The spread of the new coronavirus has had a significant impact on employment and economies around the world.
In order to adapt to the future “With Corona” and “After Corona” world, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has created and published guidelines for “New Lifestyles” assuming the new coronavirus.
The marketing industry is similarly being forced to promote a “new normal.”
In this article, we will explain the impact of the new coronavirus on marketing and countermeasures, including changes in consumer trends after the coronavirus.
Changes in consumer trends due to the new coronavirus
Before considering the impact of the new coronavirus on marketing, it is first necessary to look at how consumer trends are changing.
In response to the spread of the new coronavirus, restaurants and live music venues have been closed, people have switched to telework or working from home, and schools have been closed.
Furthermore, a nationwide state of emergency was declared, and the government requested people to refrain from going out for non-essential reasons.
As consumers refrain from going out and spend more time at home, the opportunities for consumers to consume media such as TV, the Internet, and newspapers have increased.
However, due to the economic damage, the current situation is that advertising in the media in the branding business is decreasing.
On the other hand, some media, such as the sales promotion business, are booming, and the increase or decrease in advertising varies depending on the business.
Data also shows that organic search traffic is decreasing in most industries except news and finance.
The travel industry, which has been particularly affected by the coronavirus, has seen a significant decline.
However, some portal media such as human resources portals are showing an increasing trend, and some sites are actually increasing their search traffic at this timing.
On the other hand, the demand for online learning to avoid face-to-face contact is increasing, and the introduction of online meetings, online interviews, online classes, etc. is rapidly progressing.
Additionally, demand for webinars (web seminars) and virtual events is expected to increase.
Impact of the new coronavirus on marketing
Due to the new coronavirus, it is expected that events will continue to be suspended for some time.
As a result, marketing investment budgets will be reduced for industries where advertising effectiveness is unlikely.
Examples include live events and conferences where human contact is unavoidable.
On the other hand, the current situation is that all fields and genres are increasingly moving online.
Therefore, marketing investments in online businesses such as online media, webinars, and virtual events are likely to increase.
In this way, there will be a need to clarify which areas are expected to have higher marketing effects in the future due to the impact of the new coronavirus and which areas are less likely to be expected, and to prioritize marketing execution.
Because marketing investment resources are limited, it is better to invest more in areas where you can expect the most results.
Furthermore, in the future marketing industry, it is thought that “digital marketing” that makes full use of the Internet and IT technology will be strengthened.
However, companies that have transitioned to digital marketing due to the impact of the new coronavirus are concerned about a lack of employee knowledge and experience, as well as a lack of human resources themselves.
With marketing budgets being cut due to a decline in sales and customers, it will likely take time to incorporate new marketing methods and achieve results.
Measures marketers should take in the “post-corona world”
Marketing in the “post-coronavirus world” will focus on giving customers and users a sense of security and safety.
This is because the new coronavirus has sharply increased interest in “safety” and “peace of mind” around the world.
In addition to reviewing the current sanitary environment, it is necessary to calculate and manage a budget for health and safety costs.
Rather than stopping marketing activities, it is important to conduct them with thorough safety and health guidelines.
In addition, it is necessary to consider and implement measures that are conscious of cost-effectiveness, especially how to increase cost-effectiveness at low costs.
It will also be necessary to have the ability to link the process from consideration to implementation, as well as “user-first” measures that are more conscious of communication with users.
Furthermore, during the spread of the new coronavirus, various information was distributed by the media.
Because some of the information was unreliable or malicious, consumers’ confidence in the information was low.
The countermeasure that marketers should take is to carry out marketing activities using media with reliable information.
As consumers become more discerning in their search for accurate information, deciding what kind of advertisements to place in which media will become extremely important in future marketing activities.
summary
◆Due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection, the marketing industry is forced to promote a “new normal.”
◆The demand for online business is expected to increase further in the future. It is necessary to select and prioritize areas for marketing activities, and review action plans and budget allocation.
◆When adopting new marketing methods in response to the new coronavirus, issues such as a lack of know-how, experience, and human resources cannot be avoided.
◆As interest in “security” and “safety” increases around the world, it is important for marketing to carry out marketing activities using media with reliable information.