Got the delta blues? Just when we thought this fall would be our industry’s homecoming, the COVID-19 delta variant has reminded us that we are still living with a pandemic. We’ve grown blurry-eyed from Zoom meetings and Teams chats, but we know that these adaptations have allowed us to maintain a sense of business continuity throughout the past 18 months. Our hopes of un-masked, double-vaxxed gatherings may be changing, but we have already proven our resilience. Here are some focus areas to continue to grow our marketing efforts as we plan for more uncertainty.

Digital. Digital. Digital.
We quickly learned last summer just how important it is to understand digital technologies. Some companies were already well versed, taking advantage of new digital opportunities during virtual trade shows to stay ahead. According to Salesforce’s 2021 State Of Marketing, Seventh Edition report, 90 percent of marketers have changed their digital engagement strategy since before the pandemic. With systems in place to measure and analyze our efforts, we are able to integrate more easily where needed.

Brands were not yet on TikTok last summer. Social media algorithms, ownership and new platforms will continue to change the way we communicate, and will impact the omni-channel landscape. Technology also has put more power in the hands of the consumer. The growth of e-commerce has proven that we need to continue to innovate. Stay on top of digital and you’ll experience smooth sailing along the rocky road ahead.

Small events deliver value
Regional events have introduced us to new cities as smaller cities across the U.S. surge with new business investment, becoming hot new destinations, whereas vacant office buildings in larger cities [where many employees are still working from home] are less attractive destinations.

Small events are easy to plan and take less time to organize, allowing factors such as delta variant case rates to be considered. Smaller events that align with your business objectives can prove quite valuable.

Consumers want real you
A wave of empathy has struck at the core of human connectivity this year, resulting in more authentic consumer relationships. Brands are learning to engage consumers in meaningful dialogue and consumers are showing gratitude with loyalty. The relationship between brands and consumers is filling a void left from a year of isolation, and opportunity is abundant.

If we look generationally, there is much information on Millennial and Gen Z brand relationships. They look drastically different from those that Boomers and Gen X have with brands; they’re a two-way engagement, they’re mutually beneficial and they listen to each other.

It’s a new dawn for consumer engagement and their demands drive trends and decisions in real-time. Today’s consumer is socially conscious, politically charged and ethically aware of their purchasing power. They want to be in a relationship with brands that share common standards. Speak to them and find those synergies, and you’ll win their loyalty and their business.

The way we market to consumers and to businesses will evolve. Produce marketing is having a moment: there’s a focus on food as medicine, consumers are investing in healthy lifestyle brands, nutrition insecurity is a real opportunity to make an impact, and so much more. Consider these opportunities to stay relevant as you navigate the unpredictabilities of today and of the future.