During COVID-19, the pivot must serve customers’ needs

COVID-19 has changed the way business is done.

It’s closed offices, made some workers “essential” and welcomed a raft of digital-first marketing and communication strategies. Consumers are spending more time at home, consuming more digital content than ever before.

For business leaders, the crisis has ushered in years’ worth of digital transformation in just a few months.

However, the “pivot” that brands must make in 2020 and beyond is more than embracing “e-commerce” and direct-to-consumer strategies. Organizations that want to thrive in the current environment must find ways to offer unique value to anxious, exhausted, pandemic-weary consumers.

Savvy marketers see a challenge as an opportunity.

Use data to find needs

Communicators’ secret weapon during this crisis is the vast amounts of data at their fingertips, which can be used to better understand the various needs of consumers.

W. Joe DeMiero, CEO of Hawkeye, says that data is what led his team to a big win for the jewelry retailer Jared. When the data showed that more than 845,000 weddings had been canceled because of COVID-19, the team saw an opportunity for the jeweler to offer a special value to struggling couples.