Lockdowns, postponement of major sales periods, implementation of health protocols, then curfew at 6 p.m.: consumer and merchant habits have been shaken over recent months. In such a context, how can you react and adapt your strategy to maintain your visibility and profitability?
A profoundly changed advertising landscape
After a brutal halt to advertising campaigns during the first lockdown, brands gradually resumed communication online. Whether to show support during the current situation and/or to communicate about their activity, it became necessary to remain present in consumers’ minds (and on screens). With increasing performance indicators, campaigns maintained during lockdown were well illustrated, notably in the furniture, decoration, food, and photo printing sectors.
Today, despite a more global recovery, we observe various changes in the advertising landscape: communications with a more offbeat and entertaining tone, increased caution in investments, a search for short-term profitability, and the arrival of new advertisers starting to take interest in advertising and online sales.
How to organize your advertising strategy and media budget in this period?
Rule #1: prioritize your core target
We know consumers are increasingly demanding and committed to supporting companies that share their values. Precisely identifying your core target becomes a key success factor for your campaigns. “Lookalike” or geolocalized targeting approaches are precious allies to broaden your audience while pertinently targeting consumers likely to be interested in your offers.
Rule #2: do not neglect commercial peak periods
As we saw during the last Black Friday, consumers are keen on these commercial peaks for making purchases. For retailers facing budget cuts, it will be wise to concentrate investments and campaigns during these periods, when consumers are ready to concretize their buying intentions. Levers generating short-term sales will be favored to maximize ROI and better move stock.
Rule #3: measure multi-lever performance
Consumer behavior can sometimes bias the evaluation of certain levers that nevertheless play an essential role in the purchase journey. In search of quick profitability, some advertisers overlook certain audience pools by focusing exclusively on SEA budgets. Whether through social networks, affiliation, or drive-to-store campaigns, other levers exist to find new clients and generate sales across all channels.
For example, a consumer receives an SMS announcing promotions at a furniture store. They consult offers on their phone, then visit their computer to compare, read reviews, and finally complete their purchase, attributing the sale to search and not the SMS, which nevertheless played a key role.
A precise measurement of the performance of each activated lever is essential to judge their effectiveness and avoid losing valuable allies.
Defining a fixed and sustainable strategy in such a changing context can prove risky for merchants today. However, there are some good practices to integrate into your media plan to best get through this crisis. Finally, do not hesitate to surround yourself with experts who can advise you and guide you towards the levers adapted to your situation.
