New Jersey marketing agencies and businesses should steer away from any advertisements that seem too greedy or pushy and move towards incentive-based and loyalty campaigns to establish a better bond with customers and promote service and product sales. Highlighting on what we can do in these uncertain times develops an optimistic platform for endorsing products and services. Since restaurants, salons and gyms will be opening soon, businesses in these sectors should announce their safety plans and other precautions to ease customers’ minds and encourage them to come to their establishment. 

The leg up in this situation is that every person in the world went through something similar the past few months, and the trauma connects all of us to this moment in time. When it comes to creating advertisements and campaigns, the more people that can relate to the movement, the better. Authenticity and telling personal anecdotes resonates in consumer’s minds because it shows them that they are not alone. With the right amount of strategic planning, quality advertisements and a little bit of compassion, businesses will be back and booming in no time.