Let’s get things straight: COVID19 is seven letters and numbers that none of us will want to remember when this is all over. Even if the disease is with us for some time to come – as “a manageable disease”, as one medical expert described it – I certainly won’t be setting my passwords or memorable words by it. Hackers, there’s a head start for you.
For those of us that work in marketing and communications, either we or our clients have been at the face of the firefighting. Whether it’s clients who work in the health, government or similar front-line sectors, or those who have been forced to close shop or furlough members of staff, we all know people who have been affected. So, dear reader, I suggest the first thing we will want to lose is the blasted virus itself.
With that said, now feels like as good a time as any to take stock of what we have learned, gained and lost during the past 12-15 months. Because it’s clear that there are winners and losers; but what to do with these learnings? This very issue is what the PRCA Creative Marketing Council got together to discuss on 29th April 2021 – recording available here.
The discussion was chaired by Paul Williamson, Managing Director of Realia Marketing. Paul was joined by Ayẹni Adékúnlé, Founder/CEO at BlackHouse Media, Kat Jackson, Associate Director at Franklin Rae, Nick Lovett, MD of M3.Agency, and David Tarbuck, Director of Communications at Salisbury Group. Here’s a summary of what was discussed.
1. We’ve lost our ties. With the shift to video meetings and working from home, when’s the last time you wore a tie or formal dress to work? Our panel members agreed that we don’t have a great appetite to see it come back as a daily requirement. We’ve definitely seen a shift on the client-side to a more relaxed dress code, and it hasn’t detracted from professionalism or output. Let’s consider putting the tie into Room 101, except for the occasions when it is appropriate to wear one.
2. Channels have expanded and offered more choice. Digital marketing and social interaction spaces have seen some real innovations, and it can be tempting to jump on the latest one and add it to the mix. But sometimes it’s better to wait and see how your established channels adapt to the competition before adding another product to manage in your already busy workload. Some emerging platforms offer such little ability to measure their effectiveness that at this stage they are a bit of a punt. Others tend towards monologue when users are looking for conversation. Furthermore, traditional routes are by no means dead: in-person meetings and team events will return, as will traditional advertising routes. Therefore, clients will want good advice about channel selection amid an increasing variety of options.
3. We need to turn from tactics to strategy. Quite understandably, over the past year client-side marketers have had to demonstrate to their boards the benefit of every pound, dollar, euro or naira, within the context of a shrinking budget. This has led to three-month and even one-month cycles or sprints. We need to get back to 12-24 month strategic planning. Agencies can support clients to do so. Prioritising long-term value over short-term gain will produce more bang for the buck.
4. If “pivot” was the industry word of 2020, perhaps “hybrid” is this year’s. Last year, every business pivoted to both survive and support clients and employees alike. We should all be busy having conversations with our clients about what they need from us; and also with our people about how they want to work going forward. When doing so, let’s not forget about the cultural integrity of our organisations: how do we want our people to work? In all likelihood, most organisations will have a hybrid way of working for the near future, involving a mix of remote and office-based working.
5. People have never been so adaptable, but everyone has a limit. Our colleagues and teams have shown us their great capacity to be flexible and adapt to new ways of working. This has presented a lot of value for employers at a critical time, with some studies showing employees are working up to 20 hours extra per week. But we mustn’t push people too far. Managers should make sure their team members get proper breaks (holiday alert!) and businesses should be proactive in supporting employees’ mental health needs. Also, don’t forget to look after people returning to work after furlough or another reason. A lot has changed in the last year or so, and we need to make sure returnees don’t feel left out or separate from a working culture that has evolved at pace.
If you’d like to join our next PRCA Creative Marketing Council event, you can sign up for our mailing list here.
For further reading, here are some recent PRCA blogs on the themes discussed:
· Measuring effectiveness: https://www.prca.org.uk/How-should-marcom-professionals-measuring-effectiveness
· Showing value to the board: https://www.prca.org.uk/Quickfire-Practical-Advice-inaugural-PRCA-Marcomms-events
· Mental health and managing absences: https://www.prca.org.uk/Absence-Management-How-Manage-Mental-Health-Absences