“How would you change your marketing strategy if everyone stopped going outside?” If you’d asked any marketer this question a few short months ago, they probably would have looked at you like you were mad.
And rightly so. In the time B.C. (Before Coronavirus), it was accepted knowledge that consumers were manically, hectically busy – flitting from home to the office and back, their journey punctuated by trips to the gym and spin, weekly brunches and occasional nights in town. To reach such a consumer, most marketers would try every tool in the box: not just paid social and search targeting, but billboard, tube and magazine advertising too.
But today, in the time D.C. (During Coronavirus) with lockdown measures in place, there are few consumers outside to see a Piccadilly Circus billboard or even a tube ad. Marketing professionals have been quick to adjust their marketing plans and shrink media spends, with big brands such as Cadbury’s even going so far as to withdraw Easter advertising.
At Snag, we’re unusual – our marketing strategy has scarcely changed at all. Perhaps it’s because our approach is so simple: as a brand that champions inclusivity and diversity, all our marketing imagery features real Snag customers. And since we want Snag to be answerable to our customers, our strategy prioritises channels where communication is two way – namely Facebook and Instagram.
@snagtights
While our strategy has always worked for us, it has really proved its value during the pandemic. Unlike many of our peers, who will have invested months ago in summer-holiday themed OOH and TV advertising, our customer-generated approach means only a few tweaks were needed to tailor our imagery to favor indoor and at-home imagery. This has also allowed us to be sensitive to the disruption in our customer’s lives. Because we don’t invest our budget in celebrity ambassadors and on-location shoots, we don’t feel obligated to use images that don’t reflect the current reality simply to avoid sunk cost. We can easily gear-switch to more domestic scenes.
The pandemic has also given us food for thought about how we can give back to our customers. We’ve been lucky to count midwives, nurses and doctors among our customers from the beginning, as many healthcare workers wear tights on a long shift and need a pair that will stay in place for hours on end. Coronavirus crystallised our desire to give back to this community – and we launched our new ‘Tights for the NHS’ gifting initiative to provide a free pair to more than 12,000 NHS workers.
Like so many others, the pandemic has given us an opportunity to see the world and our work through a new lens. As we move forward, finally, to life A.C (After Coronavirus), I’m looking forward to the fresh ideas it brings.
