Extending the application of the product in ad communication to fit the WFH context

There’s a lot we don’t know about who we are. There’s another part of us that we don’t think of highlighting each day. But at the core, at the very base of our existence, we are primal. We were born in a world of animals, and survival is what we know best.

Since the pandemic hit, a lot of businesses have gone belly up, and many have adapted to fit the need of the hour. Bathing soaps that spoke of freshness are now highlighting their antimicrobial properties. Brands that were in the business of alcohol, are today making sanitizers. Companies that delivered world class events for corporates, are now repositioning themselves to help those same corporates build a safer workplace when the workforce returns. We’re all evolving, we’re all reaching deep within and finding that survival instinct and letting it lead the way.

If you’re a brand looking to find your place in the new world order, here’s a checklist that can help you cater to the growing needs of our time -

Understand the capability of your business

I spoke to a brand recently that makes meads - the honey based alcoholic beverage. I was pleasantly surprised that they used their existing infrastructure and access to raw materials to create a range of sanitizers. One of our clients, a beverage company, has successfully created an immunity boosting drink. Similar stories are all around us, and it’s important to access what you have and what you can make of it.

Make a list

What’s becoming increasingly obvious to most are the products that consumers are gravitating toward. The list is endless, if you know where to look. Once you’ve understood your business and the tools at hand, it’s important to make a list of items that you can deliver with minimal modifications to your product and infrastructure. For some, I have come to realise, it’s simply about repositioning through marketing, and if you’re one of those lucky few, you have things a lot easier.

(Courtesy: Unsplash - https://unsplash.com/photos/8mikJ83LmSQ)

Assess the cost and the benefits

It goes without saying that you must analyse the cost benefit analysis and the readiness to return to the core business once things go back to normal. While an idea may seem like a stroke of genius, if it hampers you returning to your core business later might create problems at a later date. Don’t make decisions that impact the future of your business.

Go to market

No matter what the product or the service you come up with, remember that your consumers are working from home, have exhausted mental capacities, and have probably developed a new world view. Remember that, and when going to market, keep those sensibilities in mind. A pocket friendly sanitizer can be used in nightclubs, but today the need is a lot higher when going to buy groceries - it’s these simple changes in communication that will make all the difference.

(Courtesy: Unsplash - https://unsplash.com/photos/m9u1TulPQtE)

At Albatrot we did the same. As an online marketing services company, we realised that online product sales would be an important driving force for the top line. Keeping this in mind, we accessed what we were good at, and created a service called ‘Albatrot Cart’ that helps brands create an online sales channel and achieve sales through paid social, paid search and other means. We invested in an additional team of certified experts to make this possible.

The fittest will survive this, and it’s time we reached inward to find that driving force.