The corona pandemic is affecting consumers worldwide. We order what we need online, creating new behavior patterns. The most successful marketing departments are those that quickly succeed in adjusting their strategy to the new situation and that can find the right balance between managing risk and at the same time seeing the opportunities that arise.

All major historical changes have resulted in fortunes being created and fortunes being lost. Covid-19 has already changed our daily lives and finances, and eventually, some will emerge as economic winners from this crisis. Amazon is one of the players that has already taken action to gain market share - they are hiring 100,000 new employees in the US!

In times of crisis, it is more important than ever that you and your marketing department follow developments closely and analyze how the new situation affects you and your customers. The winners will be the agile companies and - rather than “sitting still in the boat” - can quickly adjust their strategies to the new landscape.

Segmentation and target group analysis - do you know who your customers are?

Knowing your customers well is crucial if your marketing investment is to be profitable. The first step is to ensure that you keep track of your existing customers in a single customer database: for example, age, gender, purchasing power, geography, home, car, and if they have children.

The next step is to find out if, and if so, how, do these customers resemble potential new customers? How many are they?

Always up-to-date customer information

Make sure your customer database is always up-to-date so that your marketing hits the right customer groups. Updated information is crucial for distinguishing messages for both existing and new customers.

If you have not already done so: now is the time to take the time to clean your database to ensure it is accurate and up-to-date.

Channel selection - where do you meet your customers?

If you are not visible when your customers want to buy, you will not be able to sell your goods. Solid knowledge of the customers and optimal shopping experience is crucial. Understanding existing and potential customers are important to ensure high conversion and strengthening of your brand.

Where do you meet your customers?

On Facebook or by sending out a DM? Is it perhaps a combination of social media and follow-up on the phone, or Facebook in combination with a media buying campaign on an alternative network such as Advedro? Continue to be visible throughout the crisis.

Finally, and perhaps most important of all: Do you know that you are relevant in your messages to your target groups? This is an issue that is more important now than ever before. Many companies experience a difficult balance between building sales campaigns and at the same time showing respect for the challenges society and individuals are facing right now. It is not time to "heel" in a classic way. Rather, the focus should be on creating positive associations with your business by showing that you understand the challenges we face. Tell us about the measures you take to help employees, customers, and other actors. Keep your company’s brand-building work alive so that you are at the top once the crisis is over.