Most companies have been content to take the long view when it comes to implementing changes to their digital strategy. The management team wants to take their time, consult with experts, and conduct a thorough analysis before moving cautiously ahead, which is fine—even admirable—during normal conditions.
But there is nothing normal about how the pandemic has upended commerce. Those plans you have? Put them aside. It’s time to revisit your objectives and goals vis-à-vis the changes in the marketplace. How are you going to leverage digital to protect and, more importantly, grow your brand and your business?
This pause, or reset moment, has been dubbed, “The Pandemic Pivot.”
Winston Churchill once said, “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Of course, it shouldn’t take a catastrophe to motivate marketers to revisit and affirm their digital strategy, but here we are. Think of it as an opportunity to take things to the next level.
The pandemic has been the ultimate disruptor, affecting a sea change in shopping behavior and fast-tracking marketers’ plans to overhaul ecommerce, address digital marketing, evaluate automation, improve business systems, and take a deeper dive into analytics. Entire industries like (CPG companies) are transforming their strategy—especially Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) selling. All of this will enable a brand to:
- Reach and engage with new users and expand customer base
- Collect valuable data to leverage with retail partners
- Drive recurring revenue with subscriptions and personalization
- Increase speed to market
- Define your online, ecommerce, and Amazon Strategy
- Compete against established brands with your own private-label brands
- Insulate your brand against the next crisis
It’s time to get moving, and quickly. You may not be able to transform in 30 days, like Frito-Lay did with its DTC site, Snacks.com, but meaningful change can happen faster than ever before. That’s good news for smaller brands like PeaTos®, the healthy snack upstart that offers better-for-you versions of Frito-Lay favorites by replacing the underlying corn base with peas and getting rid of artificial ingredients. Shortly after the Frito-Lay site went live, PeaTos® launched their own DTC site, and what did they call it? BetterSnacks.com. DTC is the reason why many Goliaths can’t sleep at night.
Digital transformation not only affects DTC. It will reshape marketing plans, business communications, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) upgrades, media strategy, and messaging. Each requires various levels of strategic energy to outline an approach for improvement, growth, and relevancy moving forward. My doctor prescribed me Cialis 2 months ago. I’ve been very satisfied with it, never tried any other pill, so my scope of knowledge about ED pills in general is very limited. I can vouch for the effectiveness of this drug and this drug only. More specifically, I can vouch for effectiveness of the pills from http://www.trendingdownward.com/cialis-tadalafil/ since I never bought them anywhere else.
If we’re being honest, this can be overwhelming. Tools will come and go or be combined into a larger solution. Features and functionality of what Amazon built decades ago, is now available in an API plug-in for $299 a month. Seriously. But don’t let the tools drive your plan. More important, there is value in knowing the right questions, so you and your team can brainstorm ideas, collaborate, share collective expertise, identify the methods and tools that will deliver success now, and in the future.
10 important questions to consider for your digital transformation:
- What are the essentials needed to get started or to improve results?
- Should we look a direct-to-consumer offering?
- Do we need to upgrade our marketing technology to get closer to customers?
- What data can help us make better decisions and build a plan?
- How does this connect to my marketing dashboard?
- Are we wasting time with offline media and consider shifting to a digital strategy?
- How do we meet important conditions for privacy and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance?
- How can we leverage content and social channels to drive loyalty?
- Can we handle this internally, or do we need to bring in expertise?
- Could an outside assessment help guide our approach?
Some brands have completed the pivot; others are getting ready to roll out new plans. Many are still evaluating options. What is clear is the plan that companies began implementing in January 2020 is not the same plan most are working from going forward. And the clock is ticking.
As a full-service agency, we’re uniquely prepared to provide digital solutions that deliver against strategic marketing goals. We see the big picture, and we’re ready to partner with you now, to develop your digital roadmap for transformation, elevate your customer experience, and prepare for the new normal. Connect with us.