The year 2020 will go down in history as one that brought about numerous changes in so many areas. Between a pandemic, demonstrations about racial equality and police reform, and a hotly disputed presidential election, a day rarely passes where all three of these topics aren’t in the news.
Changes have also been commonplace among the workforce, student population, every industry, and consumers. With some major events approaching, what are marketers to do because of the uncertainty about quarantines and concerns about health and safety? The short, though not simple answer, is flexibility and innovation.
Halloween’s Around the Corner
Traditionally a popular annual fall event for kids and their parents, Halloween 2020, will likely be a lot different this year between communities. Some brands like Mars Wigley have planned for changes and already announced their new plans.
The popular candy maker recently announced that on October 1, it would unveil Treat Town, a digital platform that will allow kids to trick-or-treat virtually, thus allaying parental health and safety concerns about the usual door-to-door ritual. This will allow trick-or-treaters to gather credits all month long and redeem them at retailers like Walmart, CVS, and Target.
What will likely make Treat Town even more appealing is that nearly all of Mars Wrigley’s assortment of sweets will be available, not only including Snickers, M&M’s, Twix, and Skittles, but also seasonal favorites like Zombie Skittles, M&M’s Creepy Cocoa Crisp and Snickers Glow in the Dark bags. To hedge their bets, Mars Wrigley is also partnering on in-store Halloween displays with retailers like Albertson’s.
Others
Others have also been paying attention to changing and expanding consumer interests. In mid-August, Samsung unveiled its Galaxy Note20 Ultra, which some have described as a phablet for phone lovers. Its entry is seen as a compromise between consumers preferring Samsung’s Galaxy S series and others who prefer the Galaxy Note.
Contactless pay is a simple yet popular change that was adopted by numerous merchants and brands after the pandemic. Along those same lines, even some vending machines now accept Apple Pay.
The food industry may soon see new shifts and innovative things as well. More than two-thirds of those responding to a Mattson survey in April reported that they were either working on new concepts or developing new products.
The Future
Agility and innovation seem to be the hallmark for brands wishing to grow and survive both during and after the pandemic. Besides considering new products, CMOs would be wise to also consider alliances with potential community and industry partners. The power of collective strength can be dominating and bolster all those involved.
What it will take is for marketers to utterly understand their publics to determine what else they might offer that will not only retain customer interest but perhaps boost it while attracting new customers. Capturing the right data from existing customers and analyzing it is essential. So, too, are fully collaborative and functioning teams across different departments within an organization. Any silos that exist present a major handicap.